TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari on Monday announced a decision that will enable the citizens of all but nine countries to obtain Iran’s visa on arrival at the country’s airports.

Iran has decided to issue visa upon arrival at the airport for everyone except the citizens of nine countries, Jaberi Ansari said in his weekly press conference here in Tehran.

“Certain countries like the United States and Britain are exceptions to the immediate issuance (of visa),” he said, adding that the details of the plan and list of the countries excluded will be made public later.

He further explained that the decision to ease the visa regime has been made based on the county’s interests and in line with plans to facilitate the entrance of tourists given the extensive tourism capacities of Iran.

Earlier, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi announced that the country’s foreign ministry will issue 30-day visa for citizens of 180 countries upon their arrival in Iranian airports.

Head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) Masoud Soltanifarhad also noted that Iran has formulated plans to increase revenue from the tourism industry within the next ten years to an amount equal to the income generated by oil sales

In an interview with the Tasnim News Agency, Soltanifar said according to the plans, Iran’s income from attracting tourists will amount to the oil incomes in 2025.

Referring to a 12-14 percent rise in the number of foreign visitors to Iran over the past two years, he expected that the country will be hosting 20 million tourists in 2025.

With a large number of attractive natural and historical sites, Iran is one of the most touristic countries in the world.

More foreign tourists are starting to arrive in Iran after a lasting nuclear deal between Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) came into force and nuclear-related anti-Iran sanctions were terminated.

By Tasnim News Agency