Iranian media reports say Tehran and Dushanbe have reached a bilateral agreement to waive visa requirements for air travelers.
Tehran Times, citing Iran’s Embassy in Dushanbe, reported on January 28 that they have reached an agreement between the two capital cities.
The new policy, approved by Iran’s Cabinet, will take effect on February 3, 2025, the statement by Iran’s Embassy in Dushanbe was cited as saying.
It reportedly allows citizens of Iran and Tajikistan holding ordinary passports to travel between Tehran and Dushanbe without a visa. Travelers can stay for up to 30 days within a 90-day period.
The initiative aims to strengthen diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties between the two countries and help promote people-to-people exchanges.
Iran’s Press TV said on January 28 that according to a Tuesday report by the semi-official Fars News Agency (FNA) which cited a recent decision by the Iranian Cabinet, Tajik nationals will be able to travel to any airport in Iran without a visa starting February 3, 2025. ,.
The report said the governments of Iran and Tajikistan had agreed to lift visa curbs for travelers arriving in airports of the Iranian capital Tehran and the Tajik capital of Dushanbe as of August 10, adding that the new decision allows visa-free travel for Tajik nationals to all airports in Iran, including to Iran’s second-largest city of Mashhad which is a major religious tourism hub.
It comes less than two weeks after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Tajikistan. It also comes amid Iran’s efforts to expand its economic presence in Central Asia where trade has been booming through new transport routes connecting China to other parts of the world.
VisaGuide.World reported on January 29 that through this move, the two countries want to strengthen their diplomatic and economic ties as well as promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
However, nationals of both countries must keep in mind that the visa-free agreement does not permit unlimited periods of stay.
“Under the agreement, Iranians 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,” said VisaGuide.World. “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.”
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.
Iran’s Mehr News Agency (MNA) reports that speaking on the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi Amiri said on January 29 that around 8,000 Tajikistanis have been visiting Iran annually over the last few years. He reportedly added that the two countries have agreed to increase bilateral visits to 100,000 per annum.
