Iran’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance is drafting a proposal that could allow Iranian expatriates to complete their mandatory military service by investing in domestic projects.
According to Khabar Online, Mehdi Heidari, head of the Organisation for Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran, said the government is developing a framework under which overseas Iranians who invest in approved ventures would be eligible for a military service exemption certificate.
“We are pursuing a plan under which investment by Iranians residing abroad will count as military service. In other words, any Iranian living overseas who invests in our country could receive an exemption certificate,” Heidari said in an interview with ILNA.
Heidari explained that the ministry is compiling a list of high-return projects with profits payable in foreign currency to attract Iranian investors living abroad.
“Iranian investors abroad can be confident that these projects will be profitable and that they can repatriate both their principal and earnings whenever they wish,” he added.
The deputy minister noted that while no investment can be guaranteed against loss, the government aims to prioritise ventures with the strongest potential returns.
Heidari also revealed that the ministry’s investment committees meet monthly to assess applications, reviewing around 60 to 70 investment files each session. The largest numbers of Iranian investors abroad, he said, are based in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China and India.
The initiative is part of Iran’s wider effort to attract foreign capital and strengthen economic links with the diaspora, which officials view as a vital source of funding and expertise for national development.
According to the UK government’s country policy note, an exemption fee, historically applicable to some categories, was equivalent to approximately €3,000 at that time, the UK government previously published.