Iraq
Phone Code
+964
Capital
Baghdad
Population
44 Million
Native Name
العراق
Region
Asia
Western Asia
Timezone
Arabia Standard Time
UTC+03:00
On This Page
Iraq is a 437,000-square-kilometre country at the heart of the historic Mesopotamian basin, bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to the south, and Syria to the west, with a short coastline on the Persian Gulf at the southern Shatt al-Arab. The country is the cradle of writing — Sumerian cuneiform was invented in southern Mesopotamia around 3200 BCE — and the home of the world's first cities (Uruk, Ur, Eridu, Lagash), the Code of Hammurabi, the Babylonian and Assyrian empires, the Abbasid Caliphate centred on Baghdad and one of the oldest continuous Christian communities on Earth (Chaldean and Assyrian Christians on the Nineveh Plain). The roughly 44 million Iraqis speak Arabic (the federal official language and the daily language of most Arabs), Kurdish (Sorani in the south of Iraqi Kurdistan, Kurmanji in the north — both official languages of the Kurdistan Region), Syriac/Neo-Aramaic among the Christian communities, Turkmen in Kirkuk and Tal Afar, and Assyrian, Mandaean and Yezidi religious-language traditions. Practically, the country is best understood as two travel zones: federal Iraq (the central and southern provinces, with Baghdad, Babylon, Ur, Najaf and Karbala), and the Kurdistan Region (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok in the north — autonomous, with its own visa regime and considerably easier practical access for international visitors). Tourism in Iraqi Kurdistan has grown significantly in the last decade and is the part of the country that receives most independent international leisure travellers; tourism in federal Iraq, while accessible since 2021 with the federal e-visa, remains primarily organised-tour territory for archaeological and pilgrimage travel. The country has six UNESCO World Heritage sites — Hatra (the Parthian-era trade capital), Ashur (the original Assyrian capital), Samarra (the 9th-century Abbasid capital with the spiral Malwiya minaret), the Erbil Citadel (the oldest continuously inhabited site in the world, occupied for some 6,000 years), the Ahwar (the southern marshlands restored from drainage in the 1990s, the so-called 'Garden of Eden') and the recently inscribed Babylon (UNESCO 2019, after long delays). Cuisine — masgouf (the open-fired Tigris carp that is Iraq's national dish), kubba (the bulgur-and-meat dumplings, the country's most famous category with regional variants), tashreeb, biryani Baghdadi, qouzi (whole roasted lamb on rice), the dolma traditions, the date pastries from Basra, the famous Iraqi tea ritual, and the strong Iraqi coffee culture — anchors the food side. The Iraqi-Kurdish hospitality (Kurdish kêfxweş, Arabic karam) is consistently noted by visitors and is the single strongest first impression for most travellers, regardless of which part of the country they enter.
Visa Requirements for Iraq
Iraq has two parallel visa systems that travellers need to understand: the federal system for entry to federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region's separate entry system for arrivals via Erbil (EBL) or Sulaymaniyah (ISU). The current federal portal describes an electronic visa valid for 30 days and provides a live search by nationality and passport type; use that result rather than an old static eligibility list. Applicants complete the form, upload a passport image and digital photograph, pay through the official portal and carry the issued e-visa. A traveller considering visa on arrival must confirm that the current country/passport search expressly permits it for the intended airport or land border instead of relying on the former blanket arrangement. The Kurdistan Region continues to operate its own regime, and its permission may be valid only in Erbil, Duhok and Sulaymaniyah governorates; confirm separately whether a federal document is required before continuing south. Conversely, confirm that a federal e-visa covers every part of a planned Kurdistan itinerary. Passport-validity and blank-page requirements are displayed for the selected passport in the official search. Israeli passport holders, and travellers whose passport contains evidence of Israeli travel, can be denied entry. Most international tour operators recommend organised travel for federal Iraq given the security context. Visa rules have changed several times since the 2021 launch, so verify federal requirements on the official portal and regional requirements with the Kurdistan Regional Government before booking.
Common Visa Types
Federal Iraq e-Visa
Tourism and other approved short visits for passport holders shown as eligible by the live country and passport-type search on the official federal portal. Do not infer eligibility from a former static country list.
Federal Iraq Visa on Arrival
A federal visa issued at an entry point only when the live official result for the traveller's nationality, passport type and intended port expressly permits arrival processing.
Kurdistan Region Visa on Arrival (30 Days)
Tourism for citizens of around 40 eligible countries entering directly to Iraqi Kurdistan via Erbil (EBL) or Sulaymaniyah (ISU) international airports — a separate, lighter visa regime for the autonomous region.
