Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: THE Iranian Government has taken a major step, suspending its visa-free entry facility for Indian citizens. This move was taken in response to a case of Indians being lured into Iran with the promise of jobs and later kidnapped for ransom.
The suspension of visa-free entry by the Iranian Government will take effect on November 22, 2025. All Indian citizens holding ordinary passports will be affected. Once this decision takes effect, travellers will be required to obtain visas for both entry and transit to Iran.
The Ministry of External Affairs said the decision is aimed at preventing misuse of visa exemption by organised criminal networks that exploit job seekers.
The latest advisory issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that there have been reports of Indian citizens being deceived by the lure of high-paying jobs in Iran, easy travel to Gulf or European countries, and visa-free employment opportunities. The Ministry stated that several such Indian citizens were kidnapped upon arrival in Iran. In such cases, the criminals demanded ransom from their families.
The advisory stated that the Government’s attention has been drawn to several incidents of Indian nationals being lured to Iran on false promises of employment or onward travel to third countries. These individuals were lured into travelling to Iran by taking advantage of the visa exemption facility available to holders of ordinary Indian passports. Upon arrival in Iran, many of them were kidnapped for ransom.
In this regard, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has suspended the visa exemption facility available to holders of ordinary Indian passports traveling to Iran with effect from November 22, 2025. This measure is intended to prevent further misuse of this facility by criminal elements. From this date, Indian citizens holding ordinary passports will be required to obtain a visa to enter Iran or to travel through Iran. All Indian nationals wishing to travel to Iran are strongly advised to remain vigilant and avoid agents offering visa-free travel or onward travel to third countries via Iran.
