Iraq visa and entry requirements

The UK government says visit visas are no longer issued on arrival in Iraq, and the UK, Canadian and Australian governments say their citizens need a visa before they travel, from Iraq's e-Visa portal or, Canada adds, an Iraqi embassy or consulate. The UK FCDO gives the e-Visa fee as USD 160 and its validity as 60 days; Iraq's portal says it is valid for 30 days. The Kurdistan Region has its own e-visa process, and the UK says those visas are valid for travel in the Kurdistan Region only. Iraq's Foreigner Residence Law No. 76 of 2017 requires a foreigner entering Iraq to hold a valid entry visa marked in the passport and says Iraq's representative offices abroad issue entry visas; it does not apply to persons exempted under international agreements to which Iraq is a party.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Oct 3, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Iraq e-Visa

Fee
Not published
Processing
—
Validity
30 days

Documents the application asks for

  • Valid passport
  • Digital photo — White background

Entry requirements

Passport validity

Iraq's Foreign Ministry lists a passport valid for at least six months among the conditions for a visa request, and the UK government says your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive in Iraq.

Vaccinations

Not officially stated

No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a travel insurance requirement for Iraq.

Onward or return ticket

Required

The UK government tells British travellers, who must apply for an Iraqi e-visa, to have a return ticket or a ticket out of Iraq to a third destination in place: without one there is a risk of the airline refusing boarding. No Iraqi official source we could find states the rule.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Proof of funds

Required

Iraq's Foreign Ministry lists, among the conditions for a visa on an ordinary passport, that you can cover your living costs for the whole stay in Iraq. It publishes no amount.

Staying past your permitted stay

Under the Foreigner Residence Law No. 76 of 2017, a foreigner who wants to stay in Iraq longer than the period allowed in their visa must obtain a residence card before that period ends. Breaching this is punished by imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand dinars, or both.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: moj.gov.iq (opens in a new tab) · Foreigner Residence Law No. 76 of 2017 (Official Gazette No. 4466Compare every country: What staying past your permitted stay costs, country by country

Registering your presence after arrival

Required

within 2 days of arrival. Done by the accommodation.

On arrival, the foreigner fills out and signs an arrival notification form and presents it to the residence officer at the port. Those managing hotels, hostels or any other place where a foreigner resides must inform the residence officer of the foreigner's entry and departure within 2 days of arrival or departure. Anyone who houses a foreigner elsewhere must inform the residence officer within the same period. Violating article 18 is punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 dinars, or one of these penalties.

If not done: Violating article 18: imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 dinars, or one of these penalties (art. 41).

Customs & currency

The UK government says you must declare local currency over IQD 200,000, and currency or items worth over USD 10,000 or the equivalent in another foreign currency.

  • Australia's Smartraveller says it is illegal to photograph or film government buildings, checkpoints, military bases and embassies, and that you need approval to film in a public place.
  • Australia's Smartraveller says people flying drones without permission have been detained.
  • Canada says passports containing an Israeli visa or border stamp face additional screening before an Iraqi visa is issued, except for Canadians travelling to the Kurdistan Region.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Iraqi dinar (IQD, ع.د)
Safety — High risk
The FCDO advises against all travel to parts of Iraq — including Kirkuk, Ninawa and Salah al-Din provinces, western Anbar and Sadr City — and against all but essential travel to other parts, including Baghdad province and the Kurdistan Region. It reports strikes by Iran in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, since 8 July. It says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Iraq and that there is a high threat of kidnapping throughout the country.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab) · archived copy Aug 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
C, D, G · 230V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
Police: 911 · Ambulance: 122 · Fire: 115
Languages
Arabic, Kurdish
Time zone
UTC+3
International Driving Permit

Iraq is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). The UK government says UK drivers need both the 1968 version of the international driving permit (IDP) and their UK driving licence; Canada's travel advice says you must carry an International Driving Permit.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic · archived copy Aug 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) Compare every country
Tap water
not for drinking. Use bottled

Best time to visit

No official source we could read names a best season. Canada's travel advice says the weather is very dry and hot from May to October and that sand and dust storms may occur any time, particularly in summer; Australia's Smartraveller says summer temperatures can exceed 50°C.

Tips & warnings

The Kurdistan Region has its own e-visa, available online or on arrival for citizens on its Country List A, but the UK government says it is valid for travel in the Kurdistan Region only. Canada's travel advice says travel to other regions of Iraq needs a distinct Iraqi visa.

Canada's travel advice says Iraq's economy is primarily cash-based and that you may have difficulty finding ATMs that accept your international bank card. The e-Visa itself is paid online when you apply.

The UK government says it is a legal requirement to carry photographic ID in Iraq and that the authorities may stop people for ID checks at checkpoints within cities and on main roads. It says to always carry your passport or residence permit, and to keep copies of your passport and visa.

