Nimroz residents say charged double fee for Iran visa

ZARANJ (Pajhwok): A number of residents of northwestern Nimroz province say they are charged double fee for Iran visa compared to neighboring provinces.

The residents say Nimroz borders Iran and its people travel to the country more often, but the visa price for them is twice high as compared to Herat and Farah.

Noorullah Ahmadi, a resident of Zaranj, who returned from Iran last week, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “Iran’s consulate in Kandahar charges double fee for a visa for Nimroz people compared to other provinces and the reason is unknown.”

According to him, the price of a two-month tourist visa for Nimroz is 15,500 afghanis, but in Herat province it costs 7,000 afghanis and in Farah 7,500afs.

Urging a solution to this problem, he said: “Iranian consulate charges visa fee for each province as they like.”

Meanwhile, Rahima Sayeedi, another resident of Nimroz, also complained about the issue, saying: “Iran visa is the most expensive for Nimroz residents, while majority of people from all provinces travel to Iran through the Silk border and the people pay a huge amount of money for visa and the government of Iran earns a lot from this.”

She added: “It is interesting that the price of Iran’s visa in three provinces has a different price. It is like one roof with different airs.”

She added the Iranian Consulate charged 16,000 afghanis from Nimroz residents traveling by land, but it charged 7,500afs Herat residents and 8,500 Farah residents travelling by air.

The residents demanded solution to the problem.

Maulvi Yar Mohammad Haqyar, head of Nimroz’s foreign relations, confirmed the complaints of the residents as justified, but said their efforts to solve the problem had been unsuccessful.

He added the people of Nimroz were right that the Iranian consulate issued visas to residents of other provinces for 7000-8000 afghanis, but it charged Nimroz residents 16,000afs.

Regarding the reason, Haqyar said: “Iran has consulates in Kandahar and Herat and Nimroz residents are issued visa in Kandahar. They issue land visas four times, air visas for the fifth time, and count all air transportation expenses on top of the visa. It is very expensive.”

He said he had shared the issue with the Iranian Consul General in Kandahar to solve it, but he said airlines were charging high ticket prices.

He added: “The Consul General told me that the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Governor of Kandahar agreed on the issue of an air visa.”

Haqyar continued: “In fact, it is not the case. The consul general was not telling the truth. When we investigated, the airlines did not have any problems, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the governor of Kandahar did not agree with them either.”

He said that now they had shared all these issues with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and were trying to solve the problem through diplomatic channels.

sa/ma

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