In a sharp reversal of its 2023 tourism push, Tehran has announced that, from 22 November 2025, Indian nationals will once again need a visa to enter or even transit through Iran. The move ends the one-way visa-free facility that had allowed ordinary Indian passport holders to spend up to 15 days in the Islamic Republic without prior paperwork.
Iranian authorities say the waiver has been misused by organised criminal networks that lure job-seekers with promises of onward travel to Europe or the Gulf. According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), more than 200 Indians have been kidnapped for ransom in the past six months after entering Iran under the scheme. Several victims were reportedly trafficked to the volatile Sistan-Baluchestan region and forced to work in illegal workshops before families paid hefty sums for their release.
![Iran scraps visa-waiver for Indians; MEA issues urgent travel advisory]()
In response, the MEA issued a late-night advisory on 17 November urging Indian citizens to “remain vigilant, avoid agents offering visa-free travel or transit via Iran, and obtain a proper visa before booking flights”. Airlines operating between India and the Middle East, including IndiGo, Air India and Mahan Air, have been told to check visa status at check-in to prevent passengers from being off-loaded on arrival in Tehran. The Bureau of Immigration has also instructed Indian airports to display warnings near international departure gates.
For Indian companies that route project cargo or crew rotations through Iranian ports—especially Chabahar—the restoration of visa controls adds an administrative layer that could slow tight construction schedules. Travel managers should budget an extra 7-10 working days for visa issuance via the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi and factor in a ₹5,600 fee per application. Seafarers who previously changed vessels on a shore pass will now require a seaman’s visa, and logistics providers may need to re-work crew rotation hubs via Dubai or Muscat.
India’s expatriate community in Iran is small—about 4,000 oil-services and IT workers—but business groups warn that heightened security risks and paperwork could dampen interest in upcoming infrastructure tenders linked to the International North-South Transport Corridor. While the MEA has not raised Iran’s overall travel risk level, insurers say premiums for corporate travel policies covering the country are likely to rise in the next renewal cycle. Until the situation stabilises, mobility teams are advised to track MEA alerts and register travellers with the embassy’s MADAD portal for real-time support.
Iranian authorities say the waiver has been misused by organised criminal networks that lure job-seekers with promises of onward travel to Europe or the Gulf. According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), more than 200 Indians have been kidnapped for ransom in the past six months after entering Iran under the scheme. Several victims were reportedly trafficked to the volatile Sistan-Baluchestan region and forced to work in illegal workshops before families paid hefty sums for their release.
In response, the MEA issued a late-night advisory on 17 November urging Indian citizens to “remain vigilant, avoid agents offering visa-free travel or transit via Iran, and obtain a proper visa before booking flights”. Airlines operating between India and the Middle East, including IndiGo, Air India and Mahan Air, have been told to check visa status at check-in to prevent passengers from being off-loaded on arrival in Tehran. The Bureau of Immigration has also instructed Indian airports to display warnings near international departure gates.
For Indian companies that route project cargo or crew rotations through Iranian ports—especially Chabahar—the restoration of visa controls adds an administrative layer that could slow tight construction schedules. Travel managers should budget an extra 7-10 working days for visa issuance via the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi and factor in a ₹5,600 fee per application. Seafarers who previously changed vessels on a shore pass will now require a seaman’s visa, and logistics providers may need to re-work crew rotation hubs via Dubai or Muscat.
India’s expatriate community in Iran is small—about 4,000 oil-services and IT workers—but business groups warn that heightened security risks and paperwork could dampen interest in upcoming infrastructure tenders linked to the International North-South Transport Corridor. While the MEA has not raised Iran’s overall travel risk level, insurers say premiums for corporate travel policies covering the country are likely to rise in the next renewal cycle. Until the situation stabilises, mobility teams are advised to track MEA alerts and register travellers with the embassy’s MADAD portal for real-time support.
