Iran and Tajikistan have decided to drop the visa requirement for each other’s air travelers starting February 3, 2025.
Through this move, the two countries want to strengthen their diplomatic and economic ties as well as promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, VisaGuide.World reports.
The agreement reached between Iran and Tajikistan will allow passport holders of the two countries to travel between Tehran and Dushanbe without the need to apply for a visa beforehand.
However, nationals of both countries must keep in mind that the visa-free agreement does not permit unlimited periods of stay.
Under the agreement, Iranianians and Tajikistanis are permitted to stay in the territory of one another visa-free for a maximum of 30 days within any 90-day period.
This means that if a national of Iran wants to stay within the territory of Tajikistan, or vice versa, for a period of more than 30 days within any 90-day period, they need to undergo the visa procedures and obtain a long-stay visa.
Visa-Free Agreement Expected to Boost Tourism
The agreement, which becomes effective from the beginning of next month, is expected to boost the travel and tourism sectors of both countries.
The Minister of Tourism of Iran, Reza Salehi Amiri, said just recently that they anticipate a larger number of tourists from Tajikistan to reach the country each year.
He revealed that around 8,000 Tajikistanis have been visiting Iran annually in the last few years. However, with the new agreement, the Minister said that they aim to register up to 100,000 travelers from Tajikistan.
Tajikistan also expects to see an increased number of tourists from Iran once the visa requirements are dropped.
This Is the Current Global Ranking of Iran & Tajikistan’s Passports
According to the VisaGuide Passport Index, the passport of Iran currently ranks as the 172nd in the world. At the moment, Iranian passport holders are permitted visa-free entry to only 19 countries. On the other hand, they need to obtain a visa to enter 150 countries.
This ranking will change from February 3, when Iranian passport holders will be able to enter Tajikistan visa-free. However, there will not be a notable change.
As for Tajikistan, the country’s passport at the moment ranks 141st in the world, 31 places higher than that of Iran.
Tajikistan passport holders are currently permitted to enter 24 world countries without a visa, and they need a visa for 149 countries.