Iraqi passport
The front cover of a contemporary Iraqi Passport
Information page
TypePassport
Issued by Iraq
First issuedJanuary 9, 2023
(biometric passport) [1]
PurposeIdentification
EligibilityIraqi Citizenship
Expiration8 years after issuance;
4 years for citizens under the age of 15
Cost91,000 Dinars (first / renewal)
Cover of an Iraqi Special passport 2023-

The Iraqi passport (Arabic: جواز السفر العراقي) (Kurdish: پاسپۆرت عێراقی|) is a passport document issued to citizens of Iraq, including the country's autonomous Kurdistan region, for international travel. The new "A" series of passports began circulating on 1 February 2010, as a result of Iraqi governmental initiatives to create a more secure Iraqi passport. As of 6 March 2023 a 3rd generation electronic passport, approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), has begun circulating in order to make travel more accessible by shortening about 85 percent of the paperwork and the administrative procedures, and will be issued to citizens within one day. Previous series issued by passport offices in Iraq and diplomatic representatives worldwide include the "S" non-machine-readable series, and the "G" series.[2]

History

The new A-series passports have been issued since 1 October 2009 (German embassy in Jordan, 2009). Passports in the G-series are thus no longer issued, but they are still valid until their expiry date. However, in autumn 2014, a document expert at a Western embassy in Amman informed Landinfo (meeting in Amman, November 2014) that the Iraqi authorities were still issuing G-series passports. This means that real G-series passports issued after 2009 may be in circulation. A-series passports differ from G-series passports in that they contain text in Arabic, Kurdish and English. There is also a difference on the page containing personal data – G-series passports have a field for the passport holder's signature or fingerprints, while in A-series passports, this field has been replaced by a bar code. The page containing biometric data is laminated, as it was in the G-series. The passport holder's signature is on page 3 in the passport. A-series passports have 48 pages and are valid for eight years. The passport number is perforated through the bottom of each page starting from page 3. Pages 4–48 are visa pages. All A-series passports are personal. Children must have their own passport.

1934 Iraqi passport used up to 1939 for Europe and British Palestine.

Passport types

There are four different passport types.

  • Regular passport (dark blue cover) – Issued to all citizens of the Republic of Iraq. It is valid for four or eight years depending on the age of the passport applicant/holder. Those passports are not extendable or renewable and a new one must be obtained once expired.
  • Diplomatic passport (ruby cover) – Issued to Iraqi diplomats accredited overseas and their eligible dependents, and to citizens who reside in the Republic of Iraq and travel abroad for diplomatic work. Title and function of the bearer (diplomat) is listed on the data page of the Diplomatic Passport in addition to the information already contained. It is valid for five years.
  • Service passport (dark red cover) – Issued to citizen-employees of the Republic of Iraq assigned overseas, Iraqi Government employees working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or at the Iraqi Diplomatic Mission assigned abroad. Official Passports can be issued to other government officials that are to travel abroad, with prior approval, as well as to their spouses and children living in the same household. Title and function of the bearer (official) is listed on the data page of the Official Passport in addition to the information already contained. It is valid for five years.
  • Special passport (dark green cover) – Is issued to an Iraqi Citizen who needs to come back into Iraq; when issued it is valid for thirty days or until the return trip is completed and can be issued at an Iraqi Diplomatic Mission.

Passport Series

Series Issued From Issued To Valid for Travel
B biometric passport January 9, 2023 Present Yes
A February 1, 2010 Present Yes[3]
G 2007 February 1, 2010 No Since February 1, 2018[4]
H ? ? No since December 31, 2011[5]
N ? ? No since January 1, 2008[6]
M ? ? No since December 31, 2006[7]
S ? ? No since September 1, 2006[8]

Physical appearance

Languages

The new A-series passports differ from G-series passports in that they contain text in Arabic, Kurdish and English. There is also a difference on the page containing personal data – G-series passports have a field for the passport holder's signature or fingerprints, while in A-series passports, this field has been replaced by a bar code

Identity Information page

The front page of the Iraqi passport includes the following data:

  • Photo of passport owner
  • Type of document (P = passport)
  • Code for issuing country (IRQ = Iraq)
  • Passport number (9 alphanumeric digits, chosen from numerals 0–9 and letters C, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, T, V, W, X, Y, Z. Thus, "0" denotes the numeral, not the letter "O".)
  • Full Name
  • Surname
  • Date of birth
  • Sex
  • Nationality
  • Place of birth
  • Date of issue
  • Date of expiry
  • Authority that issued the passport
  • Owner's signature

The page ends with a 2-line machine readable zone, according to ICAO standard 9303. The country code is IRQ as is the standard country code for Iraq (according to ISO 3166-1 alpha-3).

Visa Requirements

On January 18, 2018, Iraqi citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 28 countries and territories, ranking the Iraqi passport 104th in the world according to the Visa Restrictions Index.

Visa requirements for Iraqi citizens
  Iraq
  Visa not required
  Visa on arrival
  Visa required prior to arrival

See also

References

  1. ↑ "IRQ103919.E" (PDF). 23 December 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Announcement (A) Series Passport". Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in London. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  3. ↑ "IRQ103919.E" (PDF). 23 December 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "IRQ103919.E" (PDF). 23 December 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "IRQ103919.E" (PDF). 23 December 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "IRQ103919.E" (PDF). 23 December 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "IRQ103919.E" (PDF). 23 December 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  8. ↑ "IRQ103919.E" (PDF). 23 December 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
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