Whether you need a separate Kurdistan eVisa depends on which visa you already hold and where you travel. You do not need a separate Kurdistan eVisa if you hold an approved federal Iraq visa or eVisa, because federal visas cover all of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region. However, if your trip is limited strictly to the Kurdistan Region, you need a regional Kurdistan visa rather than a federal one.
Traveling with a federal Iraq eVisa
Travellers who enter federal Iraq through Baghdad, Basra, or Najaf on an approved federal visa can travel north into Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok. You do not need an additional regional eVisa for this journey. Security checkpoints inspect passports and federal entry documentation before granting passage into the region. If you fly directly into Erbil or Sulaymaniyah from abroad with a federal eVisa, border officers inspect the document before you can travel south into federal territory.
Traveling only to the Kurdistan Region
The Kurdistan Regional Government operates a separate entry system. Eligible foreign travellers who fly directly to Erbil International Airport or Sulaymaniyah International Airport, or enter through the northern Ibrahim Khalil border crossing, can apply for a regional eVisa or receive an entry permit on arrival. This regional visa does not require a federal Iraq visa. However, a Kurdistan regional visa is valid only inside the Kurdistan Region.
Movement between regions and border control
Internal checkpoints strictly enforce the boundary between the Kurdistan Region and federal Iraq. Officials turn back travellers who attempt to travel south to Mosul, Baghdad, or other federal areas with only a Kurdistan regional permit. Entering federal territory without a federal visa violates immigration law. Federal border posts at Baghdad International Airport and Basra International Airport require a federal visa from the Iraqi Electronic Visa Portal or an overseas mission such as the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Washington, D.C.. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirms that regional entry permits remain valid for travel in the Kurdistan Region only.