Afghan travel agencies have received 15,000 Iraqi pilgrimage visa approvals for this year’s Arbaeen pilgrimage, with eligible applicants able to begin registering for Iranian transit visas from Saturday through the online systems of the Iranian Embassy in Kabul, officials said.
According to IRAF, Iraqi authorities have allocated a quota of 15,000 pilgrimage visa approvals for Afghan nationals wishing to attend the Arbaeen commemorations this year.
Officials from several Afghan pilgrimage and tourism companies told local media that the quota has been distributed among eligible agencies and that the registration process for pilgrims has already begun.
Travel agencies that have received Iraqi visa approvals can now submit the details of eligible pilgrims through the Iranian Embassy’s online platforms to obtain transit visas for travel through Iran after completing the required procedures.
Iran’s embassy had previously announced that Afghan applicants for Arbaeen visas must first present either a valid Iraqi visa or an official Iraqi visa approval. While the embassy had earlier set the visa fee at five euros, some pilgrimage companies said registration for Iran’s visa is being processed free of charge.
The limited Iraqi quota has prevented many pilgrimage and tourism companies from participating in the process, leaving a large number of prospective pilgrims unable to travel to Iraq for the annual religious event.
Officials also require pilgrimage companies to provide guarantees to the Iranian Embassy to ensure that pilgrims return after completing their journey and do not remain in Iran or Iraq. Pilgrims, in turn, must submit financial or property guarantees—such as a business license or property deed—to the travel agencies handling their applications.
Some experts on pilgrimage affairs say Afghanistan and Iraq should resume bilateral dialogue to establish formal relations, arguing that closer cooperation would not only facilitate religious travel but could also expand political, economic, trade, and tourism ties between the two countries.
