Think of Iraq. What pops into your head? Romanticized visions of Baghdad? Ancient Mesopotamia? A war-torn country filled with cities you’ve heard about on the news, like Mosul or Fallujah? If you want to travel to this Iraq these days I’m sorry to tell you that it sure as heck ain’t gonna be easy. Tourist visas are not readily given out and, short of going on a heavily guarded organized tour, there isn’t really a viable way to get one.
Instead make your way north to Kurdistan! “Kurdistan?” you’re probably thinking. Fear not, you’re not alone. See, Kurdistan is part of Iraq (in fact, the government claims to be the “Other Iraq”), but if you visit, you’d almost never know it was. They have their own autonomous government (that’s rather publicly been disputing with the southern government over making its own oil contracts), military, the Peshmerga (literally, “those who face death”) that guards their borders, including the borders with the rest of Iraq. All that violence you still here about in the news? Yeah, that’s in Southern Iraq…not in Kurdistan. The Peshmerga do a fantastic job of keeping the place safe! So safe that I felt safer there than I do at home in New York City! Seriously!
The Kurdish flag (left) flies next to the Iraqi flag at the Turkey-Iraq border
Kurdistan, the “Other Iraq,” Borders in Iraq?
Wait…borders? If you look at most maps of Iraq you won’t see a border separating Kurdistan from the rest of Iraq. Heck you won’t even see a mention of Kurdistan on most maps. In short, the Kurds control the provinces of Dohuk (also spelled Duhok), Erbil (also spelled Arbil or Hawler/Hewler), and Sulaymaniyah (also spelled Sulamani/Slemani). In practice though, the borders extend a bit beyond this area into southern Iraq (or “Arab Iraq,” as the Kurds call it).
I mean this when I say this… Kurdistan might as well be its own independent country. And for all intents and purposes it kind of is. Just not technically… Your passport stamp, for example, which is issued by Kurdish immigration authorities, states “Republic of Iraq–Kurdistan Region.” And officially, it’s only valid for the Kurdish controlled territory so no going to the south for you!
Passport Stamp to Iraqi Kurdistan
Getting a Visa for Iraqi Kurdistan
How do you get this visa? Easy! If your passport comes from the U.S., Canada, the EU or Austalia you just show up at the land border with Turkey or at Erbil or Sulaymaniyah airports. (If you don’t, check with an Iraqi embassy and good luck…) Have an Israeli passport stamp? No problem! You hand them your passport, maybe answer a question or two and there you have it! No fees or anything!
And do note, there is a major typo on this stamp. You ONLY have to visit the Directorate of Residence if you want to extend your visa and stay beyond 10 days. If you leave on the 10th day or sooner, you won’t encounter a problem if you don’t visit!
Erbil International Airport (EBL)
Iraq or Kurdistan? What’s in a Name?
So what’s in a name and why does it matter? Many Kurds will tell you with pride that they live in Kurdistan and that they are not Iraqi, but Kurdish. There’s good reason for this. Many Kurds don’t trust the Arabs and don’t identify with Iraqis in general. Remember that Saddam Hussein tried to wipe them out and, as we’re seeing nowadays in southern Iraq, ethnic and religious tensions are very strong. Their own identity is big for them as they fought and suffered for the autonomy they have today.
A building at Amna Suraka (“Red Security”) in Sulaymaniyah
It gets a lot more complicated though. While in Iraq, you’ll want to say Kurdistan as much as possible, but when you’re in a neighboring country like Turkey, you’ll want to avoid saying it! Confused? See, Iraqi Kurdistan’s neighbors don’t like the idea of a Kurdish state, as most visions of a country called Kurdistan include large swaths of what are currently Turkey, Iran and Syria. There you tell people you’re going to Iraq. Don’t even think of mentioning the word “Kurdistan” lest you want to experience a potentially nasty reaction.
My Turkish bus bound for “Irak” (Iraq, despite the fact that all the destinations are in Iraqi Kurdistan)
So what’s in a name? Turns out a whole lot! I DID go to Iraq… just not the Iraq you’re probably thinking of!
Cool! I’ve been curious about this area ever since I spoke with WanderingEarl who had gone there, and other places in Iraq. He, too, loved the area. It’s on my list.
Is it fairly easy to get a visa extension? What are costs like?
Actually WanderingEarl went to Kurdistan as well, but not to other parts of Iraq (it’s not safe nor easy to do so). I don’t know what’s involved in getting a visa extension as I only stayed 10 days (though the immigration guy at the airport when I was leaving tried to convince me I’d only stayed 9). Earl does have an interesting post about his encounter with a bureacratic nightmare when he visited the Directorate of Residence, not for an extension but because your passport stamp tells you (incorrectly) that you have to visit within 10 days. That’s the place where you go to get an exension…
Aaron, thanks for differentiating the two – Kurdistan and Iraq are two different entities even if in the eyes of the UN, it’s just one country. You’ve made me curious about visiting now – and thanks for the info on the Israeli stamp. Not that I’ve been to Israel, but nice to know that it wouldn’t cause any problems.
Also, I’m surprised at how modern Erbil Airport looks. The outside, at least.
