BEIRUT: Lebanese politicians Wednesday praised a decision to grant Lebanese passport holders visitor and tourist visas for free upon arrival in Iraq.
Lebanese passport holders will be granted a free multiple-entry visa for up to six months upon arrival, according to a decision signed Tuesday by Iraqi Interior Minister Qasim al-Araji. Lebanese previously had to apply for a visa beforehand at the Iraqi Embassy and pay a fee.
MP Yassine Jaber, who heads Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Committee, applauded the move Wednesday, saying the change bolstered Iraq as an important trade and economic partner.
Lebanon waived requirements for Iraqis to apply for visas ahead of time “six or seven years ago,” so “now there is equal treatment,” he said. Iraqis are eligible for free one-month visas, extendable to three months upon entering Lebanon.
“We’ve been working on it for a while now, and many [Lebanese] with business in Iraq assisted in the move,” he told The Daily Star.