Iran has introduced visa-free travel for citizens of more than 30 countries around the world as it looks to boost tourism.
Citizens of Gulf countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iran, will be able to visit Iran without a visa. Citizens of India, Brazil, and Indonesia will also be able to visit the country without needing a visa.
Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Ezzatollah Zarghami has said the Iranian Cabinet has decided to unilaterally cancel visa requirements for visitors from 33 more countries, according to the state-run news agency IRNA.
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Zarghami said the decision is aimed at boosting tourism arrivals and attracting more visitors from countries around the world.
According to the latest statistics, the number of foreign arrivals in the country reached 4.4 million during the first eight months of the current Iranian year (started on March 21), an increase of 48.5 percent compared to the same period last year.
The 33 countries approved for the new visa-waiver pprogramme are:
- India
- Russian Federation (in group visits)
- UAE
- Bahrain
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Uzbekistan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Tunisia
- Mauritania
- Tanzania
- Zimbabwe
- Mauritius
- Seychelles
- Indonesia
- Brunei
- Japan
- Singapore
- Cambodia
- Malaysia
- Vietnam
- Brazil
- Peru
- Cuba
- Mexico
- Venezuela
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Serbia
- Croatia
- Belarus
That comes as the country has already announced visa waiver programmes for visitors who are citizens of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Oman, China, Armenia, and Syria.