Parl. passes €5 air levy on foreign tourists in next year budget
Iran’s Parliament on Sunday approved a €5 levy on every foreign tourist entering the country by air, incorporating the charge into the draft budget for the next Iranian year (March 2026–March 2027).
Lawmakers voted 196 in favor, 15 against and seven abstained out of 230 members present during the morning sitting on February 15. The measure was added as a new clause under the revenue provisions of the national budget bill.
Under the approved text, airlines will collect the €5 fee indirectly by adding it to ticket prices for inbound international passengers. The amount will be calculated at the prevailing market exchange rate. The legal basis for the levy references Clause 3 of Note 10 of the current year’s budget law and the Seventh Five-Year Development Plan (2023-2027).
Mohsen Zanganeh, who tabled the proposal, told the chamber that many countries impose comparable charges on foreign visitors, often embedded in ticketing or airport fees. A similar €5 surcharge had been envisaged in the current year’s budget but was not implemented amid a downturn in travel flows.
Reinstating the measure in the next year bill would secure a dedicated revenue stream for tourism development, he said, adding that the Civil Aviation Organization would collect the funds through contractual arrangements with carriers.
Opposing the clause, Valiollah Bayati argued that the overarching thrust of the budget should be to attract tourists rather than risk deterring them with additional costs.
Supporting the measure, Gholamreza Shariati said Iran faced acute shortcomings in tourism infrastructure, particularly in transport, and that even a modest, indirectly applied €5 charge could be channeled into upgrading facilities and services.