The Government of Iran has suspended its visa-free entry facility for Indian nationals, following a series of cases in which Indians were lured with fake job offers, trafficked into Iran, and later kidnapped for ransom. The suspension comes into effect on 22 November 2025, and applies to all Indian citizens holding ordinary passports. From this date, travellers will need to obtain a visa for both entry and transit through Iran. This decision, the MEA said, aims to stop the misuse of the visa waiver by organised criminal networks exploiting desperate job seekers.
What did the MEA say?
In a fresh advisory issued on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it had been alerted to multiple incidents where Indians were deceived into travelling to Iran with promises of, high-paying jobs, easy transit to Gulf or European countries and visa-free employment opportunities. The MEA stated that many of these individuals were then kidnapped on arrival, with criminal gangs demanding ransom from their families.
“The attention of the Government has been drawn to several incidents of Indian nationals being lured to Iran on false promises of employment… On arrival in Iran, many of them were kidnapped for ransom,” the advisory said. The ministry warned that the suspended visa waiver had been exploited by agents who prey on vulnerable job seekers.
This latest warning comes just a month after the MEA issued a similar advisory, cautioning Indians about fraudulent agents sending people to Iran on the pretext of employment. The ministry had urged citizens not to fall prey to such offers, stressing that visa-free access had strict limits and did not apply to employment.
In its new advisory, the MEA has again stressed caution:
- Avoid any agent promising visa-free entry
- Do not trust offers of overseas transit through Iran
- Verify job offers through official government channels
- Seek visas only through authorised processes
The ministry reinforced that Indians travelling for tourism must still comply with the updated visa rules.
