Iranian Passport Ranking Climbs But Visa Challenges Persist
The standing of the Iranian passport has improved compared to last year, a residence and citizenship consulting firm says, but Iranians still face myriads of snags.
London-based consultancy company Henley & Partners, which publishes rankings and reports on global mobility, investment and wealth migration trends, placed Iran on the 92nd position in its latest Henley Passport Index.
According to the company’s Global Mobility Report 2023 Q3, the ranking of the passport has risen by seven steps compared to the figure in the first quarter of this year, although the number of destinations accessible to Iranians without a prior visa has increased just by one country, reaching a total of 44.
It means that Iran’s passport grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access in 44 destinations. The index, which includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations, is updated quarterly. The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the most extensive and accurate travel information database -- and is further enhanced by Henley & Partners' research team.
Iran shares its spot with Eritrea and Sudan – both granted easy access to 44 destinations. Iran's passport is weaker that those of Congo, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Myanmar and stronger than Kosovo, Libya, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and North Korea.
Before the 1979 revolution, as Iran was a fast modernizing country with a strong economy, its passport enjoyed visa-free status in most European countries, when global travel was more limited than today.
After five years of Japan's dominance, Singapore now tops the list with visa-free access to 193 destinations, similar to Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Given the fact that countries can share spots in the ranking, and although Iran is placed on the 92nd spot, there are only 14 passports worse than that of Iran. Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and the Palestinian Territory sit on rock-bottom with insignificant changes since the last report.
Most of the countries with which the Islamic Republic has agreed to visa waivers or reduced entry restrictions are located in Africa or South America, such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, or former Soviet republics like Kazakhstan. Several countries, including the United States, Canada, Israel, and Morocco, still do not have an embassy or consular section in Iran.
Earlier in July, Ali-Asghar Shalbafian, the deputy in the ministry of tourism, claimed that Iran is considering the possibility of unilaterally waiving visas for 60 countries.
Over the past decade, Iranian authorities have made repeated claims regarding visa waiver agreements, including with their ally Russia. However, Russia still demands visas.
For Iranians, getting visas for developed countries, including those of the Schengen area in the European Union, has always been challenging. In recent years, the obstacles have intensified, so have the number of Iranians who seek to leave the country.
During the peak of antigovernment nationwide protests in 2022, reports emerged about certain European countries refusing to issue Schengen visas in Tehran.
Although some of these countries officially denied the reports or responsibility for such actions, sources within European embassies in Iran confirmed the reports.
In October, the French Embassy in Tehran denied the visa issuance suspension as "common rumors in the virtual space," claiming that "The problems are entirely beyond our control.” In a statement, it said "Due to internet filtering, which Iranian authorities have decided to implement, the French embassy is temporarily unable to process a large volume of files.”
The problems are not limited to Western countries. The Islamic Republic's embassy in Baku recently announced that based on a decision by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, issuing visas upon arrival for Iranian citizens has been suspended.
Apart from the difficulties in obtaining visas, Iranians also face challenges in extending their stays or accessing banking and insurance systems in the countries that allow them in with fewer restrictions.
Turkey, which has been a very popular destination for Iranians seeking refuge from uncertainties of life in Iran, has ceased issuing residence permits to Iranians based on rent contracts, which used to be a common practice in Turkey. Although official regulations have not changed, Iranians are rejected by the immigration office or at banks without providing any explanation to the applicants.
Concerns about people fleeing Iran and possible destabilizing actions in other countries by Islamic Republic agents are prime reasons for widespread travel restrictions. Prior to the 1979 revolution, which led to the ouster of Mohammad Reza Shah, Iranians could travel without visas throughout Western Europe, with the exceptions of Austria and Switzerland.