Guidelines for the Repatriation of Kurdistan Region Citizens Stranded Abroad

As part of the ongoing efforts by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to assist citizens affected by flight suspensions due to airport closures, we are working to ensure your safe return. If you have contacted the designated hotlines, completed the special online form, or are currently stranded anywhere in the world, please follow the steps below to obtain a visa to Türkiye and return to the Kurdistan Region.

1. If you are stranded abroad, visit the nearest Turkish diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate) in the country where you are located. You will be issued with a three-day transit visa to return to Türkiye, from where you can continue your journey by land to the Kurdistan Region.

2. The return ticket must be booked in Türkiye via a Turkish airline, regardless of which airport in Türkiye it is for.

3. Dear citizens, please consider the following points carefully:

- Make sure to book your ticket before going to the consulate to apply for a visa. The ticket must be with a Turkish airline to take advantage of this facility.

- Ensure that your stay does not exceed 72 hours from your time of arrival, as the visa is valid for only 72 hours.

- Applicants must not be on any banned list and must have no criminal or illegal history in Türkiye.

- If you hold a Dominican or any other non-Iraqi passport, you must also bring your Iraqi passport with you to the diplomatic mission to benefit from this facility.

Please note that this facility is temporary and will remain in place only until Iraqi airspace reopens.

For any issues, please use the same hotlines of the KRG’s Ministry of Interior Operations Room / Joint Crisis Coordination Centre and the Department of Foreign Relations. Upon arrival at the Ibrahim Khalil Border Crossing, the KRG will welcome you with reception teams, and all facilities will be prepared and ready for your arrival.

For citizens in areas where obtaining a Türkiye visa does not resolve their issues, we assure you that we will intensify our efforts and continue without pause as long as there are citizens in need.

We wish everyone a safe return.