Iran to issue tourist visas at airports for three-month stay

Iran announced on 11 July that it would issue visas (at airports) for tourists wanting to stay for up to three months and would waive visa requirements for citizens of 28 countries. Masoud Soltanifar, Vice-President and head of Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) is quoted as saying that this decision was taken after taking into consideration the increasing number of overseas tourists arriving in Iran in the past two years. According to Soltanifar, citizens of 190 nations would receive tourist visas at airports. The increasing numbers of foreign tourists, particularly from Muslim and Arab states, made the Iranian Foreign Ministry and ICHHTO jointly approach the cabinet ministers on 3 July to seek a go-ahead for a three-month stay of tourists. He said that easing of issuing tourist visas is an important indicator of the tourism industry’s growth. Visas are currently being issued at nine airports of the country: Bandar Abbas, IKIA (Tehran), Kish and Qeshm Islands, Larestan, Mashad, Shiraz, Isfahan and Tabriz. Preparations are underway to issue these visas at airports of Ahvaz, Orumiyeh, Tehran Mehrabad and Yazd too. Soltanifar added that Iran currently has reciprocal visa cancellation arrangements with 12 countries and there was a plan to add the same with 28 more nations. Iran, home to an ancient civilisation, has a lot on offer for history buffs. If you are planning on visiting Iran, come to Y-Axis for assistance and guidance on applying for a visa at one of its 19 offices located in major cities across India.