The first phase of the trial scheme to issue electronic visas in Iran’s consular offices will soon be launched at the Iranian Consulate General in Dubai, the UAE.
The plan will go into effect as soon as the necessary infrastructure is ready, ISNA reported.
The e-visa plan was devised in line with the government’s efforts to facilitate travel to the country. Iran has already waived visa requirements for seven countries, namely Azerbaijan, Syria, Turkey, Georgia, Bolivia, Egypt and Lebanon and is determined to increase the number to 28 by the end of the current fiscal year that ends next March.
Citizens of all countries except 10 countries can obtain visa on arrival at Iranian airports. Colombia, Somalia, Britain, Canada, USA, Bangladesh, Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been excluded from the list.
Electronic visas are issued faster and with greater precision and minimize the possibility of forging. While conventional visas are commonly a stamp endorsed in an applicant’s passport, an electronic visa is stored in a computer and is linked to the passport number and no label, sticker or stamp is placed in the passport before travel.
