Iran Halts Passport Stamping for Tourists, Official Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The spokesman for Iran’s Interior Ministry said President Hassan Rouhani’s order to stop stamping passports of foreign visitors at the country’s border crossings and airports has been executed.
“The issue of the elimination of arrival and departure stamps on the passports of foreign nationals became operational by the Supreme National Security Council’s task force on borders,” Seyed Salman Samani said on Tuesday.
Following follow-up efforts and coordination with the Iranian Immigration and Passport Police Office and other relevant authorities, this order has been executed in all land, sea and air borders of the country, the official stated.
Back in June, Rouhani ordered the Interior Ministry to stop stamping passports of foreign visitors at airports.
The Iranian administration has been working on plans for more than a year to facilitate travels to Iran and encourage foreign tourists to visit the country without concerns about the US regulations which restrict visa-free entry to the US for travelers to Iran.
Many foreign tourists worried that an Iranian visa or airport stamp in their passport may cause problems for future travel to countries other than the US.
Iranian officials say nationals of 190 countries can obtain a visa to visit the country on arrival at the airport, valid for 30 days, and with the possibility of another 15-day extension.
Last year, tourism authorities had announced that Iran would no longer stamp passports of tourists visiting the country in near future.
The foreigners visiting Iran will reportedly need to obtain a copy of their authorization number confirming that they have gotten a visa. The entry and exit stamps would be marked on that document instead of the passports.