Iraq clears up ID-only travel terms with Iran

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s Interior Ministry on Wednesday clarified that the arrangement allowing citizens to travel to Iran using national ID cards instead of passports is a memorandum of understanding (MoU) rather than a formal agreement.

Brigadier General Miqdad Miri, the ministry’s spokesperson, explained to Shafaq News that the memorandum is based on the principle of reciprocity between the two countries.

MoU is generally non-binding and outlines mutual intentions rather than creating enforceable legal obligations between countries.

Miri’s remarks followed reports on media outlets and social media suggesting a formal agreement between the two countries—claims the ministry has now deemed inaccurate.

Iraq and Iran lifted visa requirements for their citizens in 2021, and the Kurdistan Region implemented the same policy in 2022. According to a 2024 report from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, roughly 8 million Iranians travel to Iraq each year, while about 3 million Iraqis visit Iran.