The Government of Tajikistan has approved Iran's proposal for visa-free entry of Iranian citizens into Tajikistan based on the principle of parity, says a statement released by the Tajik Foreign Ministry on January 31.

The ministry clarified that, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Tajikistan and Iran on November 8, 2023, as well as a recent resolution by the Iranian Cabinet of Ministers, citizens of both countries holding regular international passports will be able to travel visa-free by air for up to 30 days within a 90-day period.

“This measure applies only to air travel between the two countries. Citizens crossing the state border through third countries and/or land border checkpoints will still be required to obtain a visa,” the ministry noted.

The new regulations are taking effect today.

As it had been reported last week, Tehran and Dushanbe have reached a bilateral agreement to waive visa requirements for air travelers.

Iranian media reports said on January 28 that the initiative aims to strengthen diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties between the two countries and help promote people-to-people exchanges.

The agreement comes less than two weeks after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Tajikistan and it reportedly comes amid Iran’s efforts to expand its economic presence in Central Asia where trade has been booming through new transport routes connecting China to other parts of the world.

According to the VisaGuide Passport Index, the passport of Iran currently ranks as the 172nd in the world.  At the moment, Iranian passport holders are permitted visa-free entry to only 19 countries. 

On the other hand, they need to obtain a visa to enter 150 countries.

As for Tajikistan, the country’s passport at the moment ranks 141st in the world, 31 places higher than that of Iran.  Tajikistan passport holders are currently permitted to enter 24 countries without a visa, and they need a visa for 149 countries.