The Iranian government has set the next year’s departure tax at 2.64 million rials ($10.5) for travelers who take their first overseas trip of the year, as per the budget bill of the next fiscal year (March 2021-22), 50% more for their second trip (3.96 million rials or $15.8) and 100% more for the third or more trips, i.e., 5.28 million rials ($21.1).
Departure tax imposed on travelers to Saudi Arabia for hajj pilgrimage will be 1.32 million rials ($5.2) next year.
Pilgrimage by air to other holy cities such as those in Iraq will be subject to a 450,000-rial ($1.8) departure tax and those by road and sea 150,000 rials (60 cents).
According to the budget bill, 800,000 rials ($3.2) of earnings from each departure tax payment will be allocated to the improvement of tourism and handcraft industry’s infrastructures.
Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Hosseinali Amiri submitted the new budget bill to the parliament on Wednesday. Unlike previous years, President Hassan Rouhani did not show up at the parliament for the budget day upon the advice of the National Coronavirus Headquarters.
In the next fiscal year (to start March 21, 2021), the operating budget (including revenues derived mainly from taxation and exports at the disposal of the government) has been projected to stand at 8,413 trillion rials ($33.65 billion at the market exchange rate of 250,000 rials per dollar).
Add to this, revenues exclusive to ministries and governmental institutions worth 884 trillion rials ($3.53 billion), which takes the total sum of the general budget to 9,298 trillion rials ($37.19 billion).
The budget of state companies, banks and for-profit organizations has been put at 15,619 trillion rials ($62.47 billion).
All in all, the ceiling set for the government’s total budget is at 24,357 trillion rials ($97.42 billion).
