On June 30, the Cabinet of Iran signed and published a letter on waiving visa for nationals of Tajikistan, an official source within the Iranian Embassy in Dushanbe told Asia-Plus in an interview.  

The Cabinet of Iran is a formal body composed of government officials, ministers, chosen and led by the President of Iran.

According to this letter, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is instructed to implement the provisions of the visa-free regime between Iran and Tajikistan.

However, Iran has set several conditions under which the visa-free regime will take effect:

• Duration of stay without a visa: 30 days;
• Type of travel: only by air;
• Route: only from Dushanbe to Tehran and back;
• Condition of implementation: the visa-free regime will be effective only if mutually adhered to.

The date for the cancellation of the visa regime has not yet been determined.

An official source within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan confirmed the cancellation of the visa regime and noted that "the relevant documentation is being reviewed by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and after this, our side will be officially notified."   

He further added that only after the documentation process is completed the effective date of the visa-free regime will be determined.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide additional notification.

One of the last initiatives of Ebrahim Raisi

As reported by the Iranian Embassy in Dushanbe, the Cabinet of Iran signed the letter on the cancellation of the visa regime between Tajikistan and Iran during the tenure of the late President Ebrahim Raisi.  "However, due to the tragic incident resulting in the death of Ebrahim Raisi, this issue was postponed until July 1, and now a copy of the letter has been sent to the relevant authorities, including the Supreme Leader, the Presidential Administration, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," said the Embassy representative.  The Iranian Embassy in Tajikistan stated that the Foreign Ministries of Iran and Tajikistan are now discussing the preparatory issues for implementation of the visa-free travel pact.

History of the issue

Recall the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Tajikistan and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on cancellation of visa requirements for holders of passports for international travels for citizens of Tajikistan and Iran was signed in Dushanbe on November 8 last year during Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi’s official visit to Dushanbe.

In December, the Cabinet of Iran decided to unilaterally cancel visa requirements for visitors from 33 more countries, including Tajikistan.

IRNA reported at the time that speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Ezzatollah Zarghami said on December 13 that the decision is aimed at boosting tourism arrivals and attracting more visitors from countries around the world.

On January 3 this year, the Government of Tajikistan issued a decree to approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cancellation of visa requirements for holders of passports for international travels. 

The decree, in particular, orders the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies to take necessary measures to ensure implementation of the mentioned MoU. 

Besides, the Foreign Ministry was instructed to notify the Iranian side about the implementation by Tajikistan of internal state procedures necessary for the entry of this MoU into force.

Iranian Ambassador to Tajikistan Alireza Haqiqian noted at a meeting with Faizullo Barotzoda, the head of Tajikistan-Iran Parliamentary Friendship Group, in Dushanbe on January 25 that Iran and Tajikistan will soon implement a pact on the cancellation of visa requirements.

According to Iran Daily, Iranian diplomat referred to the process of comprehensive development of relations between the two countries and hailed the role of parliamentary cooperation in deepening ties.

However, this process has not yet been fully completed on both sides.  After the memorandum was signed by the presidents, the details were published Tajik Justice Ministry’s unified information and legal resource.  The document states that the purpose of the visa cancellation is to develop friendly relations.

According to the document, mutual visa-free visits by citizens of the two countries are allowed for 30 days for commercial, business, tourism purposes, and for the carriage of goods and passengers by any means of transport.

The national passport for international travels must be valid for at least 6 months. "However, citizens of the two countries wishing to study, work, or engage in journalistic activities in the other country must obtain a visa," the document states.

The memorandum states that the parties can deny visa-free entry to "undesirable persons" or terminate the stay of such persons on their territory without explanation. The parties can also partially or completely suspend the provisions of the memorandum "in order to ensure public order, national security, and public health."