TEHRAN – All Iranian border crossings let foreign nationals in without passport stamps according to a presidential decree that orders for the waiver of physical stamping on travelers’ passports upon entering or leaving the country, Interior Ministry’s spokesman has said.

“According to the president [Hassan Rouhani]’s order to waive [physical] stamping on foreigners’ passports, this issue was investigated by a taskforce of the [Supreme] National Security Council to be implemented at all official borders,” Seyyed Salman Samani said in an interview with IRNA on Friday.

He underlined that in cooperation with the Police Department of Immigration and Passports and other related bodies, the decree is now implemented in all land, air and sea borders of the country.

In June, Rouhani issued an order for the waiver of physical stamping on travelers’ passports upon entering or leaving the country. He ordered Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli to arrange to waive visa-stamping and not to mark passports of foreign nationals visiting the country.

The decision is expected to facilitate travels to the country without fear of possible U.S. penalties. Last year, Washington announced travelers to some certain countries including Iran would face restrictions to enter the U.S.

Last November, the Islamic Republic started a pilot project in a select of its airports, issuing electronic visas -- without any entry or exit stamps -- for those arriving in Iran, in a bid to facilitate tourist inflow and to cope with sanctions recently reimposed by the U.S.

Iran welcomed some 7.8 million foreign nationals last year, which shows a 52.5 percent increase year on year. The ultimate goal of the Islamic Republic is to attract 20 million foreign tourists annually by 2025.

AFM/MG