Visas for visiting Iraq and Iran will be issued free of charge for Iranian and Iraqi pilgrims and tourists as of early April, 2019.
Visas for visiting Iraq and Iran will be issued free of charge for Iranian and Iraqi pilgrims and tourists as of early April, 2019.
That was announced by Parviz Esmaili, the deputy head of the Iranian Presidential Office for communications.
The agreement to issue free visas was reached during high level visit to Iraq by Iranian president Hassan Rauhani after Iraqi authorities rejected the Iranian offer to cancel the visa.
“As agreed by Iran and Iraq, visas will be issued by both sides free of charge to Iranian and Iraqi pilgrims and tourists as of early April,” said Esmaili.
Every year, millions of Iranian pilgrims travel to Iraq to visit holy shrines during Arbaeen, the fortieth day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam al-Hussein, peace be upon him.
Thousands of Iraqi pilgrims also annually visit the Iranian city of Mashhad, where the shrine of the eighth Shiaa Imam Ali ibn Musa, peace be upon him, is located.
It is worth mentioning that Grand Ayatollah Shirazi have demanded the Iraqi authorities to cancel visas and passport processing for Imam Hussein pilgrims especially during the sacred pilgrimage of Arbaeen.
