Iraq

Visa requirements for Iraq depend on which passport you hold. Check the Traveller visa tool to see whether your passport needs a visa and, if so, how long you can stay.

October–November and March–April avoid the extreme summer heat (50°C+ in Basra). Iraqi Kurdistan is the most accessible year-round, with its own spring wildflower season. Erbil, Babylon, Ur, and the Ahwar Marshes (UNESCO) are the primary destinations. Avoid July–August in all areas.

• Modest dress throughout — Iraq is predominantly Muslim
• Women: cover arms and legs; headscarf appreciated outside Kurdish cities
• Men: long trousers and covered shoulders
• Remove shoes before entering mosques

• Iraqi hospitality is legendary — you will be offered tea and food insistently; to refuse entirely is rude
• The Kurdish people in the north have a distinct culture and language (Kurmanji/Sorani) — they are proud of Kurdistan's relative stability and prosperity
• The ancient sites (Babylon, Ur, Nippur, Ctesiphon) represent some of the world's oldest human civilisation — treat with reverence
• The Ahwar (Mesopotamian Marshes) were drained by Saddam Hussein and are recovering — a UNESCO World Heritage site of extraordinary beauty

• Security varies enormously by region — Iraqi Kurdistan is broadly safe; check your government's advisory for specific provinces before any visit
• Alcohol is permitted in Iraqi Kurdistan; restricted in most of the rest of the country
• LGBTQ+ activity is legally complex and socially extremely dangerous — exercise extreme caution throughout Iraq
• Photography of military, checkpoints, and government buildings is strictly prohibited