As a months-long currency crisis continues to afflict Iran's economy, a number of foreign embassies in the country are offering visa issuance services in rials to facilitate the process.
According to ISNA, which has received a list from the passport and visa department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassies of Switzerland, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico and Tunisia are now offering their visa issuance services in rials.
The move is aimed at helping ease the process of receiving the travel document to those countries by Iranians. In the past few months, Iran has been battling steep currency fluctuations due to the US unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal Iran signed with world powers in May and wider local economic weaknesses. This has meant that access to hard currency has become increasingly difficult and expensive for Iranian travelers.
Some of these foreign embassies had started offering rial services to Iranian applicants before, while others commenced rial-based services only after the currency crisis exacerbated and money exchanges were also restricted by the central bank in freely selling foreign currencies to applicants.
The list shared with ISNA reportedly also included Oman and Qatar as countries whose embassies offer visa issuance services to Iranians in rials. However, the cost of issuing travel visas to these two countries is reportedly higher than usual, if the process is conducted in Iran's national currency. Iranian travelers will be able to visit Oman and Qatar at cheaper rates if they conduct their visa issuance process at airports on arrival in the national currencies of those countries or in the US dollar.
Oman's airport visas are now issued for $16 on arrival. To obtain a business visa to Qatar, travelers will have to pay 200 Qatari riyals in the Arab nation's international airports and 120 riyals to get a tourist visa.
The embassy of Jordan has been listed among embassies that offer visa issuance services in rial to Iranians. However, under the influence of Saudi Arabia's foreign policy aimed at weakening and isolating Iran in the region, the embassy of Jordan has reportedly reduced its official operations in Iran. It does not currently offer Iranians tourist visas.
As for other embassies, the embassy of Tunisia offers visa issuance services to Iranians for 12.60 million rials (about $86). The embassies of Kuwait and Japan receive 12 million rials ($82) and 880,000 rials ($6) respectively. The embassy of Switzerland, on the other hand, charges 6.4 million rials ($44) for visa issuance, although going through the VFS visa services in Tehran would add the equivalent of another €26.5 to the tally.
The embassy of Mexico requires Iranian applicants to pay the equivalent of $36. However, according to the general rules of the Mexican Embassy, nationals who possess valid passports and visas for the US, Canada, the UK, Japan or a multiple Schengen visa can travel to Mexico without the need to obtain visas for tourism, business and transit purposes, provided they first present documents proving their financial capability.
Obtaining visas from a number of them that have strict documentation requirements on par with Schengen visas, including Kuwait, Mexico and Japan, is contingent on presenting a valid invitation.
One case in recent months signaled a reversal of the abovementioned facilities offered to Iranian citizens traveling abroad. Russia offered its visa issuance services to Iranian citizens in rials until the second Iranian month of the current year that ended on May 21, but has now reportedly reverted back to requiring US dollars.
This is while in late August, Russia removed visa requirements for Iranian tourists, though only if they travel as part of a delegation and tour involving five to 50 people. The move came after negotiations between presidents Hassan Rouhani and Vladimir Putin and other high-level officials in the preceding months.