The UK government says the Arba'een pilgrimage attracts millions of pilgrims to Iraq and usually falls between August and September; Canada put the 2026 pilgrimage around 3 August and says there is an increased security risk during it. The UK advises following local dress codes.

Visa requirements by nationality

Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistanEmbassy visa—
AlbaniaEmbassy visa—
AlgeriaEmbassy visa—
AndorraEmbassy visa—
AngolaEmbassy visa—
Antigua and BarbudaEmbassy visa—
ArgentinaEmbassy visa—
ArmeniaEmbassy visa—
AustraliaeVisa—
AustriaeVisa—
AzerbaijanEmbassy visa—
BahamasEmbassy visa—
BahraineVisa—
BangladeshEmbassy visa—
BarbadosEmbassy visa—
BelarusEmbassy visa—
BelgiumeVisa—
BelizeEmbassy visa—
BeninEmbassy visa—
BhutanEmbassy visa—
BoliviaEmbassy visa—
Bosnia and HerzegovinaEmbassy visa—
BotswanaEmbassy visa—
BrazilEmbassy visa—
BruneiEmbassy visa—
BulgariaeVisa—
Burkina FasoEmbassy visa—
BurundiEmbassy visa—
Cabo VerdeEmbassy visa—
CambodiaEmbassy visa—
CameroonEmbassy visa—
CanadaeVisa—
Central African RepublicEmbassy visa—
ChadEmbassy visa—
ChileEmbassy visa—
ChinaeVisa—
ColombiaVisa required—
ComorosEmbassy visa—
Costa RicaEmbassy visa—
Côte d'IvoireEmbassy visa—
CroatiaeVisa—
CubaEmbassy visa—
CypruseVisa—
CzechiaeVisa—
Democratic Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
DenmarkeVisa—
DjiboutiEmbassy visa—
DominicaEmbassy visa—
Dominican RepublicEmbassy visa—
EcuadorEmbassy visa—
EgyptEmbassy visa—
El SalvadorEmbassy visa—
Equatorial GuineaEmbassy visa—
EritreaEmbassy visa—
EstoniaeVisa—
EswatiniEmbassy visa—
EthiopiaEmbassy visa—
FijiEmbassy visa—
FinlandeVisa—
FranceeVisa—
GabonEmbassy visa—
GambiaEmbassy visa—
GeorgiaEmbassy visa—
GermanyeVisa—
GhanaEmbassy visa—
GreeceeVisa—
GrenadaEmbassy visa—
GuatemalaEmbassy visa—
GuineaEmbassy visa—
Guinea-BissauEmbassy visa—
GuyanaEmbassy visa—
HaitiEmbassy visa—
HondurasEmbassy visa—
Hong KongEmbassy visa—
HungaryeVisa—
IcelandEmbassy visa—
IndiaEmbassy visa—
IndonesiaEmbassy visa—
IraqFree movement—
IrelandeVisa—
ItalyeVisa—
JamaicaEmbassy visa—
JapaneVisa—
JordaneVisa—
KazakhstanEmbassy visa—
KenyaEmbassy visa—
KiribatiEmbassy visa—
KosovoEmbassy visa—
KuwaiteVisa—
KyrgyzstanEmbassy visa—
LaosEmbassy visa—
LatviaeVisa—
LebanonEmbassy visa—
LesothoEmbassy visa—
LiberiaEmbassy visa—
LibyaEmbassy visa—
LiechtensteinEmbassy visa—
LithuaniaeVisa—
LuxembourgeVisa—
MacauEmbassy visa—
MadagascarEmbassy visa—
MalawiEmbassy visa—
MalaysiaEmbassy visa—
MaldivesEmbassy visa—
MaliEmbassy visa—
MaltaeVisa—
Marshall IslandsEmbassy visa—
MauritaniaEmbassy visa—
MauritiusEmbassy visa—
MexicoEmbassy visa—
MicronesiaEmbassy visa—
MoldovaeVisa—
MonacoEmbassy visa—
MongoliaEmbassy visa—
MontenegroEmbassy visa—
MoroccoEmbassy visa—
MozambiqueEmbassy visa—
MyanmarEmbassy visa—
NamibiaEmbassy visa—
NauruEmbassy visa—
NepalEmbassy visa—
NetherlandseVisa—
New ZealandeVisa—
NicaraguaEmbassy visa—
NigerEmbassy visa—
NigeriaEmbassy visa—
North KoreaEmbassy visa—
North MacedoniaEmbassy visa—
NorwayEmbassy visa—
OmaneVisa—
PakistanEmbassy visa—
PalauEmbassy visa—
PalestineEmbassy visa—
PanamaEmbassy visa—
Papua New GuineaEmbassy visa—
ParaguayEmbassy visa—
PeruEmbassy visa—
PhilippinesEmbassy visa—
PolandeVisa—
PortugaleVisa—
QatareVisa—
Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
RomaniaeVisa—
RussiaeVisa—
RwandaEmbassy visa—
Saint Kitts and NevisEmbassy visa—
Saint LuciaEmbassy visa—
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesEmbassy visa—
SamoaEmbassy visa—
San MarinoVisa required—
São Tomé and PríncipeEmbassy visa—
Saudi ArabiaeVisa—
SenegalEmbassy visa—
SerbiaEmbassy visa—
SeychellesEmbassy visa—
Sierra LeoneEmbassy visa—
SingaporeEmbassy visa—
SlovakiaeVisa—
SloveniaeVisa—
Solomon IslandsEmbassy visa—
SomaliaEmbassy visa—
South AfricaEmbassy visa—
South KoreaeVisa—
South SudanEmbassy visa—
SpaineVisa—
Sri LankaEmbassy visa—
SudanEmbassy visa—
SurinameEmbassy visa—
SwedeneVisa—
SwitzerlandeVisa—
SyriaEmbassy visa—
TaiwanEmbassy visa—
TajikistanEmbassy visa—
TanzaniaEmbassy visa—
ThailandEmbassy visa—
Timor-LesteEmbassy visa—
TogoEmbassy visa—
TongaEmbassy visa—
Trinidad and TobagoEmbassy visa—
TunisiaEmbassy visa—
TurkeyEmbassy visa—
TurkmenistanEmbassy visa—
TuvaluEmbassy visa—
UgandaEmbassy visa—
UkraineeVisa30 days
United Arab EmirateseVisa—
United KingdomeVisa—
United StateseVisa—
UruguayEmbassy visa—
UzbekistanEmbassy visa—
VanuatuEmbassy visa—
Vatican CityEmbassy visa—
VenezuelaEmbassy visa—
VietnamEmbassy visa—
YemenEmbassy visa—
ZambiaEmbassy visa—
ZimbabweEmbassy visa—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

