Report on visiting Iraqi Kurdistan Region in September 2021 on a motorbike

Dutch nationality, regulations may vary depending on Nationality.

The Turkish – Iraqi border crossing is named ‘ Ibrahim Khalil’ near Turkish town Cizre. I crossed the border on Sunday, not busy. Do not know for weekdays.
Strange event: official at Turkish side warned me that other side would not accept motorbikes, but let me through anyway and did the paperwork. All in a friendly matter.

After bridge over river arrival Kurdish/Iraqi soil.
Three steps are to be made:
1 - Immigration and visa
2 – custom and vehicle paperwork
3 – checkpoint to see if nrs one and two are done

Step 1 immigration:
first had to show my COVID vaccination at a outside ticket booth. Seems to be okay but did not get any paper of otherwise approval.
Immigration formalities take place in large glass building with ticket booths. Locals showed/pushed me in the right line.
Show passport and pay 100.000 (Hundred thousand)Iraqi Dinar (approx. EUR 65/USD 70)
I did not have local currency and helpfully I was referred to ‘ kafetaria’ in same building tot change money. Got Visa and got checked outside before continue with motorcycle to next station for customs further on the terrain.

Step 2: Customs
This is where I got lost and accidently bypassed the customs building. The ‘ final check’ gate send me back and some confusion later I found the office where some guys take details including vehicle ID number (frame number) on a paper. In another building they make translation form in Arabic/Kurdish of the vehicle details. The one to be showed if asked for in Kurdistan. With that translation form I could get the demanded paper for

Step 3: the ‘ final check’ if you've done everything a supposed.

The whole procedure was a bit chaotic for me, but friendly and very forgiving. Took between 1-2 hours.

Later I realized that no one asked for insurance. My greens card is not valid in Iraq. Did not see an insurance office at border but also had no attention for that. Would not recommend to drive without insurance. Do as I say don’t do as I do.

Leaving Kurdistan into Turkey.
On Iraqi side I had to have two identical ‘ passenger lists’ , one for both sides. A policeman helped me to get them.
I had to write licence plate and name and passport number. Then visit custom and immigration to stamp you out. On Turkish side some confusion about which order of ticket booth to visit for immigration and custom but helpful staff will give directions as soon the see I didn’t know what to do

In Kurdistan.
Checkpoints
Globally every 40 kilometre there is a military checkpoint of the Peshmerga. Half of the encounters they want to see my passport. Always in a friendly atmosphere.
I guess they also prevent you from accidently leave the Kurdistan controlled region in case of an navigational error. My navigation system does not discriminate between the two entities. Suggested routes my lead through Iraqi Iraq.

Money
No ATM seen. I saw a exchange bureau along the road and did change EURO’s . Did not see much of these exchange bureau’s. One time I asked in a shop and they referred to a grocery store where they could change. It was close to the border, don’t know for more inland situation. Kurdistan is not expensive

Fuel
Filling stations widely available but most near city’s. In rural areas sometimes very basic pump systems without other facilities.

Roads
In the southern lowlands construction of modern motorways is and has been successful in connecting major city’s. From Zakho – Duhok – Arbil – Suleimaniya is mostly smooth new asphalt all the way.
The northern / eastern parts are mountainous and roads vary in quality from moderate tot good for main connecting roads.
Pay attention for speedbumps! They are present in villages where you can expect them, they are also in places I didn’t expect them and often they are not marked and hardly visible. Some are really nasty. And therefore effective.
General: people are friendly and willing to assist, seem to be pleased by tourists visiting Kurdistan. I did not encounter any problems with authorities. I felt very welcome.

Hope it helps,
Cheers,
Guido

Hi Guido

Thanks for sharing. I crossed that border IQ -> TR in 2014 (having entered from Iran at Beshmaq) and am considering another trip this winter.

How long was your entry stamp valid for? Is it still 14 days? And do you know how long the temporary import paper for your motorcycle was valid for? I seem to remember paying a fee to get my car in which was valid for a month, about 20,000 or 30,000 IQD.

I did not even think about insurance, but I usually avoid it if I can.

I remember the chaos at that border, they said it was complicated by the fact that I had entered and exited at different borders...

All the best,

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

Visum for 30 days I got

Good report. Should have been there last year expect for the china virus. Hopefully early 22 I will finally make it. Cheers

Thanks you for the post. This way could be my "plan B" if Africa remains closed.

Was there any stamp made in your passport stating that you had brought in a motorcycle?

(In 2014 the customs documents were totally separate from immigration stamps in the passport).

Thanks

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

At entry I got two stamps: the visa valid for :30 days and entry stamp for location of entry and date. At that stamp also some Arabic words and a symbol of a car.
Perhaps they attach person to vehicle in their computerized system.

Thanks - that sounds unchanged then. The symbol of the car simply means that you entered by a road border crossing.

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

Thanks again for this post. I am on my way down to Cyprus, and Iraq is not too far away... So the plan is to visit!

I'm not carrying a tent, as I did not plan on visiting Iraq / Kurdistan. Will it be easy to find accommodation? Does the fuel need filtering, is it high enough octane? Anything else I should keep in mind?

Kurdistan is an easy place to travel and you won't step back in time to the 1970s.

Will it be easy to find accommodation? I don't tend to use hotels but they are plentiful, use an app like booking.com to have a look.

Does the fuel need filtering? Yes, that's why vehicles have a fuel filter. No reason to think Iraqi fuel is dirtier than anywhere else. Fuel cleanliness is mostly down to the retailer though, so if you are worried, stick to large, busy filling stations.

Is it high enough octane? What octane do you need? If you're coming in a Zonda you may struggle to find super unleaded, but Iraqis drive the same kind of cars as you and I (the place is full of US imports) so you'll be able to get at least 92 RON and 95 RON in larger cities. My only worry would be driving a diesel with a DPF - don't go near sour Middle Eastern crudes with one.

Kurdistan is very easy, you don't need a visa, it's safe, people drive new cars, use the internet etc. If anything, it looks more modern and prosperous than the eastern parts of Turkey. Iraq is an oil economy and there is plenty of money around (albeit rather unequally distributed).

EDIT - one additional thing - be careful with maps of Iraq, many seem to be very out of date. Driving from the border to Erbil is an example - on most maps it will look like the logical route is via Mosul (which is not in Kurdistan and has questionable security) but on the ground, following the traffic / signs will take you on a more direct route to Erbil which is safe.

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

I am wondering if it is still possible to enter from Iran and exit into Turkey?

Can you get into Iran?

Iran has just started issuing tourist visas again and it's a bit early to tell what the situation is regards entering via land borders.

If you can get into Iran, I don't think you'll have a problem entering Iraqi Kurdistan, but of course there have been no travel reports for the last couple of years.

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

Getting in is no problem and land borders are open mate.

So they say, but I'm still waiting to see a report of someone who as done it. The press announcement from the Iranian MFA mentioned restrictions on entering from WHO 'High Risk' countries; where this WHO list is, and which countries are supposedly on it is not clear.

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

People have definitely crossed at Esendere / Serow in the last few days.