Belarus has announced that all approvals required to launch direct flights have been issued, allowing Iranian airlines to open a Tehran–Minsk route, IRNA reported, citing the outcome of a meeting between Belarus’s ambassador and Iranian officials.
The meeting took place in Tehran last Monday. It was attended by Belarus’s ambassador to Iran Dzmitry Kaltsou, representatives of the Iranian ministry, members of parliament and executives from private-sector tourism businesses.
The report emphasises that “with direct flight permits now officially issued, the primary logistical barrier has been removed.”
The Belarusian ambassador invited Iranian tour operators to take part in upcoming tourism exhibitions in Minsk and stressed the need to strengthen ties between travel agencies and industry associations.
Plans to launch direct flights between Tehran and Minsk were first reported in 2022. At the time, Mahan Air CEO Hamid Arabnejad expressed interest in launching flights to Belarus.
In April 2023, the first Mahan Airlines aircraft arrived in Minsk carrying, among others, Iranian officials. The Iranian side sought simplified visa rules, which became a prerequisite for continuing direct air services between Belarus and Iran.
In August 2025, Iran’s Minister of Tourism Reza Salehi Amiri said that an agreement on visa-free travel with Belarus had been “finally reached” during talks in Minsk between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Salehi Amiri said the two sides had also agreed to launch direct flights between Tehran and Minsk to boost tourism.
At present, Iranian citizens holding ordinary passports cannot enter Belarus without a visa. The only exception is for travellers who hold a valid multiple-entry visa issued by an EU or Schengen state with an entry stamp from that country, as well as a ticket confirming departure from Belarus via an international airport.