Pilgrimage, Business, Press & Long-Term Visa
Pilgrimage to Najaf and Karbala (the Shia pilgrimage circuit attracts around 20 million annual visitors, primarily from Iran, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Bahrain and the broader Shia world), business visa with Iraqi sponsor invitation, journalism and press visa, study at Baghdad and Mosul universities, family reunification with Iraqi citizens and long-term residence for foreign professionals (oil and gas, reconstruction, NGO and diplomatic).
Important Travel Information
Iraq is one of the world's most rewarding destinations for travellers interested in the deep archaeological history of Mesopotamia, the medieval Islamic heritage of Baghdad and Samarra, the Shia pilgrimage cities and the dramatic Kurdish mountain landscapes of the north — and is increasingly accessible since the launch of the federal e-visa in 2021 and the long-standing visa-on-arrival regime in Kurdistan. Most independent international travellers begin in Iraqi Kurdistan, the autonomous region in the north accessed via Erbil (EBL) or Sulaymaniyah (ISU) international airports with direct flights from Istanbul, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Vienna, Amman and several other regional hubs. Erbil (Hawler in Kurdish), the regional capital, is built around the Erbil Citadel — the oldest continuously inhabited site in the world according to UNESCO, with at least 6,000 years of stratified habitation, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014 — surrounded by the modern bazaar (Qaysari), the Sami Abdul Rahman Park, and a sprawling restaurant scene. Sulaymaniyah, the cultural capital of southern Kurdistan, has a strong literary and artistic tradition, the Slemani Museum (one of Iraq's best archaeological collections after Baghdad), the Amna Suraka 'Red Security' museum, and the surrounding Lake Dukan and Halgurd–Sakran mountain country. Duhok in the north is the gateway to the Yezidi heartland of Lalish (the holiest site in the Yezidi religion, an active pilgrimage centre in a wooded valley) and the mountain monasteries above the village of Alqosh. The Hamilton Road through the Zagros — built by the New Zealand engineer Archibald Hamilton in the 1920s and one of the most spectacular drives in West Asia — connects Erbil to the Iranian border via Rawanduz, the Bekhal Waterfall, Geli Ali Beg gorge and the Korek Mountain Resort. Federal Iraq, accessible with the federal e-visa or visa on arrival, offers the deeper archaeological and pilgrimage circuit. Baghdad — the 8th-century Abbasid capital that gave the world the modern banking system, algebra (al-Khwarizmi), Aristotelian translation (the House of Wisdom), the Arabian Nights and one of the great medieval kitchens — has the National Museum of Iraq (the principal Mesopotamian collection in the world, badly looted in 2003 but substantially restored), Mutanabbi Street (the Friday morning book market and the literary heart of the city), the Abbasid Palace, the Khulafa Mosque, the Souk al-Safafeer (coppersmith bazaar) and the Tigris waterfront. Babylon (UNESCO 2019), 85 km south of Baghdad, has the partially restored Ishtar Gate replica, the Processional Way and the surviving original foundations and reliefs of the great Mesopotamian capital. Ur (Tell el-Muqayyar), 350 km south near Nasiriyah, is the Sumerian city associated with the prophet Abraham (the 'Ur of the Chaldees' of the Bible) and contains the great Ziggurat of Ur, partially restored under Saddam in the 1980s. Najaf and Karbala in central Iraq are the holiest Shia cities in the world after Mecca and Medina, centred on the shrines of Imam Ali (Najaf) and Imam Hussein and Abbas (Karbala) — the Arba'een pilgrimage from Najaf to Karbala in October-November draws around 20 million pilgrims, the world's largest annual gathering. Samarra (UNESCO), 125 km north of Baghdad, has the 9th-century Great Mosque of Samarra with the Malwiya spiral minaret and the Al-Askari Mosque (the resting place of the 10th and 11th Shia Imams). Hatra (UNESCO), in the western desert near Mosul, is the Parthian-era caravan trade capital with extraordinary preserved temples. The southern marshlands (Ahwar, UNESCO 2016) — the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East and traditional home of the Marsh Arabs (Ma'dan) and their reed-house mudhif culture — were drained by the Saddam government in the 1990s and have been partially restored since 2003. Cuisine — masgouf (the open-fire-roasted Tigris carp, the national dish), kubba (the great Iraqi bulgur-and-meat dumpling category, with kubba mosul, kubba halab, kubba shorbah, kubba burghul variants), tashreeb (broth-soaked bread), biryani Baghdadi, qouzi (whole roasted lamb), the date sweets of Basra (where the world's largest date palm groves still survive), the strong Iraqi coffee with cardamom — sits alongside the legendary Iraqi-Kurdish hospitality and the Friday Mutanabbi Street book-market culture in Baghdad.