The Israeli stamp surprised me, as I have 3 of them. And an Israeli stamp will stop you from being able to enter the Republic of Iraq (the south). But Kurdistan? They support Israel, interestingly enough. Consequently they’re not so big on Arabs. I actually learned about this exception because the friend who I visited in Iraq I had met traveling in Israel, and he’d gotten the stamp too!
As for the airport, yes it’s quite new. And quite empty! They built this rather large airport in anticipation of a big traffic boom and these days it’s a rather sad place. Empty shops and eateries. In fact you only have one choice for food in the airport and it’s repeated 3 times of something like that! Crappy overpriced sandwiches that are hardly appetizing at all!
Hey Tom,
Erbil Airport opened recently after a $400 million investment
Here is a promo video
Nice promo video there! Just wish it had a bit more variety in terms of shopping and food options though!
Great post Aaron! I remember reading about some of this when Wandering Earl went, but it was a nice refresher. Strange how complicated borders and the concept of a “country” can be sometimes.
Yes it’s definitely strange. When you consider colonial history though it starts to become a little clearer, as many of the boundaries we think of today as national borders were set rather arbitrarily by the British in the Middle East. Not to mention that the Kurds are not alone in not technically having their own state. The Palestinians are in the same boat (though with less autonomy). As the good old LP guidebook points out, the Kurds haven’t produced a figure like Yassar Arafat, who, love him or hate him, succeeded in introducing the world at large to the plight of the Palestinians.
That’s a pretty cool visa to have in your passport! I’d say that’s one of the best souvenirs you can take away from your time there.
Haha very true! That and a 5,000 Iraqi Dinar note that’s worth about US$4.20. Perhaps one of the old-style bills with Saddam Hussein’s picture on it, but those aren’t so easy to find these days… Ah well!
Sounds like a good trip. Wandering Earl also seemed to have a good experience other than the visa office (Directorate of Residence). haha
Are there any places to go hiking in Kurdistan? I was reading about a guy who went hiking/snowboarding in Afghanistan recently and it sounded pretty cool.
Thanks for sharing info about this place.
Haha and the best part about Wandering Earl’s story is that you don’t actually need to visit the Directorate of Residence. That’s only for visa extensions. The stamp they put in your passport is misleading (it says you must report to the Directorate within 10 days, but leaves out the fact that if you’re only staying 10 days you’re fine!).
As for hiking, there’s no “organized” trails like there are in more developed countries, but the north is filled with some incredible mountains. I rented a car and took a drive down the “Hamilton Road” (named for its builder) that eventually leads to Iran. It runs through an incredible canyon and some epic mountains and is just gorgeous. So yes, I’d say there would probably be some hiking experiences to be found. That said, considering the trouble the region had during Saddam’s era, not to mention the Iran-Iraq war, you should always be careful for landmines when venturing off the road…
Hi Aaron,
Fantastic page – really very useful! I am considering travelling from Diyarbakir to Erbil in April 2013 with two friends, and am still torn whether or not to go due to security concerns in Turkey. As three British citizens, the British foreign office advises against ‘all but essential travel’ to the region, whilst some of the other western foreign services advise against using public transport in the region (I am not quite sure why?). We have previously travelled in locations ranging from the West Bank to Kosovo so we are relatively experienced in off the beaten track locations, but have never yet been somewhere with a foreign office warning against it. What were your experiences of security in south eastern Turkey (did it feel safe?/have you heard any particularly concerning stories?), and what would be your recommendations? I really appreciate your help and look forward to hearing from you soon! Keep up the fantastic travel writing!
Sam
Hi Sam,
Thanks! I caught a bus that in Midyat that had originated in Diyarbakir and then rode that across the border (I got off in Dohuk, but it went all the way to Sulayminyah, stopping in Erbil). I spent a good deal of time in Turkey’s southeast and never felt unsafe. Turks will tell you its unsafe (as will various foreign offices) because there are Kurdish rebels in the deep, deep southeast (deeper than you’d need to get across the Iraqi border). The border crossing with Iraq is near the Turkish town of Silopi and the rebels are further east than that, generally speaking, so I wouldn’t be concerned.
I’m also of the opinion that travel warnings tend to be painted with a broad brush and should be taken with a grain of salt. I was in Egypt nearly a year after the revolution and those warnings advised against travel to Cairo, where protests continued. You’d never know anything was happening unless you were in Tahrir Square, a tiny, tiny fraction of a massive metropolis.
If you didn’t want to take a bus, you could make your way to Silopi and catch a taxi across the border to Zakho and then catch a share taxi to Erbil (you may have to go to Dohuk first, though with 2 friends, you could charter your own taxi without really needing to go to the local Garaj (taxi depot designated to a certain city). Or the bus would take you all the way to Erbil, you’ll just spend a while at the border as the customs folks check out all the stuff the bus is carrying.
I really, really loved Eastern Turkey and never once felt unsafe (and I never once felt unsafe in Kurdish Iraq). Do yourself a favor and make sure you go to Hasankeyf, which could potentially be on your way to the border (though you’d have to take a creative routing). I have a little blurb about it in my 2012 wrap-up post (full post coming soon): http://www.aaronswwadventures.com/2012/12/7-epic-travel-experiences-of-2012/ Trust me, it’s worth it.