To enter Iraq through Basra International Airport, you need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date and an approved federal entry visa. Airlines verify these travel documents and proof of onward travel before boarding. Visas issued solely for the Kurdistan Region are not valid for arrival at Basra.
Document checks and boarding
Before departure, airline staff check that your passport has at least six months of remaining validity and at least one blank page. Airlines also require proof of onward or return travel. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office warns that airlines can deny boarding to travellers without a return or onward ticket.
Immigration and customs
After landing at Basra Airport, follow signs to border control. Present your passport and your printed electronic visa to immigration officers. The Iraqi Electronic Visa Portal specifies that you must print the visa sent to your email and show it at the border. The Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Washington, D.C. confirms that passports must be undamaged and valid for at least six months. Border officers inspect documents and stamp your passport. An approved visa does not guarantee entry, because Iraqi border authorities make the final admission decision.
After immigration, collect your luggage and clear customs. You must declare local currency exceeding 200,000 Iraqi dinars and foreign currency or valuables worth more than 10,000 US dollars.
Airside and landside transit
Basra Airport does not operate a confirmed sterile international airside transit corridor. If you have an onward flight, you must clear federal border control, collect baggage, and enter the landside departures area to check in again. Contact your airline before flying to verify specific transit rules and baggage arrangements.
Checked on 2026-11-04.