Discover Iraq
Erbil's citadel makes an extraordinary claim with UNESCO's endorsement: people have lived on this oval mound continuously for some six thousand years, city stacked on city until the tell rose thirty metres above the plain — Assyrian Arbela, Sasanian fortress, Ottoman quarter, all underfoot at once. Restoration keeps sections in scaffolding, but the gate, the textile museum's carpet hoard and the rampart views over the modern roundabout-city reward the climb, and one family is ceremonially maintained in residence so the record never breaks. Below, the Qaysari bazaar runs its vaulted lanes of gold-sellers, honey stalls and tea houses where backgammon tiles clack all afternoon — Machko Chai Khana, against the citadel wall, has poured tea for the city's talkers since 1940. Kurdistan's practical ease surprises first-timers: visa on arrival for many nationalities, direct flights from European and Gulf hubs, English-speaking younger Kurds, and a security normality that makes independent wandering unremarkable. The advisory footnote stays standard — check current guidance — but Erbil is the honest gateway that makes Iraq travel real.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Iraqi Kurdistan, the autonomous region in the north, is the most accessible part of Iraq for independent international travellers — own visa-on-arrival regime, direct flights from Istanbul, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt and other regional hubs to Erbil (EBL) and Sulaymaniyah (ISU). Erbil (Hawler) is built around the Erbil Citadel — the oldest continuously inhabited site in the world per UNESCO, with at least 6,000 years of stratified habitation (UNESCO World Heritage 2014) — surrounded by the modern Qaysari bazaar, the Sami Abdul Rahman Park, the Erbil Civilization Museum and an extensive restaurant and café scene. The Hamilton Road through the Zagros (Archibald Hamilton, 1920s) connects Erbil to the Iranian border via Rawanduz, the Bekhal Waterfall, the Geli Ali Beg gorge and the Korek Mountain Resort.
Sulaymaniyah, the cultural capital of southern Kurdistan, has a strong literary tradition, the excellent Slemani Museum (Iraq's second-best archaeological collection), the Amna Suraka 'Red Security' museum (the former Ba'athist secret-police headquarters now a memorial), and the surrounding Lake Dukan and Halgurd–Sakran mountain country with serious multi-day trekking. Duhok in the north is the gateway to the Yezidi heartland of Lalish — the holiest site in the Yezidi religion and an active pilgrimage centre in a wooded valley with the white-cone Sheikh Adi shrine — and the Christian monasteries above Alqosh and Lalish (Rabban Hormizd Monastery, founded in 640 AD).
Baghdad — the 8th-century Abbasid capital that gave the world the modern banking system, algebra (al-Khwarizmi), the House of Wisdom translation movement, the Arabian Nights and one of the great medieval kitchens — is the practical centre of federal Iraq. The National Museum of Iraq holds the principal Mesopotamian collection in the world (badly looted in 2003 but substantially restored, with notable Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian pieces). Mutanabbi Street is the Friday morning book market and the literary heart of the city. The Abbasid Palace (12th-century), the Khulafa Mosque, the Souk al-Safafeer coppersmith bazaar, the Al-Mustansiriya School (1227, one of the oldest universities in the world), the Tigris waterfront and the freshly grilled masgouf restaurants of Abu Nuwas Street round out a 2–3-day Baghdad stay.
Iraq holds six UNESCO World Heritage Sites covering the deep history of Mesopotamia. Babylon (UNESCO 2019), 85 km south of Baghdad, has the partially restored Ishtar Gate replica and the Processional Way of Nebuchadnezzar II's great capital. Ur (Tell el-Muqayyar), 350 km south near Nasiriyah, is the Sumerian city of Abraham with the great Ziggurat partially restored under Saddam in the 1980s. Hatra (UNESCO), in the western desert near Mosul, is the Parthian-era caravan trade capital with extraordinary preserved Hellenistic-Arab fusion temples. Samarra (UNESCO), 125 km north of Baghdad, has the 9th-century Great Mosque with the Malwiya spiral minaret and the Al-Askari Shia shrine. Ashur (UNESCO), the original Assyrian capital, lies on the Tigris between Mosul and Tikrit.
Najaf and Karbala in central Iraq are the holiest Shia Muslim cities in the world after Mecca and Medina, centred on the shrines of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (Najaf) and Imam Hussein and his half-brother Abbas (Karbala). The Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf and the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala receive several million pilgrims annually; the Arba'een pilgrimage on foot from Najaf to Karbala in October-November (the 40th day after Ashura) draws around 20 million pilgrims, making it the world's largest annual religious gathering. Both cities welcome non-Muslim visitors with respectful dress (women in chador, modest clothing for men) and provide a deeply moving counterpoint to the archaeological circuit. The Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery in Najaf is the largest cemetery in the world.
