Authorities in Iran are lifting visa requirements for passport holders from 33 countries, including Saudi Arabia.
The move was confirmed on Thursday following comments by Tourism Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, who said: “The government intends to open the country’s doors to the world.
“The Islamic Republic has shown its willingness to open its doors to the people of the world and provide them with more facilities so that they can easily visit our country and enjoy its benefits.”
The decision means that citizens of 45 countries will now be able to visit Iran without a visa.
The Ministry of Tourism said it “believes that an open door policy will show Iran’s determination to engage with different countries of the world”.
Other countries included in the decision are the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as Bahrain, with which Tehran has yet to restore full relations. Citizens of Oman have already been able to travel to Iran without a visa. The ISNA news agency published a full list of countries, including Lebanon, Tunisia and India. Western-allied Croatia is the only European country on the list.
