Is It Safe to Travel to Iraq?Advisories checked 9 November 2026. Check the official advisory on the day you travel: governments change them often, sometimes weekly.
The US rates Iraq Level 4 (Do not travel). The UK advises against all travel to some parts of Iraq and all but essential travel to others. Canada advises avoiding all travel.
The governments disagree: the strictest advice comes from the US and Canada (level 4), the mildest from the UK (level 2). Some regions carry stricter warnings than the rest of the country.
The three advisories side by side
US Department of State
4Level 4“Do not travel”
“Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, crime, health risks, and the U.S. government’s limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq. Do not travel to Iraq for any reason.”
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
2Level 2“Advises against travel to parts of the country”
“FCDO advises against all travel to: The parts of Anbar province which are west of, but not including Ramadi City …”
Government of Canada
4Level 4“Avoid all travel”
“Editorial change”
Why the advice differs
Each government uses its own scale. The US and Canada each have four levels for the whole country. The UK only states whether it advises against travel to the whole country or to parts of it. We place all three on a common 1 to 4 scale (see below); the scales are not identical, so the same level can mean slightly different things.
The UK’s level 2 for Iraq comes from advice against travel to parts of the country, not the whole country.
Specific areas with stricter advice are named by: UK. A country-wide level can stay low while one region carries a stricter warning.
The advisories were last updated on different dates: US 22 October 2026, UK 27 October 2026, Canada 6 October 2026. An older advisory may not reflect recent events.
Regions with stricter warnings
These are the governments’ own words. We do not add or change any region names.
FCDO advises against all travel to: The parts of Anbar province which are west of, but not including Ramadi City …
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, updated 27 October 2026. The quote is shortened in our data; the full list is on the official page.
What the levels mean
TravelDecl places each government’s advice on a common 1 to 4 scale so the three can be compared. The wording in each column is the government’s own.
| Level | Meaning | US | UK | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Level 1 | Normal precautions | Level 1: Exercise normal precautions | No advice against travel | Exercise normal security precautions |
| 2Level 2 | Increased caution | Level 2: Exercise increased caution | Advises against travel to parts of the country | Exercise a high degree of caution |
| 3Level 3 | Reconsider or avoid non-essential travel | Level 3: Reconsider travel | Advises against all but essential travel to the whole country | Avoid non-essential travel |
| 4Level 4 | Do not travel | Level 4: Do not travel | Advises against all travel to the whole country | Avoid all travel |
Related
- Do I need an International Driving Permit in Iraq?
- How to get citizenship of Iraq
- Travel advisories for every country
Questions
What level is the Iraq travel advisory?
The US rates Iraq Level 4 (Do not travel). US advisory updated 22 October 2026. The UK advises against all travel to some parts of Iraq and all but essential travel to others. UK advisory updated 27 October 2026. Canada advises avoiding all travel. Canadian advisory updated 6 October 2026.
Does the UK advise against travel to Iraq?
Not for the whole country. The UK advises against all travel to some parts of Iraq and all but essential travel to others. UK advisory updated 27 October 2026. In its words: “FCDO advises against all travel to: The parts of Anbar province which are west of, but not including Ramadi City …”
Is Iraq safe for tourists?
TravelDecl does not give its own verdict. Here is what the governments say: The US rates Iraq Level 4 (Do not travel). The UK advises against all travel to some parts of Iraq and all but essential travel to others. Canada advises avoiding all travel. Advisories checked 9 November 2026. Check the official advisory on the day you travel.
Check the official advisory on the day you travel. Each card above links to it.
Sources and methodology
- US Department of State: travel advice for Iraq, updated 22 October 2026. US Department of State: public domain (US Government work).
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: travel advice for Iraq, updated 27 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Government of Canada: travel advice for Iraq, updated 6 October 2026. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Levels on the common 1 to 4 scale are mapped from each government’s own rating: US levels 1 to 4 as published; UK: no advice against travel = 1, against travel to parts = 2, against all but essential travel to the whole country = 3, against all travel to the whole country = 4; Canada: its four risk levels in order. We do not combine them into a single score.
Advisories checked 9 November 2026. This page has not yet been checked by hand.