Iraqi Visa at Border

Iraqi Visa at Border

Crossing the Iraq border from Silopi or Cizre in Turkey to Zakho in Iraq is a very straight forward procedure. There no strings to unknot or riddles to unwind here: you go across the border and get stamped in.

It was far easier for me to get into Iraq than it usually is to cross the Canadian border an hour from where I grew up in upstate New York.

Visitors from most countries are given a 10 day entrance stamp at the Iraqi border. I have read that this stamp is supposedly only good for travel in the northern Kurdish region, but I was not told anything about this restriction at the border, nor was anything limiting my travel in the country stamped in my passport. It is my impression that this 10 day stamp can be used to go anywhere in the country.

I was told at the border by the immigration officials that it is an easy process to extend the permit to enter the country, and that I would only need to visit a registration office to do so. I am also under the impression that it would not be too difficult to upgrade the 10 day entrance stamp into a real visa.

In point, crossing into Iraq and requesting a longer stay than 10 days is not a difficult process. You just show up, and they stamp you into the country.

Standard Operating Procedure.

Iraq entrance visa stamp

Iraqi Visa at Border