Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! The media image of Iraq was obviously dominated by war and conflict in the past decades and most countries advise not to travel to Iraq. BUT the security situation has changed and improved in a manner that after such a long time finally Visa-on arrival was introduced in 2021. More and more solo travelers and groups are taking the chance to visit Iraq for the first time. Security was also an important factor for the economy to grow in the past years. In January 2023 Iraq hosted the international football tournament of the Golf Cup for the first time since 1979 and even won the final with peaceful celebrations across the whole country.

Since 15th March 2021 the Iraqi government allowing citizens from 37 countries a visa on arrival at any entry point and is valid for 60 days:

The European Union countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the French Republic, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

 

Nationals of the following countries Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates receive visa on arrival at Al Najaf International Airport and Basra International Airport.


The visa fee is officially $75 but they will ask for $78. It needs to be paid in cash and only US Dollars are accepted. Please have the exact amount in hand because they do not give back any change.

In the arrival hall before customs is an unmarked desk where you will get from an officer a form to fill out. It will take around 20-60 minutes to get your passport with a valid visa back. Sometimes you will be requested to present a hotel reservation. We will provide the reservation document before traveling.

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the visa on arrival costs $75 for the following countries and is valid for 30 days:


The European Union countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the French Republic, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Kuwait, Lebanon, Norway, Qatar and South Korea.


Entering Iraq via the Kurdistan Region your visa will not be accepted for Federal Iraq and only be valid in the Kurdistan Region. To travel to the rest of the country you need to fly to Baghdad either from Erbil International Airport or Sulaimaniyah International Airport and get a new visa with the same process derived above and paying $78. *If you want to travel with us through the whole country, we recommend starting in Federal Iraq and ending in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.


Nationals from other countries not listed above are required to apply for a pre-arrival visa at the Iraqi Embassy.

See the official link. 

Yes you can withdraw money from ATM’s. We still recommend you to have cash with you and change it here locally.

The local currency is Iraqi Dinar. Many shops and restaurants accept US Dollars and a few also Euro. We can update you on the local currency rate and assist you to exchange your money to Iraqi Dinar locally.

During the tour, we always locate the closest hospital in case of an emergency. We would contact the consulate or embassy for you and ask kindly before the tour to provide us one contact number that we can inform if needed.

We always recommend having travel insurance before attending our tours. If you don’t have any, we can issue one for your time in the country.

This will depend on the type of tour, location and time availability. Please communicate with us after choosing your tour and we make sure to include you time to explore on our own for authentic experiences in the country.

There are no set rules for specific behavior, but here are a few recommendations you should have in mind.

If you take pictures of people, please ask them kindly for permission with simple hand signs.

During the day on our tours please always wear long trousers and for the top nothing shorter than a regular t-shirt. This counts for all genders. Skirts or dresses over the knee are no issue – only when visiting holy places. We provide cloth if needed to cover while visiting a mosque or church. For female travelers we recommend having a scarf always handy in case of visiting a mosque. Otherwise there is no regulation of mandatory headscarves in public areas.

The CDC and WHO are recommending following vaccinations before traveling to Iraq:
hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies, anthrax, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza.

Travelers can not enter Iraq or Kurdistan Region of Iraq with an Israeli stamp in their passport. If you have a stamp, just issue a new passport before your travels to Iraq.

 

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