Yes, but only if you hold an approved federal Iraq visa. If you enter Erbil with only a Kurdistan Region visa, you cannot travel south to Baghdad or depart from Baghdad International Airport.
How open-jaw travel works from Erbil to Baghdad
- Erbil entry controls. Erbil International Airport operates under Kurdistan Regional Government border control. As noted by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, regional entry permits are valid for travel in the Kurdistan Region only. A regional permit does not grant entry into federal territory.
- Federal visa requirement. To travel south toward Baghdad and exit from Baghdad, you must secure an approved federal Iraq visa before your trip. You can apply on the official Iraqi Electronic Visa Portal or through an Iraqi diplomatic mission such as the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Washington, D.C..
- Internal checkpoints. Security forces inspect passports and visas at road checkpoints and domestic flight gates between Erbil and federal territory. Officers turn back travellers who lack a federal visa. Entering federal Iraq on a regional permit violates immigration law.
- Exit through Baghdad Airport. Once you enter federal Iraq on your federal visa, you can complete your stay and depart internationally from Baghdad International Airport. Federal border officers check your passport and federal visa before you board your flight.
Movement in the opposite direction
Travel rules do not operate the same way in reverse. Travellers who enter through Baghdad on a federal visa can travel freely into the Kurdistan Region because federal visas cover the entire country.
Travel document rules
Your passport must have at least six months of remaining validity from your arrival date. Keep printed paper copies of your approved federal visa and outbound flight confirmation. Airlines may refuse boarding without an outbound ticket.
Checked on 2026-10-08.