Iran's Customs Administration Import Affairs Bureau Director General communicated circular Letter No.474/73/1541/103/289696 dated 7 March 2001 (17.12.1379) to Mehrabad, Tehran South, Mashad, Shiraz, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Bushehr Customs as follows:

Enclosed herewith please find a copy of letter No.101/5262 dated 1 January 2001 (12.10.1379) by the Protocol Administration General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You are hereby authorized to clear from the customs the goods and commodities imported by and for the embassies, foreign missions and diplomatic agents/officers on their production and presentation of the "Exemption Order" issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and notified through Import Affairs Bureau, in conformity with the relevant laws and applicable rules and regulations.

A translation of Letter No.1010/5262 dated January 1, 200 by the Protocol Administration General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads as follows:

Hereby please be kindly notified that, in order to create the required facilities for the final clearance from the customs of diplomatic goods and commodities (both the ones imported into or exported from the Islamic Republic of Iran) owned by the residing foreign missions diplomatic representatives, agents and officers, in conformity with the agreements made with the representatives of IRI Customs Administration, it was resolved and agreed to clear such goods and commodities both through Tehran Stock Customs and Mehrabad International Airport Customs as well, the facts and circumstance concerning which was communicated to the foreign diplomatic missions. However, in view of the fact that certain foreign diplomatic missions and consulates proceed to import into Iran diplomatic goods and commodities via some provinces and subsequently proceed to clear them after having obtained the relevant authorization issued by the provincial governor offices, in order to coordinate the procedure and formalities pertinent to such clearances, and in order to have knowledge of the quality and quantity of the commodities so imported into Iran by the foreign missions, please kindly instruct and advise the customs bureaus at the ports of arrival to ask, in addition to other relevant documents and papers, for the authorization issued by the Foreign Ministry of Iran (Protocol Administration General).