Iraqi cuisine is one of the great kitchens of West Asia: masgouf (the open-fire-roasted Tigris carp, the national dish, traditionally served along the Abu Nuwas riverside in Baghdad), kubba (the great Iraqi bulgur-and-meat dumpling category — kubba mosul, kubba halab, kubba shorbah, kubba burghul — each with regional variants), tashreeb (broth-soaked bread), biryani Baghdadi, qouzi (whole roasted lamb on rice with toasted nuts), the date sweets of Basra (where the world's largest date palm groves still survive), the strong Iraqi coffee with cardamom and the elaborate tea ritual. Iraqi-Kurdish hospitality (kêfxweş in Kurdish, karam in Arabic) is the single strongest first impression for most international travellers. The Ahwar marshlands (UNESCO 2016) in the south — partially restored after the 1990s drainage — are the largest wetland in the Middle East and the traditional home of the Marsh Arabs (Ma'dan) and their distinctive reed-house mudhif culture.
Money & Currency
Iraqi Dinar (IQD)
Currency code: IQD
Practical Money Tips
Iraqi Dinar (IQD) — bring USD cash; exchange at banks or licensed money changers
Iraq uses the Iraqi Dinar (IQD). The exchange rate is approximately 1,300–1,320 IQD per USD. The US Dollar is the practical second currency and widely accepted at hotels, international service providers, and in the Kurdistan Region (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok). Bring sufficient USD cash for your trip — this is the most reliably exchangeable foreign currency. Euros can be exchanged at major banks and licensed exchange offices in Baghdad and Erbil but are less universally accepted in trade than USD. Exchange cash at Central Bank-licensed money changers (sarrafi) in major cities or at hotel reception desks. Avoid unofficial street changers. The Iraqi Dinar is non-convertible outside Iraq — exchange remaining IQD back to USD before departure.
ATMs available in Baghdad and Erbil — limited elsewhere; foreign cards work inconsistently
ATMs are available in Baghdad (Karada, Mansour, Karrada districts), Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah. Some ATMs in the Kurdistan Region (particularly in Erbil's Ankawa neighbourhood) accept international Visa and Mastercard cards. In Baghdad and southern Iraq, ATM availability for foreign cards is extremely unreliable — do not depend on ATMs as your primary cash access method. Carry sufficient USD cash for the full trip. International banks with Iraqi operations (some Citi, HSBC-affiliated branches) may offer limited foreign card services, but coverage is inconsistent. Always have cash reserves.
Card acceptance limited to major hotels and international businesses — cash essential everywhere else
Visa and Mastercard are accepted at international-standard hotels in Baghdad and Erbil, and at some larger restaurants and malls in the Kurdistan Region. Outside these contexts, cash is required for virtually all transactions. Apple Pay and Google Pay are not supported in Iraq — no contactless payment infrastructure exists for international payment networks. In practice, daily expenses including meals, transport, fuel, local souvenirs, and most services are all cash-only. Carry a mix of IQD for local purchases and USD for larger payments or negotiations.
Budget guide: meals $3–20 USD; mid-range hotels $40–120 USD; Kurdistan more developed
Iraq is generally affordable, particularly outside the international hotel sector. A local restaurant meal costs 5,000–15,000 IQD (roughly $4–11 USD). Mid-range hotels: $40–90 USD per night. International hotels in Baghdad and Erbil: $80–200+ USD. The Kurdistan Region (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah) has more developed tourism infrastructure and a wider range of accommodation and dining options. The Erbil Citadel, bazaars, and religious sites in Najaf and Karbala are major draws. Tipping is customary: 10% in restaurants where service is not included; taxi fares should be agreed before the journey.
Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.
Iraq — Embassies worldwide
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Think in two zones, because Iraq travels as two countries. Iraqi Kurdistan (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok) runs its own lighter entry regime, enjoys security comparable to regional capitals, and hosts normal independent travel. Federal Iraq — Baghdad, Babylon, Ur, the shrine cities — is accessible and rewarding but remains organised-tour territory per most Western advisories, with experienced local fixers as the recommended mode. Your government's current advisory, with its separate Kurdistan notes, is the planning document that draws your personal map.
Separately, and that's the trap to avoid: the FEDERAL e-visa (30 days, applied through the official portal whose live nationality search is the only reliable eligibility source) covers federal Iraq; the KURDISTAN Region issues its own visa on arrival at Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports for around 40 nationalities — valid ONLY in the Kurdish governorates. Crossing between zones needs the right document for the destination side, checked in advance. Rules have shifted repeatedly since 2021 — verify both systems close to travel.
By consistent traveller and advisory account, yes — Erbil and Sulaymaniyah function like other regional capitals: normal street life, solo travellers unremarkable, checkpoints polite and routine. The cautions are geographic: stay clear of the federal boundary areas, the Iraq-Syria border zone and disputed territories, and check current guidance for anything beyond the three core governorates. Standard documents at checkpoints, and the region's hospitality does the rest.
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.