New Delhi, India

Iran has initiated its visa-free policy for Indian tourists visiting the West Asian nation, effective from February 4, as per a press release by the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Indian capital of Delhi. Following the approval of the Government of Iran, Indian citizens holding ordinary passports will now be able to enter Iran without a visa once every six months, with a maximum stay of 15 days per visit. The 15 days will not be extended, as per the official statement. Moreover, this visa-free arrangement applies exclusively to individuals entering Iran for tourism purposes.

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"If Indian nationals wish to stay for a longer period or make multiple entries within a six-month period or require other types of visas, they must obtain the necessary visas through the respective representations of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India," the statement read. 

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Moreover, Iran said that this visa abolition pertains specifically to Indian nationals entering Iran via air border.

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During the initial eight months of the ongoing Iranian year, foreign arrivals to the country saw a remarkable surge, reaching 4.4 million. This signifies a notable increase of 48.5 percent when compared to the corresponding period in the preceding year.

The list of countries approved for Iran's visa-waiver programme is - India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Tunisia, Mauritania, Tanzania, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Belarus.

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Iran had visa waiver programmes in place for visitors from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Oman, China, Lebanon, and Syria.

This comes as, in a bid to enhance tourism, various countries have recently implemented similar visa waiver policies for Indian citizens. Thailand waived visa requirements for Indian travellers until May 2024. Similarly, Sri Lanka announced visa-free entry for India and six other countries, including China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand, until March 21, 2024.

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Additionally, Malaysia eliminated visa requirements for Indian and Chinese tourists from December 1 last year, allowing a visa-free stay of up to 30 days. It is contingent upon passing security screenings. Kenya also joined in December by abolishing visa requirements for Indian passport holders.

(With inputs from agencies)