KRG Issues Guidance for Citizens Stranded Abroad
The KRG urges stranded citizens abroad to visit Turkish diplomatic missions for a 72-hour transit visa. Return tickets must be booked on Turkish airlines. The facilitation is temporary amid Iraq’s airspace closure. KRG teams will assist at the border.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) emphasizes that all those who are stranded abroad must visit the nearest Turkish diplomatic mission.
On Monday, the Kurdistan Regional Government issued a statement regarding individuals stranded abroad. According to the statement, all Kurdistan Region citizens currently stranded outside the country must visit the nearest Turkish diplomatic mission.
The KRG further notes that any ticket for returning to the Region must be issued from within Türkiye through one of the Turkish airlines. It is necessary to ensure the ticket is obtained before heading to a consulate to request a visa.
Statement of the Kurdistan Regional Government:
Dear citizens, following the continued efforts of the Kurdistan Regional Government to facilitate your return and ensure your safe travel—disrupted due to airport closures—those who have contacted the hotline or filled out the special online form and are stranded in various parts of the world, please follow the steps below to obtain a Turkish visa and return to the Kurdistan Region:
1- Visit the nearest Turkish diplomatic mission—either a consulate or embassy—in the country where you are currently stranded. A three-day transit visa will be issued directly for entry to Türkiye , and then you may continue by land to the Kurdistan Region.
2- Your return ticket must be issued from Türkiye and must be on one of the Turkish airlines. It does not matter which Turkish airport you fly into.
3- Dear citizens, please pay close attention to the following points:
• Make sure you purchase your ticket before going to the consulate to apply for a visa, as the visa condition is that the ticket be with a Turkish airline, in order to benefit from the provided facilitation.
• Ensure that your date of departure from the country is within 72 hours after your visa is issued, as the visa is valid only for 72 hours.
• Those applying for a Turkish visa must not be on the country's blacklist or have any legal violations in Türkiye.
• If your passport is Dominican or any other foreign passport, you must also bring your Iraqi passport to the diplomatic mission to benefit from the facilitation.
Note that this facilitation is temporary and remains valid only while Iraq’s airspace is closed.
For any problems, please contact the operation room of the Ministry of Interior, the Joint Crisis Coordination Center, or the Department of Foreign Relations. Upon arrival at the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing, the Kurdistan Regional Government will welcome you through designated reception teams and has arranged full facilitation for your return.
As for those in areas where obtaining a Turkish visa is not a solution, we assure you that our efforts will intensify and we will persist until every citizen is safely returned.
