How to Get Iraq CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 10 years
- Language
- None
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- Income or economic resources must be shown
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Asia
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
This route covers foreign residents who seek citizenship after living in Iraq, subject to the conditions below. Even if the legal conditions are satisfied, authorities may still decide to refuse.
- Residence
- 10 years
Person has been resident in the country for 10 years.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- No language requirement
- Civic knowledge
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Person is of good character, has not been convicted for a crime or an offence against public morality.
- Income or economic resources
- Income or economic resources must be shown
Person may not have a disability. [I don't see the disability bit in the law, but IRQ 6(I)e states that the person should have "a clear means of living"; not sure where/whether it should be captured, but IRQ 6(I)f also states that the person should be "free of communicable diseases].
Marriage or civil partnership
This route covers people married to a citizen of Iraq, subject to the conditions below. Even if the legal conditions are satisfied, authorities may still decide to refuse.
Person is the wife of a male citizen (5 years residence and 5 years of marriage) or the husband of a female citizen (5 years residence, continued wedlock and other conditions under IRQ 6).
Descent (citizen parent)
Descent from a citizen parent is the basis of this route in Iraq.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Iraq to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a male citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
The Minister may consider Iraqi any person born outside Iraq to an Iraqi mother and an unknown or stateless father, if he chooses the Iraqi nationality, within one year from coming of age (reaching the age of majority), unless he fails to do so, due to difficult circumstances, provided that he is residing within Iraq at the time of application for the Iraqi nationality.
Birth in the country
For people born in Iraq, the rules below show when birth there leads to citizenship. Even if the legal conditions are satisfied, authorities may still decide to refuse.
Person is born in Iraq to a non-Iraqi father who was also born in Iraq, and the father was habitually residing in the country at the time of child's birth. Person must have reached the age of majority.
Child of a new citizen
For children whose parent becomes a citizen of Iraq, the rules below set out what applies. Citizenship must be granted under the law of Iraq once an application meets the legal conditions.
Person is the minor child of a parent who is acquiring citizenship by naturalisation. Child acquires citizenship at the same time as the parent, provided that they are residing with him in Iraq.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
For former citizens of Iraq, the rules below show when citizenship can be reacquired. Even if the legal conditions are satisfied, authorities may still decide to refuse.
Person is a former Iraqi citizen who was denaturalised on political, religious, racist or sectarian grounds.
Stateless persons
This route covers stateless people and children who would otherwise be stateless, subject to the conditions below. Citizenship arises directly under the law of Iraq, without any authority making a decision.
Person born in Iraq to unknown parents.
Not available in Iraq: Adoption, Other family members of citizens, Citizens of specific countries, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Special achievements, Public or military service, Investment. This follows the GLOBALCIT coding, with in-force changes applied.
Dual citizenship
Dual citizenship is accepted in Iraq for new citizens and for citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
Across Western Asia, the most common requirement is 5 years, while Iraq asks for 10 years.
Check where Iraq sits in the full residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Azerbaijan | 5 years | Test or certificate | New citizens only |
 Cyprus | 8 years | Test or certificate | Accepted |
 Georgia | 10 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
 Lebanon | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Saudi Arabia | 5 years | None | Not accepted |
 Syria | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 6(I)(c).
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Iraq Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/iraq/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/iraq/">How to Get Iraq Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become an Iraqi citizen?
A foreign resident needs 10 years of residence to meet the condition for naturalisation in Iraq. Other conditions also apply.
Does Iraq allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Iraq accepts dual citizenship in both directions, as coded in the data.
Do I need a language test for Iraqi citizenship?
A language test is not part of the requirements for Iraqi citizenship.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Iraqi citizenship?
Civic knowledge is not assessed as part of the naturalisation process for Iraqi citizenship.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Iraqi citizenship?
No, you do not have to give up your current citizenship to get Iraqi citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get Iraq citizenship by marriage?
Yes. Marriage to a citizen is a route to citizenship in Iraq. Procedure: discretionary.
Can I get Iraq citizenship by descent?
Yes, Iraq has a descent route. Procedure: automatic, entitlement.
Can I get Iraq citizenship by investment?
No. The data codes no citizenship-by-investment route for Iraq.
Related pages
Also see: Iraq passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.