Weighing the ups and downs of entering Iran

Singapore

ANY Singaporean visiting Iran has to go through a lengthy visa application. This takes about two hours on the standard queue and one hour or less on fast-track priority at a surcharge. That process puts a Singaporean on arrival in the country immediately at a disadvantage compared to a Malaysian who gets to walk in without any hassle.

The visa application is just one among many other transaction costs that Singapore businesses pursuing opportunities in the hydrocarbon-rich Middle Eastern country have to grapple with.