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Iran has announced that it was lifting visa requirements for citizens of India as well as 32 other countries — being an addition to several other countries that have recently announced visa-free travel for Indian nationals.
This move is aimed at boosting tourism with more visitors from across the world, said Ezzatollah Zarghami, Iranian minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
This decision aims at showcasing Iran’s commitment to global interaction, said Zarghami, adding, “Iran aims to counter negative perceptions and rumours with this move, while combating the phenomenon of ‘Iranophobia perpetuated by the global arrogance system’.
Thirty-two other countries in Iran’s visa-free travel list include Russia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles, Indonesia, Darussalam, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, and Belarus.
Earlier, Iran had lifted visa requirements for the citizens of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Oman, China, Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria.
According to the latest statistics, the total number of tourists in Iran reached 4.4 million, during the first eight months of the current Iranian year (beginning March 21) — an increase of 48.5 per cent from the same period last year.
Zarghami also said that his Ministry had proposed a visa-free travel for 60 countries, which was not approved completely.
As per Iranian media reports, its citizens will be able to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah through “regular flights”, starting December 19. Due to this, Iranians would be able to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia for the first time in eight years — an improvement in relations between the two countries.
India has rising market for outbound tourism
Meanwhile, a recent McKinsey analysis showed that India has one of the fastest growing markets for outbound tourism — with 13 million such tourists in 2022.
Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam have also recently waived visa requirements for the citizens of India.
Earlier this month, Thailand — another neighbouring country whose economy relies heavily on tourism — had announced a visa exemption for Indian citizens, from November 10 to May 10 next year. The limited period exemption was already in effect for tourists from China and Kazakhstan.
In October, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry lifted visa requirements for the citizens of seven countries including India, China, and Russia, under a pilot project — with the exemption to continue till March 31, 2024. According to a statement issued by the Sri Lankan government, the move was part of the crisis-hit country’s efforts to boost tourism and hit a target of 50,00,000 visitors by 2026.
At present, 27 countries provide visa-free entry to the citizens of India. The latest additions include Kenya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Other countries that allow entry to Indian citizens without a visa include Barbados, Bhutan, Dominica, Haiti, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Samoa, and Trinidad and Tobago, among others.
According to data provided by the Ministry of Tourism, the top five destinations for Indian citizens are the UAE, the USA, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Thailand; with a large number comprising diaspora tourists.
