New visa rules for travelling to Iraq
Paperwork, Sumerian-style
We often say things are never exactly the same twice in Iraq, especially when it comes to arrivals and departures. And the latest change, as of early March 2025, is that the Visa on Arrival (VOA) is no longer available, at either airports or land border crossings.
Instead, the VOA has been replaced with a system requiring visitors to Iraq from a select list of countries (detailed below) to apply for an e-visa through an online portal. The system has had a few teething problems but now seems fairly functional.
Most visa applications (correctly completed) are approved within 48 hours (often sooner) but we advise any travellers to apply in good time to ensure they have the visa before they reach their departure airport.
Without the appropriate paperwork generated by successful completion of the e-visa application form (or a more traditional visa issued by an embassy), as well as a return airline ticket or proof of onward travel elsewhere (in the form of a departing airline ticket), travellers will most likely not be allowed to board their flight to Iraq.
To start the process of applying for an e-visa, click here and hit the “Apply Now” button. Do not attempt to login or make an account from the homepage but, instead, click the “Visa on Arrival” option and take it from there. It may be advantageous to use a VPN from the outset of your application and, depending on where you applying from, using a VPN may be needed when it comes to paying for the visa.
You will need to fill out an application form, answering (fairly straightforward) questions. And you will need to have a scan of the photo page of your passport and a separate scan of a passport-type photo ready to upload as part of the application process.
When paying, it’s recommended to use a VPN as there are often issues with international payments to Iraq. Otherwise, you may have to contact your bank to confirm that you are trying to make this particular payment to Iraq.
The new system is more expensive than the previous visa on arrival, as it includes a mandatory “health insurance” fee, and totals IQD 206,000 (around $160).
The e-visa may be issued in as little as six hours but the normal range is between 24 and 48 hours. At present, it seems advisable to apply for the e-visa before booking your flight or at least a week before the date of travel. Once you have the approval, the visa should be valid for entry during the following 30 days.
If you have problems with the e-visa system or if your application is rejected, at present there seems to just be an automated response to any email enquiries. You could try and approach your nearest Iraqi embassy or consulate for further advice but it’s not yet clear whether they can offer any actual help. If you are rejected, it may be that you will have no choice but to apply (and pay) again.
Citizens of the following countries are currently eligible to apply for the e-visa: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.
A note about entering the country through Iraqi Kurdistan.
The Iraqi e-visa is valid for travel to all parts of Iraq but you should ideally get stamped in using an entry point into federal Iraq (either an airport or land border-crossing) rather than entering via a land border or airport in Iraqi Kurdistan.
There are long-standing issues between federal Iraq and the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region and, for over a decade, Iraqi Kurdistan has issued its own visas and now also offers its own e-visas. If you apply for an Iraqi Kurdistan e-visa, be aware that there are internal borders between federal Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, which each have a checkpoint, some of which are extremely thorough.
Technically, an Iraqi Kurdistan visa is only valid for the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and not for the rest of Iraq. This said, you may actually be able to enter federal Iraq with your Kurdish visa but this generally still seems fairly unlikely and, if you do so, be aware that you can - and most probably will - be stopped at more than one checkpoint across the country and, sooner or later, you are likely to have problems if you’re traveling on a Kurdish visa or with a Kurdish entry stamp. Some tourists do manage to enter federal Iraq with Iraqi Kurdistan visas, especially if they are travelling with a local guide, but it is not a given.
If you have an Iraqi e-visa, you can enter the country via Iraqi Kurdistan with this but, again, you’re likely to still have the same problem when trying to enter federal Iraq, because your passport will be stamped with a specific Iraqi Kurdistan entry stamp.
There is little point asking Iraqi embassies abroad for advice about this because, in our experience, they will simply tell you Iraq is one country with one visa - the Iraqi visa - and that all will be well. From bitter experience, if you enter the country via Iraqi Kurdistan with an Iraqi visa and attempt to then travel overland into federal Iraq, it’s highly likely that all will not be well.
To err on the side of caution and avoid frustrating time-wasting and possibly considerable additional expense, it’s advisable (and more reliable) to plan your travels so you enter the country through federal Iraq (either via an airport or land borders) and go from there to Iraqi Kurdistan.
We know all too well how frustrating (and perplexing) this situation can be but it’s useful to remember that this is not some deliberate ploy to annoy tourists. It is just one aspect of a range of long-standing complexities between Iraqi Kurdistan and federal Iraq, and things have been like this for a decade.
