Authorities in Iraq have decided to remove the visa-on-arrival requirement for nationals of the European Union and several other countries, requiring them to now apply for an e-visa to enter Iraq through the official platform.
New changes to Iraq visa policy have been implemented on March 1, 2025, VisaGuide.World reports.
Following Iraq’s recent decision, waiting times at immigration checkpoints are expected to be reduced while the pre-approved visas are expected to significantly simplify the entry process.
E-Visa Rules for Several Countries
Since the beginning of this month nationals of the following countries are no longer be subject to visa on arrival (VOA):
The European Union countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
Non-EU countries: Australia, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, South Korea, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States
However, they now need to apply for an e-visa in order to enter Iraq.
.Travelers should ensure they obtain a visa before boarding to avoid any inconvenience.
The visa-on-arrival is granted upon arrival to Iraq through the border crossings at land, air, and sea and is valid for 60 days from the date of arrival.
At the same time, the e-Visa of Iraq is an electronic visa that permits foreign nationals subject to visas to apply electronically without being required to travel to an embassy or consulate.
The new changes are expected to further improve compliance with immigration rules. However, when planning to travel to Iraq travelers are required to follow several significant requirements at first, among them obtaining health insurance.
Attempts to Facilitate Travel Process
In a bid to make the travel process easier for foreign nationals, authorities in Iraq signed visa exemption agreements with several countries.
In September last year, Iraq and Indonesia signed a mutual visa exemption agreement for those holding diplomatic and service passports.
The decision was confirmed following a meeting of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr Fuad Hussein of Iraq and Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Retno Marsudi. Both parties agreed that the new decision would further facilitate the entry and also tighten connections between both countries, following the bilateral agreement.
Both ministers discussed bilateral and global issues, emphasizing the importance of making the entry rules easier for citizens from both countries into each other’s territories.