We arrange group transport in Iraq only where an honest, professional service can operate: the Kurdistan Region, centred on Erbil. The FCDO advises against all travel to the rest of Iraq, and we do not arrange transport there. Within the Region, corporate and organisational charter work runs on experienced local operators with drivers.
Erbil: the working gateway
Erbil International Airport (EBL) is the Kurdistan Region's main gateway, with connections through the Gulf and Istanbul. Arrivals follow a security protocol unusual by European standards: meeting points sit at designated terminals away from the kerb, so the transfer is arranged with the exact meeting procedure confirmed in advance, not improvised. Erbil's citadel, one of the world's longest-inhabited sites, overlooks a city that hosts most of the Region's international business.
What runs inside the Region
The realistic charter market is corporate and organisational: oil-and-gas and construction crew movements, NGO and agency programme transport, conference shuttles in Erbil, and staff runs to Sulaymaniyah and Duhok on the Region's main roads. Checkpoints are a routine part of every journey, which is precisely why local drivers with current route knowledge, and paperwork prepared for the passenger manifest, are non-negotiable. Quotes are journey-specific rather than off a rate card.
The limits, stated plainly
The FCDO advises against all travel to Iraq outside the Kurdistan Region, and against all but essential travel to the Region itself; organisations sending staff should build their own risk assessment on that basis. We do not arrange transport to Baghdad, Basra or the shrine cities, including during pilgrimage seasons: the Arbaeen movement to Karbala is one of the largest gatherings on earth, and its transport runs through dedicated in-country religious logistics networks, not international charter brokers. Where a programme's needs sit inside the Region's working map, we will quote it properly; where they do not, we will say so.
Official planning resources
Check current arrangements with the authorities responsible for each place before you travel:
Quick Facts
- Region: Middle East
- Currency: IQD (Iraqi Dinar)
- Drives on: Right
- Language: Arabic
- Capital: Baghdad
- Demand: Very Low
Bus Hire in Iraq: Common Questions
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