Step by Step Process to Getting An Iraq Visa
The good news is that it’s never been easier to get an Iraq visa. The bad news? Only 37 countries are currently eligible for the Iraq visa on arrival system.
Citizens of the EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea can get an Iraq visa on arrival at Baghdad, Basra and Najaf airports. (Don’t worry, if you don’t belong to one of these countries then you’ve got Rocky Road Travel. That’s what we’re here for!)
If you don’t qualify for the VOA, then after you sign up for one of our Iraq tours you just need to send us a scan of your passport and we add the details to the group application. Then we wait for the letter of invitation. If you live in a city with an Iraqi embassy then it’s best to put this in your application so that you can apply there when the letter of invitation is issued. When the letter is issued, then you simply complete an online application form, download it, print it out and take it to the embassy along with a passport photo, color photocopy of your passport page, your physical passport and the letter of invitation. Wait a day or two and hey presto, you have an Iraqi visa in your passport!
Iraq Visa Collection
If you live far from an Iraqi embassy don’t worry. You can choose to collect the visa from the Iraqi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. As one of the main gateways to Baghdad your flight will likely depart from here anyway so you can take a few days before the tour to apply and collect your visa. As of October 2018, the consulate had a 24 hour visa collection time.
Iraqi Kurdistan Visa
If the above sounds like to much work and you don’t believe in paperwork to cross borders, then head to Iraqi Kurdistan! It’s visa free for EU, US, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan & Brazil passport holders. Our Iraqi tours run each Spring and Autumn. Get in touch today for more info!
Happy travels!