TEHRAN – Iran is considering abolishing visa requirements for passport holders from 68 countries, including Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.

The border-easing scheme was first proposed late last year by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts and aimed to reinforce tourism.

It is the first time that the tentative list of target countries has been released, though investigations and inquiries from relevant bodies have not been finalized yet, Mehr reported on Monday.

The scheme is aimed at increasing incoming tourists and facilitating travel. Still, available evidence suggests it will not be finalized to be implemented soon, the report said.

According to Ali-Asghar Shalbafian, the deputy minister for tourism, those names include some neighboring countries as well as those considered emerging markets with a considerable population and per capita income.

The tentative list includes Argentina, South Africa, Indonesia, Jordan, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ecuador, Algeria, UAE, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Belarus, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Paraguay, Peru, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Turkmenistan.

Tunisia, Czech Republic, Russia, Romania, Japan, Ivory Coast, Singapore, Senegal, Sudan, Seychelles, Chile, Serbia, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Finland, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Cameroon, Croatia, South Korea, Colombia, Comoros, Kuwait, Guinea, Poland, Luxembourg, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Hungary, Macedonia, Mexico, Mauritius, Mali, Madagascar, Niger, Vietnam, Yemen, Greece, and India constitute other states whose nationals may be granted visa-free access.

Over the past couple of months, the ministry cited different numbers for the target countries; once 50, once 60, and once more than 60 countries were announced, the report said.

For example, Shalbafian in July said: “The ministry’s proposal to waive visa requirements for 60 countries is currently under consideration by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant authorities.”

He said the proposal was submitted to the President's office after Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi visited the tourism ministry.

The number of tourist arrivals is estimated to reach six million by the end of the current year (March 19, 2024), Shalbafian said last month. “With the [steady] increase in the arrival of foreign tourists, it is expected the number of international arrivals will reach about 6 million by year-end.”

He said the tourism ministry has devoted a great deal of effort to helping facilitate arrivals in the country. “Moreover, we have simplified overland journeys for tourists from neighboring countries who are willing to visit Iran in their private cars.”

According to available data, Iran's tourism had constantly been growing before the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching more than eight million visitors in the Iranian calendar year 1398 (started March 21, 2019).

Although the country’s performance as a tourist destination is still far below that of 2019, which was before the start of the pandemic, it is improving slightly compared to last year's statistics.

Based on the latest United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer, foreign tourist arrivals in Iran reached some 2.93 million between January and July 2023.

The average statistics of Iran’s tourism from January to August 2023 is 50% lower than the same period in 2019 based on the barometer that tracks the sector’s post-pandemic recovery throughout 2023 up to the end of July.

Another statistic compiled by Iran’s tourism ministry indicates the country saw 3.35 million tourist arrivals in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), which soared 38 percent year on year.

The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 27 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

AFM