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In accordance with the law, citizens of all countries require a visa to visit Iraq. All visitors, except those arriving at Basra or Iraqi Kurdistan, must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
Only the citizens of Turkey may enter Iraq without a visa and only if arriving at Baghdad International Airport, directly from Turkey or (for max. 15 days) at Erbil and Sulaimaniyah. They can also obtain a visa on arrival at Al Najaf International Airport. Additionally nationals of Kuwait holding diplomatic or service passports are also visa exempt.
Nationals of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia can obtain a visa on arrival at Basra International Airport and Al Najaf International Airport.
For other nationals, in case of emergency an urgent visa may be issued on arrival at non-Kurdish ports of entry (Iraqi Kurdistan has a separate policy, see below) but only if the visitor can convince the immigration officer of circumstances that prevented him/her from obtaining a regular visa in advance. According to IATA, a signed and stamped letter issued by the Ministry of Interior of Iraq needs to be provided for this, although it is not clear whether this currently applies.
According to Amir Taheri, Iraq plans to sign a freedom of movement agreement with Iran.
Iraqi Kurdistan
Visitors to Iraqi Kurdistan arriving through the Erbil International Airport or Sulaimaniyah International Airport may enter visa-free for up to 15 days if they are holders of one of the following passports: