TEHRAN - On Saturday, Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts hosted a meeting focused on resolving the implementation challenges of the visa waiver agreement dedicated to tourist groups from Iran and Russia. 

The participants called for the necessity of updating the visa waiver program while presenting their suggestions for reducing existing challenges.

The specialized session saw the participation of representatives from relevant entities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Passport Police, tourism associations, the Automobile and Touring Association, and some travel offices active in the Russian market.

During this meeting, Moslem Shojai, who presides over the ministry’s foreign tourism marketing and development office, stated: “Improving the implementation process of the group visa waiver between the two countries will enhance tourists' visiting experiences and will be a significant factor in continuing this practice with other countries as well.”

Referring to the nearing deadline for the completion of the joint action plan document between the two countries, Shojai added: "Updating the implementation process of the mentioned agreement to minimize its existing challenges and ambiguities is on the agenda of this office."

Shojai emphasized the need for increased necessary cooperation among relevant entities associated with this agreement, stating: "In the new update, challenges such as tourists' insurance on both sides and the digitization of the relevant form exchange process will be under review."

 Furthermore, representatives from various entities and experienced tourism agencies involved in organizing tours based on the visa waiver cancelation process discussed and evaluated different topics.

On August 1, Tehran and Moscow officially implemented the long-awaited visa-free tourist exchanges that benefit groups of five to 50 travelers for up to 15 days at a time.

AFM