🇮🇶

Iraq

العراق

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📖 Full guideLast updated: 04/07/2026🏛️ History & culture 👨‍👩‍👧 Family & fun

Mesopotamia, where the first civilisations were written: Babylon, Ur and Sumerian ruins beyond compare, Erbil's citadel the world's oldest continuously inhabited settlement, and Najaf-Karbala drawing millions in spiritual visitation yearly — Iraq is a deeply historic Arab Muslim country, greeting Gulf visitors in one tongue and brotherhood.

ℹ️ General information

Capital: Baghdad

Language: Arabic and Kurdish (both official)

Currency: Iraqi dinar (IQD)

Time zone: UTC+03:00

🛂 Visa for Saudi passport

Visa on arrival — 60 days

All six GCC nationalities: single-entry visa on arrival up to 60 days (~$75), or a full-year multi-entry consular visa (~$150) for repeat visitors. Passport valid 6 months. The Kurdistan Region (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah) issues its own on-arrival visa for those flying directly into its airports.

Official source ↗

⚠️ Guidance only — always verify with the official source before traveling.

🕓 Last officially verified: 05/08/2026

🗓️Best time to visit

March–May and October–November are mild countrywide (20–28°C); June–September scorches past 45°C in the centre and south, though mountainous Erbil stays relatively kinder.

🕌 For the Muslim traveler

Halal food: Entirely halal with no exception whatsoever — an Arab Muslim country whose cuisine (masgouf, dolma, kubba) is authentically Middle Eastern and closely resembles the Gulf table. No question, no doubt.

Prayer places: Mosques and shrines in every city — the Imam Al-Adham Mosque in Baghdad, and the Alawi and Husseini shrines in Najaf and Karbala among the world's greatest Islamic pilgrimage sites. The adhan is public everywhere.

Friday is an official holiday: Yes

🌙Ramadan & Eid

Ramadan is a profound national experience — Baghdad's historic iftar markets and taraweeh at the holy shrines are an unforgettable, moving sight. Public life halts by day and pulses by night with the authenticity of any Arab Muslim country.

🎭Culture tips

Iraqi hospitality is legendarily generous — tea and food arrive with warm insistence. Standard and Iraqi dialect Arabic feel very close to any Gulf dialect. Visiting Najaf and Karbala is a cross-sectarian spiritual experience deserving full respect even from those unfamiliar with the practice. Avoid sensitive political talk with strangers.

💳Cards & payments

A largely cash country — dollars are widely accepted alongside dinars, especially at bigger hotels and restaurants. International cards see limited acceptance beyond major Erbil and Baghdad hotels — always carry sufficient cash.

📲Apps & internet

Careem operates in Baghdad and Erbil — the trusted regional Uber. Google Maps is good in major cities, weaker rurally. WhatsApp is the near-exclusive channel with guides and private drivers.

🚗Driving there

Right-hand driving like the Gulf, but checkpoints are frequent and self-driving between governorates isn't advised for the unaccustomed — a private driver or domestic flight is always the practical, safe choice.

💵Tipping culture

10% at good restaurants is generous; generous change for drivers and guides is customary.

📶SIM & eSIM

Zain, Asiacell and Korek — tourist SIMs on a passport from airport kiosks, eSIM largely unavailable. Coverage is good in major cities and Erbil, variable rurally.

🚇Getting around

Domestic flights (Iraqi Airways, FlyBaghdad) link Baghdad, Erbil and Najaf quickly and safely — better than long overland drives between regions. In cities, taxis are always pre-agreed or a private driver via the hotel. No organised metro or public transit exists.

💰 Approximate cost

Moderate: local meal $4–10, good restaurant $12–25, four-star hotels $70–160/night in Baghdad and Erbil. The dinar (~1,310/$) and the dollar coexist across tourism — bigger hotels price directly in dollars.

ℹ️ Prices are approximate and subject to change

🛡️ Safety

The Kurdistan Region (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok) has been clearly stable and tourist-safe for years. Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala operate under heavy security but organised visits (especially religious pilgrimage) run regularly. Western and northern governorates bordering Syria carry real advisories — excluded from any normal tourism itinerary.

⚠️ Key laws before you travel

Photographing military and government installations and security checkpoints is explicitly forbidden. Drug penalties are very severe. Visiting the holy shrines (Najaf, Karbala) requires strict adherence to Shia visitation etiquette even for non-Shia visitors. Carry your passport at all times — checkpoints are frequent.

ℹ️ Laws change — verify with official sources; this is not legal advice.

💊 Restricted medications

Good private hospitals in Erbil and Baghdad (already serving many actual Gulf medical tourists). Pharmacies are common. Carry full chronic medication with prescriptions. Travel insurance including medical evacuation is advisable outside the stable regions.

⚠️ Guidance only — always verify with the official source before traveling.

🆘 Emergency & your embassy

Police 104 · Ambulance 122 · Civil Defence 115

Your embassy (🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia): طوارئ السعوديين بالخارج / Saudi emergencies abroad: 00966920033334 — الرقم الموحد للخدمات / services: 00966920011114 — أقرب سفارة وأرقامها المحلية / nearest mission & local numbers: saudiembassy.sa + تطبيق MOFA

⚠️ Guidance only — always verify with the official source before traveling.

👥The Gulf traveler experience there

An honest digest from Gulf travelers' experiences — community-maintained and continuously updated.

Direct flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Kuwait, Doha and Dubai (~1.5–2.5h only) — among the Middle East's closest destinations to the Gulf. The welcome is deeply Arab-brotherly, shared history present in every conversation. Najaf and Karbala specifically are a rapidly growing pilgrimage destination from the Gulf and the wider Shia world.