Iran: Information on whether in 1992 it was possible to have an exit visa issued at the same time that a passport was issued, and whether the exit visa could be valid for the duration of the validity of the passport (e.g., 1992-95)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 October 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IRN22020.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iran: Information on whether in 1992 it was possible to have an exit visa issued at the same time that a passport was issued, and whether the exit visa could be valid for the duration of the validity of the passport (e.g., 1992-95), 1 October 1995, IRN22020.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab2c90.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
An official at the Iranian embassy in Ottawa provided the following information on the above subject during a telephone interview on 30 October 1995.
In 1992 an exit visa valid for the duration of the validity of a passport (e.g., 1992-95) could be issued at the same time that the passport was issued; such an exit visa would be valid for multiple trips abroad during the validity period. However, at that time, certain passport applicants could not be issued exit visas valid for multiple trips during the validity period of their passports. They included, for example, married women whose husbands, residing in Iran, granted them permission for only one trip abroad. Such persons would be issued exit visas valid for one trip only. In the same year, 1992, certain individuals, such as draftees who were performing military service or persons who were about to begin military service, could not be issued exit visas at all.
The following information, provided by a representative of Middle East Watch in New York during a telephone interview on 26 October 1995, might be useful. While having no information specific to 1992, the representative stated that the following procedure had been in force for the "last few years."
Individuals who apply for a passport are issued a passport that contains an exit visa; the exit visa is issued at the same time as the passport. For "ordinary people," i.e., individuals whose travelling abroad is not restricted, exit visas are valid for the period of the validity of their passports. In these cases, the passport holder is permitted to leave the country as many time as he/she wishes during the validity period of his/her passport. However, certain passport applicants, whose travelling abroad is restricted for one reason or another, are issued exit visas that are valid for one trip only. They are required to apply for an exit visa whenever they wish to travel abroad. The colour of stamps used for one-time- and multiple-exit visas are different. The representative was not certain about the colour of these stamps.
The attached section of Issues Related to Iranian Asylum Seekers and Refugee Applications Abroad, which provides information on exit visas in Iran, might be useful. In its section on Iranian passport, the publication states:
The passport office also issues an exit permit which is stamped in the passport, normally on page 13. No special requirements or documents are necessary to obtain the exit permit and it is normally granted together with the passport (Oct. 1993, 20).
The publication adds that there are three kinds of exit permits:
1) green stamp - for unlimited travel abroad during the validity of the passport;
2) red stamp - for one single trip abroad;
3) blue stamp - issued to Iranian residents abroad by Iranian Embassies and to young men officially exempted from the draft (ibid.).
The attachment provides information on individuals who are likely to receive exit visas valid for one trip only (ibid., 21).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ottawa. 30 October 1995. Telephone interview with official.
Issues Related to Iranian Asylum Seekers and Refugee Applications Abroad. October 1993. 4th revised version. Tehran: A Joint Report by the Embassies of Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
Middle East Watch, New York. 26 October 1995. Telephone interview with representative.
Attachment
Issues Related to Iranian Asylum Seekers and Refugee Applications Abroad. October 1993. 4th revised version. Tehran: A Joint Report by the Embassies of Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, pp. 20-21.
