Iran will issue visa on arrival to all but 9 countries

Iran will issue visas upon arrival for citizens of all but nine countries arriving at its airports, according to a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Hossein Jaberi said the decision was in line with plans to expand tourism in the country.

“Certain countries like the United States and Britain are exceptions to the immediate issuance (of visa),” he said, adding that the details of the plan and list of the countries excluded will be made public later, according to the state-owned Tasnim News Agency.

Iranian deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi previously said the country will issue 30-day visas for citizens of 180 countries upon arrival.

The country’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation head Masoud Soltanifarhad said Iran planned to increase revenue from tourism within the next 10 years to equal its oil revenue by 2025.

He told the news agency that the country expected to host 20 million tourists by 2025 through its large number of natural and historical sites. Foreign visitors to the country have reportedly increased 12 to 14 per cent over the last two years.

The news agency went on to describe how more foreign tourists had arrived in the country since a nuclear deal between Tehran and the Group 5+ (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) came into force in January but did not give numbers.