Iraq has abolished visas on arrival for 37 nationalities, including Europeans, Americans and Britons. Since March 1, 2025, travelers must obtain an electronic visa (e-Visa) before departure.
Four years after implementing this solution, Iraq officially eliminated its visa-on-arrival option for citizens of 37 countries.
In a statement, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced that, as of March 1, 2025, “the issuance of a visa on arrival (VOA) for nationals benefiting from this facility is suspended.”
Iraq now requires visitors from the following countries to apply for an electronic visa (e-Visa) before arriving in the country:
- Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.
“Travelers should ensure they obtain a visa before boarding to avoid any inconvenience,” Iraqi authorities explained.
An e-Visa is now mandatory for travel to Iraq
The Iraqi government justifies this reform by its desire to better control tourist flows and digitize procedures to simplify visitor entry.
Travelers must now go to the official evisa.iq portal to apply for their e-Visa for entry to Iraq.
Launched in January 2024, this site allows applicants to submit a “Visa on Arrival” application by completing an online form containing some personal information (full name, date of birth, email address, telephone number, etc.) and travel information (name and address of accommodation in Iraq).
Applicants must upload a copy of their passport and passport photo online.
In addition to the e-visa fee, which must be paid online, there is a health insurance fee, which must be presented upon arrival, for a total of 206,000 IQD, or approximately 145 € / 158 US$.
The announced processing time processing time for e-visa applications is 24 to 48 hours.
Travelers departing for Iraqi Kurdistan can still obtain a visa on arrival or apply for an e-visa prior to entering the region.
