Iraq Passport Guide — Services, Renewal, Lost Passport
Iraqi passports are issued through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and its passport directorate, in Iraq and at Iraqi missions abroad. This guide covers what the MFA’s own pages state: what a passport is, the passport services and online channels, how validity and extension work, the lost / damaged / stolen passport procedure, and the published photo requirement. Verified against mofa.gov.iq, October 2026.
What a passport is
The MFA defines the document plainly:
جواز السفر هو المستند الذي تصدره الدولة لمواطنيها لغرض السفر إلى خارج البلد.
“A passport is the document the state issues to its citizens for the purpose of travelling outside the country.” So the passport is issued by the state to its citizens for travel abroad, and applications run through the MFA and the passport directorate.
Passport services and channels
The MFA passport section groups its services and the online routes applicants use. Among them:
- Passport issuance and renewal through the passport directorate and Iraqi missions abroad
- An electronic appointment service for passport and consular visits
- A transaction-query service to check the status of a submitted request
- Related consular services, such as attestation offices, judicial delegation, and birth and death certificates
Because services are handled by the directorate and the missions, the exact steps depend on where you apply. Use the MFA’s own passport pages, or the mission handling your file, for the current procedure.
Validity and extension
The MFA states how validity runs:
تمدد الجوازات بعد انتهاء مدة نفاذها أي الفترة المحددة من تاريخ الإصدار.
“Passports are extended after their period of validity ends, i.e. the period specified from the date of issue.” In other words, validity runs from the date of issue, and a passport can be extended after that period ends rather than being replaced immediately.
Lost, damaged or stolen passport
The MFA publishes an eleven-step procedure for a lost, damaged or stolen passport. The steps documented on its pages include:
- Reporting the loss
- Completing an investigation form (model no. 1) signed and stamped by the consul
- Filing a police or residence report
- Supplying four recent colour photographs — this is step 7
In cases where a passport is withdrawn or the holder is deported, the MFA also refers to a passport of passage (جواز المرور) for a single re-entry into Iraq. Confirm the full list of steps with the mission handling your case, since the procedure is set out across the MFA’s passport pages.
The passport photograph
The MFA’s published photo requirement is a number and a kind, not a size. In the passport procedure it states:
يقدم أربع صور حديثة ملونة.
“Four recent colour photographs are submitted.” The MFA does not publish a millimetre size, a background colour or a pixel/dpi figure, so this guide does not repeat an invented number. See the Iraq passport photo page for the detail, and treat any specific size you see elsewhere as unverified unless a mission or the Passport Directorate states it.
60-second Iraq checklist
- ☐ Passports are issued by the MFA / passport directorate to Iraqi citizens for travel abroad
- ☐ Validity runs from the date of issue; a passport can be extended after it ends
- ☐ Lost or stolen? Follow the eleven-step procedure (report, model-1 form, police report)
- ☐ The photo requirement is four recent colour photographs (step 7)
- ☐ No official photo size or background is published — avoid unofficial numbers
Frequently asked questions
Who issues Iraqi passports?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and its passport directorate. The MFA defines a passport as the document the state issues to its citizens for the purpose of travelling outside the country.
How long is an Iraqi passport valid, and can it be extended?
The MFA states that passports are extended after their period of validity ends, with the validity period running from the date of issue.
What happens if an Iraqi passport is lost or stolen?
The MFA publishes an eleven-step procedure that includes reporting the loss, completing an investigation form (model no. 1) signed and stamped by the consul, filing a police or residence report, and supplying four recent colour photographs (step 7).
How many photographs does an Iraqi passport require?
Four recent colour photographs, as stated in the passport procedure published by the MFA.
What size is an Iraqi passport photo?
Not published. The MFA states the number and kind of photographs (four recent colour) but gives no millimetre size, background colour or pixel figure.
Can I enter Iraq once on a passport of passage?
The MFA refers to a passport of passage for a single re-entry into Iraq in cases of passport withdrawal and deportation. Confirm the current rule with the mission handling your case.
Source note: the definition of a passport, the extension statement, the four recent colour photographs (step 7) and the passport-of-passage reference are from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mofa.gov.iq (passport-issuance pages and home page; evidence captured October 2026). No photo size, background colour or dpi figure is published there. A re-check of mofa.gov.iq at publication time returned a 530 origin-DNS error, so this page rests on the earlier captured MFA text.
Related: the Iraq passport photo requirements, the full photo size chart, and the passport photo checker. If a photo has been refused, the rejection reasons guide covers the common causes.