Arriving at Baghdad Airport - 2025 updates
Few airports have such impressive replica historic masterpieces as Baghdad.
As usual, there have been a few changes to arriving at Baghdad International Airport. We’re not joking when we say it’s never the same experience twice.
The first change was before we even boarded the first flight. At check-in, we were asked for proof of onward travel or a returning flight, which we had to hand. We were told this was a new regulation from the Iraqi aviation authority/government.
This regulation only applies to foreigners, not those with Iraqi citizenship but, if you are an Iraqi citizen, you will need evidence of this (Iraqi passport, ID card or other official document). It’s not enough to have a British passport and just say you’re actually Iraqi. Without proof of onward travel, a return booking or Iraqi ID, you may not be able to check-in for your flight.
If you don’t have a return booking or proof of onward travel, a number of websites offer ways you can buy temporary return or onward flight precisely for this purpose.
The visa on arrival (VOA) area is steadily being developed with improved signage and processes, a proper (pretty long) desk although with rather fewer chairs.
The visa form remains the same, with the same basic questions (outlined here) and pens were available but not enough for everyone so we still suggest carrying your own. The visa form does ask for your address in Iraq, so don’t forget to have that to hand. We weren’t verbally grilled about where we were staying this time, so hopefully that old regulation about needing proof of a hotel booking really is now a thing of the past.
The airport WiFi was fully functional (another improvement) and pretty fast.
It took about 30 minutes for the official to return with the passports (and there were a lot of them) and then it was time to pay for the visa.
You can now pay for the VOA by card. Indeed, you may even be encouraged to do so. Mastercard (“Master, Master”) is definitely accepted but the jury’s out on Visa cards. It seems you will be charged in Iraqi dinars and your bank (wherever that may be located) is unlikely to give you a favourable exchange rate and certainly not as favourable as that offered by downtown Baghdad money changers for US dollars.
We politely explained that we couldn’t pay by card and needed to pay by cash. If you have no Arabic, saying: “No Master, only cash,” while holding up your dollars should be sufficient. The visa officials asked a few times about the Mastercard but were actually totally happy to accept cash, not least because there were quite a few other people who also needed to pay with cash. However, the visa officials took payment from all the card payers first, and us cash payers had to wait until last.
We had a fine array of small notes with us, to ensure we paid the minimum with no excuses about a lack of change. This time it was $78 (last time $80 and previously it was always $77 - they’ve now taken down the sign saying $75, so it’s harder to argue) and we paid in the exact change. On this occasion the officials had plenty of change for those with larger dollar bills but we would always recommend having enough $5 and $1 dollar bills with you to ensure paying the minimum.
Once you have your visa, you head to the immigration booths to be stamped in and have your photo taken on a little digital camera.
Then you’ll need to put your hand luggage through a security scanner (you might be questioned if you are carrying filming equipment or a drone - be warned, the latter may be confiscated, to be collected upon departure from Iraq) and proceed to the baggage carousels to collect any hold luggage.
You walk through one more security point (where you may be asked questions about your luggage but this is generally rare) and then out into the main arrivals hall.
The tea stand that used to be near the baggage carousals has been relocated to the main arrivals hall, but it’s thankfully still there, just in case you’re parched from your travels, and have Iraqi dinars to hand. Also in the main arrivals hall, you can usually change money whatever the hour but it’s a poor rate, so we recommend changing the bare minimum there to tide you over and the rest downtown later that day or the following day. See here for all you could wish to know about the Iraqi dinar and changing money in Iraq.
Civilian cars can now drive right up to the airport to collect arriving passengers but it seems that this can arbitrarily change, so cannot yet be fully relied on. If someone is coming to pick you up, they should go to the two-storey carpark opposite arrivals but, if they accidentally go to departures, you may have to go back into the airport, upstairs to departures and then out that way.
If you don’t have anyone meeting you, you can still follow traditional processes (for more in-depth detail check Arriving Baghdad Airport II), by taking an official airport taxi (pricier but an easy and reliable option for first-timers in Iraq) or a shared bus out to Abbas ibn Firnas square. There you can either haggle with the taxi drivers clamouring to take you, order a Careem or walk out to the main road and hail a yellow taxi.
Whichever option you choose, you’ll make it work. After all, the thrill of Baghdad awaits!
Note: If you want to be more fully prepared, check out our previous posts Arriving at Baghdad Airport I and II.
