Visa and entry requirements Iraq:
Passport required
A visa is required to travel to Iraq. Visas must be applied for at an Iraqi diplomatic mission before entering the country. The visa requirement applies to Iraqi territory, except for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where visas are issued at Erbil Airport upon arrival.
Visa costs: 30 USD

Information from the Foreign Office about your trip to Iraq:
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/iraksicherheit/202738

The Republic of Iraq is a country in the Middle East with around 39 million inhabitants. The country borders on Jordan in the west, Syria in the northwest, Turkey in the north, Iran in the east, Kuwait in the southeast and Saudi Arabia in the south.

The two official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish, the local currency is the Iraqi dinar, with 1 euro equaling around 1,300 IQD.

The country's largest cities include Baghdad, Mosul, Basra, Erbil, Kirkuk, Karbala, Najaf, Sulaimaniya, Amara and Nasiriya.

The population of the Oriental state is almost exclusively Muslim.

The highest point in Iraq is the 3,611 meter high “Cheekha Dar” in the northern Taurus Mountains. Apart from these mountains, most of the national territory is predominantly flat. Numerous animal species such as hyenas, leopards, gazelles, antelopes, jackals, owls, buzzards and vultures live in the northern forest areas.

The two most important rivers in eastern Iraq are the Euphrates and the Tigris. The region between the rivers is called the two-river country, in which an advanced culture, the so-called “Garden of Eden”, developed. According to the Bible, the first people Adam and Eve met there.

Except for the small Faw peninsula in the southeast of the country, Iraq has no connection to the sea.

Iraq's economy is based primarily on rich mineral resources and agriculture. Due to the unstable situation in the country, structured tourism is practically non-existent.

The Oriental state has the world's third largest reserves of crude oil and natural gas, as well as gold, silver, phosphate, gypsum, sulfur and sea salt.

The most important agricultural products are grain, date palms, corn, vegetables, rice and various types of fruit.

The capital and by far the largest city in Iraq is Baghdad with almost six million inhabitants. Baghdad, located on the Tigris River, is one of the largest metropolises in the Middle East and at the same time the political, cultural and economic center of the country.

The most important sights in Iraq include the Erbil Citadel, the mausoleum of Imam Hussein and his sister's monument in Karbala, the Iraq Museum, the Al-Mutanabbi Statue, the Al-Jawadain Mausoleum, the Baghdad Museum, the Al- Shaheed Monument, the Zawraa Park and the Al-Kadhimiya Mosque in Baghdad, the Wadi Al-Salaam Cemetery in Najaf - the oldest cemetery in the world, the house of Imam Ali Taleb and the Great Mosque in Kufa, the beautiful landscape of Kurdistan, the Kurdish Textile Museum, the Korek Mountain Resort, Shanadar Park, the Jalil Khayat Mosque and the Gali Ali Bag waterfalls in Erbil, the Times Square building in Basra, the ruins and hanging gardens of Babylon, and the current museum of the former Kurdish prison in Sulaymaniyah.

In September 2018 I traveled to oriental Iraq for the only time so far. The destination of my trip was the Kurdish capital Erbil, the oldest city in the world, with its mountainous surroundings.

The city of Erbil is very modern and has some ancient buildings worth seeing. The tour of the citadel of Erbil, the oldest inhabited settlement in the world, was very impressive.

The people in Erbil were so friendly that it was really fun to stroll through the narrow streets of the old town or go into various shops.

On the second day I took a bus ride of several hours to the Grand Canyon in the Kurdish mountains. This wonderful landscape with some exciting hiking trails, several waterfalls, the constantly different colors of the rocks and the luxurious Korek mountain resort were simply unique.

The hotel at the top of the mountain, only accessible by a 20-minute cable car ride, impressed with an impressive view and a modern hotel complex.

All in all, I spent wonderful and eventful days in the Kurdish part of the country, which I would never have expected before in Iraq.