As the days of Arbaeen approach and while there are still many uncertainties about how Afghan pilgrims will be sent, Sayed Reza Hosseini Meysam, head of the Arbaeen Coordination Committee, explained the challenges this year for Afghan pilgrimage companies and pilgrims in an exclusive interview with Ava News Agency. He said: “To guarantee their return, pilgrims must provide a house or shop deed, have two influential people and a lawyer confirm their passage, and also pay $500 in cash as a guarantee”; a cost that is heavy and even unaffordable for many pilgrims given their economic conditions.
Publish dateFriday 1 August 2025 - 11:45
Story Code : 323735
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: Accordingly, Mr. Meysam stated: “The entire union and pilgrimage companies that are active in the field of sending pilgrims should be aware that new restrictions have been imposed by Iran and Iraq for the return of pilgrims, in accordance with current customs in Afghanistan.”
This is despite the fact that, according to him, one of the reasons why Afghan pilgrims mostly go to Karbala during Arbaeen was the lower cost of travel, which is no longer possible given the new circumstances.
Ambiguity in the nature of the Afghan pilgrims' travel
In this interview with Ava's reporter, the head of the Arbaeen Coordination Committee added about the nature of the Afghan pilgrims' travel: "Issuing Iranian visas has not yet been finalized, and based on verbal discussions, the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes air travel. This is despite the fact that this type of travel is practically impossible for Afghan pilgrims due to technical and economic reasons."
He explained the two main obstacles as follows: first, the lack of diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Iraq, which makes coordination between the aviation departments of the two countries difficult or impossible, and second, the lack of capacity of Iranian flights to transport Afghan pilgrims. He added: "In this short period of time, the necessary coordination for flights will not be made; therefore, air travel is not possible for Afghan pilgrims."
He noted that land travel is still possible, but Iran and Iraq have imposed restrictions such as forced return and a ban on pilgrims staying in these countries. “This concern of Iran and Iraq is understandable, and pilgrimage companies should also try to send only pilgrims who have a genuine intention to make the pilgrimage,” Hosseini stressed.
Another restriction is the non-issuance of visas for unmarried men under 18, unless they are traveling with their families or parents.
No visas have been issued for pilgrimage caravans yet
Mr. Hosseini clarified that as of the time of the interview, no double-entry visas for Iran and Iraq had been issued for pilgrimage caravans. “The Iranian visa issuance guidelines became clearer on Thursday, August 29, and the Islamic Republic of Iran announced specific conditions for pilgrimage companies that pilgrims must register under,” he said.
The head of the Arbaeen Coordination Committee regarding the Iraqi visa also stated: “According to the previous order of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, visas have not yet been issued for the caravans, although it is possible that the visas were issued individually. It is not yet clear whether this visa is free or not, and whether it will be issued in the form of a manifest or electronically.”
He added that efforts are underway to obtain a free and manifest visa for Afghanistan, but no specific results have been achieved so far. On the other hand, the conditions for the Iranian visa are also not final yet and only general conditions have been announced, which may be issued in the coming days if the companies are able to implement them.
Transportation; Another problem facing Afghan pilgrims
Mr. Maysam also mentioned the transportation problem and said: “The caravans should use Afghanistan’s own vehicles as much as possible to transport pilgrims from the Islam Qala border to Chazhabeh, but only about 300 of the total 1,500 vehicles in the country are capable of crossing the border. Many of these vehicles are also currently involved in returning migrants from Iran and Pakistan.”
He added: “If obtaining visas is made conditional on using domestic vehicles, it will be a big challenge and the number of pilgrims this year may be very limited.”
The head of the Arbaeen Coordination Committee stated that efforts are being made to have vehicles inside Afghanistan serve pilgrims as part of Iran’s road transport fleet or from the Dogharun border to Chazhabeh, but this solution also seems difficult at the moment.
He also noted: “Given the condition of issuing a double-entry visa to Iran, which requires obtaining an Iraqi visa, and considering the time-consuming nature of obtaining an Iraqi visa, many pilgrims may not be able to obtain an Iranian visa on time. This scenario was repeated last year, and a large number of pilgrims were left behind.”
How to provide services for pilgrims, from Afghanistan to Iraq
In the final part of this interview, Mr. Meysam referred to how to provide services to pilgrims and said: "In Herat city, the People's Headquarters is ready to welcome pilgrims, and the Mohammadiyeh Grand Mosque in Jaghara and in Jibra'il town are prepared to provide free accommodation, hospitality, and transportation coordination to the Islam Qala border."
He continued: "In the event that pilgrims enter Iranian soil, if they want to stay overnight in Mashhad, the People's Headquarters for Arba'in for the Mashhad refugees will welcome them and provide free hospitality. It is also possible that the transportation problem within Iran will also be solved and pilgrims will reach the Chazhab border without obstacles."
In Iraq, according to the coordination, the holy shrines of Alawi, Abbasid, and Husseini are ready to welcome Afghan pilgrims. Some caravans will also provide services for accommodation and feeding pilgrims; if the pilgrims enter Iraqi soil after Arba'in.
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