Iran removed from Pakistan’s COVID-19 travel restrictions list

Releasing a statement on Wednesday, Pakistan’s National Command Operation Center (NCOC) announced that it has decided to relax the coronavirus-related restrictions after the enforcement of obligatory vaccination for inbound travelers.

Accordingly, six countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was previously on the list “C” of the air travel ban to Pakistan, have been removed from the list.

“Inbound air traffic will operate at full quantum with effect from 10 November 2021,” said the NCOC’s statement as quoted by IRNA.

It said all foreign and domestic passengers must be 100% vaccinated and anyone over the age of six should be in possession of a negative PCR test report (max 72 hours old) before boarding.

Armenia, Costa Rica, Bulgaria, Iraq, and Mexico will remain on the "C" list, and air travel bans from these countries to Pakistan will continue. Mongolia, Slovenia, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Ukraine have also been named by Pakistan as high-risk countries due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

Earlier this month, Pakistan's Taftan border crossing reopened as a joint border with Iran in the Mirjavah area for Pakistani businessmen, students, and truck drivers.

The Taftan-Mirjaveh crossing reopened on October 11 this year after a three-month shutdown due to coronavirus outbreaks.

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is also launching a regular immigration process at the Taftan border, allowing Pakistani citizens to enter Iran.