LGBTQ travellers face severe legal penalties and severe security risks in Iraq. No official body provides a safety guarantee. Under Iraqi federal law amended in 2024, same-sex relations carry prison sentences between 10 and 15 years, while promoting homosexuality or displaying LGBTQ symbols carries up to seven years in prison. In both federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, conservative social norms and widespread discrimination make public openness hazardous.
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Legal penalties in federal Iraq Under the updated Law on Combating Prostitution and Homosexuality, same-sex sexual acts are illegal and punishable by 10 to 15 years in prison. Promoting same-sex relations or displaying symbols associated with LGBTQ identities carries prison terms up to seven years and fines between 10 and 15 million Iraqi dinars. Gender-affirming medical procedures without court approval carry prison terms of up to three years.
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Legal status and reality in the Kurdistan Region The Kurdistan Region operates under its own regional parliament and legal framework, and it has not formally ratified the federal 2024 law. However, regional authorities use public decency and morality statutes in the Iraqi Penal Code to detain individuals or restrict organizations. Social attitudes in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok remain deeply traditional. While public life in major Kurdish cities can feel more relaxed than in southern Iraq, LGBTQ expression remains unsafe.
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Official travel advisories Foreign government travel advisories, including the and the , warn that LGBTQ travellers face extreme discrimination, harassment, detention, and violence, including by security personnel. Both governments advise against all travel to Iraq due to the volatile security environment, and emphasize that individuals should carefully evaluate the serious risks.