No official page we read states the rule for 2 nationalities, so the table leaves them out: Iran and Israel.

Turkey97 of 199 passports visa-free · 28 eVisa/ETAIran43 of 199 passports visa-free · 1 eVisa/ETAKuwait1 of 199 passports visa-free · 52 eVisa/ETASaudi Arabia7 of 199 passports visa-free · 69 eVisa/ETAJordan1 of 199 passports visa-free · 53 eVisa/ETASyria2 of 199 passports visa-free

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Iraq?

The UK, Canadian and Australian governments say their citizens need a visa before they travel: the UK says Iraq no longer issues visit visas on arrival, and the e-Visa is applied for on Iraq's official portal (evisa.iq), which gives the visa requirements by country and passport type. The FCDO gives the fee as USD 160 and the validity as 60 days; Iraq's portal says 30 days. Apply at least 24 hours before you travel (FCDO); Australia says airlines must check for the visa before boarding. Turkey's foreign ministry says Turkish citizens under 15 or over 50 are visa-exempt for 30 days. Iraq's Foreigner Residence Law No. 76 of 2017 requires a foreigner entering Iraq to hold a valid entry visa marked in the passport and says Iraq's representative offices abroad issue entry visas; it does not apply to persons exempted under international agreements to which Iraq is a party. Iran's Foreign Ministry says Iranian pilgrims need no visa; no Iraqi official source we could read states the rule for Iranian citizens.

Is a visa for the Kurdistan Region the same as an Iraqi visa?

The UK government says the Kurdistan Regional Government has its own e-visa process (visit.gov.krd) and that its visas are valid for travel in the Kurdistan Region only. Its portal says citizens of its 'Country List A' can get the e-Visa online or at any entry point of the Region, while others need a guarantor in the Region; the fee is IQD 100,000, the visa is valid 90 days from issue and allows a 30-day stay. Canada says that to travel to other regions of Iraq you need a distinct Iraqi visa.

Is Iraq safe for tourists?

Canada and Australia advise against all travel to Iraq, and the UK advises against all travel to parts of the country, including Kirkuk, Ninawa and Salah al-Din provinces, and against all but essential travel to other parts. Canada says missile and drone attacks have struck various locations in Iraq, and the UK reports strikes by Iran in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.

Can Israeli citizens visit Iraq?

No official source we could read states Iraq's rule for Israeli passport holders. Canada's travel advice says travellers whose passport contains an Israeli visa or border stamp face additional screening before an Iraqi visa is issued; this does not apply to travel to the Kurdistan Region.

How do I apply and pay for the Iraqi e-Visa?

Online, on Iraq's e-Visa portal (evisa.iq), with a valid passport and a digital photo on a white background; the fee is paid by secure online payment and the visa arrives by email to print and show at the border. The FCDO gives the fee as USD 160, says to apply at least 24 hours before you travel, and says to have a return ticket or a ticket out of Iraq to a third destination, without which the airline may refuse boarding.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source