Iraq launches e-visa system at embassy in Ankara

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s embassy in Ankara has launched the country’s first electronic visa system operating outside Iraq, a step officials said is part of wider efforts by the Foreign and Interior ministries to modernize consular services and streamline visa procedures through digital transformation.

Ambassador Majid al-Lajmawi inaugurated the system at the embassy compound in the Turkish capital in the presence of Lt. Gen. Nashat Ibrahim al-Khafaji, director general of the Civil Status, Passports and Residence Directorate, the embassy said in a statement. The project is designed to ease the visa process for Turkish citizens seeking to visit Iraq and reduce processing time.

Al-Lajmawi said the launch aims to “provide smoother and more flexible services, and make use of digital transformation to facilitate the work of applicants and enhance the quality of consular operations.” Al-Khafaji said the system “represents an important step in updating the visa issuance sector,” adding that reliance on modern electronic platforms will raise efficiency, shorten processing times and strengthen public confidence in the services provided.

The initiative follows an October decision by the Council of Ministers to launch a nationwide electronic visa system to serve as the sole federal platform for issuing entry permits. That decision also introduced a requirement that visitors obtain a unified health insurance document through companies licensed by the Health Insurance Authority, and instructed ministries and agencies to halt visa issuance without proof of insurance generated through the new platform.

The Kurdistan Region continues to operate a separate visa regime that allows nationals of 53 countries to obtain visas on arrival at regional airports and border crossings. That system applies only within the Kurdistan Region and does not grant access to federal Iraq.