India has issued a strong advisory after Iran abruptly announced that it will end visa-free entry for Indian passport holders starting November 22, following a disturbing rise in trafficking, fraud, and kidnapping cases involving Indian nationals.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), several Indians were recently duped by agents who misused Iran’s visa waiver policy. These individuals were lured with fake job offers or false promises of onward travel to other countries. Once they arrived in Iran, many were kidnapped for ransom by criminal networks exploiting the easy entry system.
The MEA said the visa waiver — originally offered exclusively for short-term tourism — had become a tool for traffickers who targeted vulnerable Indians seeking work abroad. With the suspension now in place, all Indian travellers will require a visa to enter or transit through Iran.
Iran’s embassy in India confirmed the move on social media, stating that the tourist visa exemption will be discontinued from November 22.
The decision follows a series of high-profile trafficking cases. Earlier this year, three young men from Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, and Sangrur attempted to reach Australia using the illegal “dunki” route, which routed them through Iran under the visa-free system. Shortly after landing in Tehran, they were abducted, beaten, and held hostage by a Pakistan-based gang.
The families said the victims had each paid around Rs 18 lakh to Punjab-based agents who promised work permits in Australia. Once in Tehran, traffickers intercepted them outside the airport using their photos as identification. In graphic video calls, the young men were shown bloodied and bruised as kidnappers demanded an additional Rs 18 lakh from their families.
Iranian authorities rescued the three men in early June after raiding the traffickers’ hideout.
India’s new advisory urges all travellers to remain vigilant, avoid unauthorized agents, and stay away from anyone offering job placements or onward transit via Iran without proper documentation.