Iraq forms committee to improve passport ranking, expand visa-free travel

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Foreign Ministry announced Friday the formation of a high-level committee including representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior to promote the Iraqi passport and negotiate visa-free entry agreements with countries around the world.

Consular Affairs Director Ambassador Falah Abdul Hassan al-Saadi said Iraq currently has visa-free agreements with Iran, Tunisia, Lebanon and several other Arab and Asian countries, and is seeking to expand the list. “The more countries that allow Iraqi citizens to enter without a visa, the higher the passport’s ranking,” he said. He noted that no agreement exists with European Schengen countries due to “strict security restrictions even on diplomatic passports.”

Al-Saadi said improving the passport’s standing is directly tied to domestic stability. “Greater internal stability reduces concerns related to asylum issues and paves the way for agreements that facilitate movement,” he said, adding that migration waves after 2014 had led some countries to impose more complex procedures. The latest agreement was signed with Tunisia, while Turkey has moved from a visa-free arrangement to a simplified visa process following a sharp increase in the number of Iraqis traveling there.

He also issued a direct warning to Iraqis against participating in foreign conflicts, saying those “who wish to defend should defend their own country first” and cautioning against “heading to international conflict zones such as Ukraine for the purpose of fighting, as these actions do not serve the national interest and are not desirable.”

The Iraqi passport consistently ranks among the lowest globally in terms of travel freedom, with access to a limited number of destinations without prior visa requirements.