India warns citizens as Iran suspends visa-free entry amid job scam surge

An international advisory has been issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday, warning citizens against rising job-scam operations in Iran, after Tehran suspended its visa-free entry facility for Indian travellers. The suspension, which takes effect from 22 November 2025, is said to have been implemented in response to a surge in trafficking and ransom-related crimes involving Indian nationals.

According to the MEA, Indian citizens have increasingly been lured on false promises of lucrative employment or onward transit to third countries. These individuals were reportedly transported to Iran by agents exploiting the existing visa-waiver facility, and many were subsequently kidnapped by criminal gangs upon arrival, with ransom demands made to their families.

In its advisory, the ministry said that “the attention of the Government had been drawn to several incidents of Indian nationals being lured to Iran on false promises of employment or onward travel.” It was further stated that these travellers “were tricked into journeying to Iran by taking advantage of the visa-waiver facility,” and that “many of them were kidnapped for ransom on arrival.”

Tehran’s decision to suspend the visa-waiver system for ordinary Indian passport holders was noted by the MEA, which said that the measure “has been intended to prevent further misuse of the facility by criminal elements.” From November 22, Indian nationals will be required to obtain a visa for entry or transit through Iran, ending the previous 15-day visa-free allowance meant exclusively for tourism.

The MEA has strongly advised Indian nationals to exercise caution and avoid agents offering visa-free travel or job placements through Iran. The ministry reminded travellers that employment-related migration requires strict verification, as the visa-free entry never covered work-related purposes.

A similar warning had been issued by the MEA in September, after multiple cases of Indians being trafficked were reported. At the time, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had highlighted that several citizens “had been kidnapped upon arrival in Iran and held for ransom.” He had stressed that criminal gangs were “actively luring Indians on false employment promises,” often in collaboration with unscrupulous agents.

The growing number of such trafficking-linked job scams has raised concerns within India’s foreign ministry, prompting repeated alerts to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable job seekers abroad.