Passport directorate in Zakho to open soon, save residents travel time

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A passport directorate is set to be opened in the northwestern city of Zakho in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province.

The passport office will reduce the difficulty and inconvenience civilians in Zakho experience by having to drive up to 50 kilometers to visit the office in Duhok.

Nechirvan Ahmad, a Passport Officer at the new office, told Kurdistan 24 the services would be available to the public soon.

“We want to open this office as soon as possible to help our people here in Zakho. Our staff is still undergoing training, and the facility is under construction. We hope to complete everything soon,” Ahmad stated.

According to the Passport Officer, residents in Zakho can renew their passports or other documents as well as register for new documents.

“However, for lost or damaged passports, people will have to visit the main office in Duhok,” Ahmad told Kurdistan 24.

The city of Zakho has a population of approximately 212,000 people. Zakho is located near the Kurdistan Region – Turkey border.

The opening of local directorates spares residents the trouble of traveling, including the cost of travel and avoiding possible traffic accidents as they drive long distances.

In November, the interior ministries of the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government of Iraq inaugurated a new passport directorate in Erbil province’s Soran district.

Read More: Kurdistan opens new passport directorate in Soran to improve access

Efforts to open such offices across the Kurdistan Region are per a directive from Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to provide the necessary service for citizens.

(Additional reporting by Islam Yousif)