Iraq and Russia sign draft visa waiver agreement for diplomatic, service, and special passport holders

On Sunday, April 2, 2023, the governments of Iraq and Russia signed a draft agreement to exempt entry visas for holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports. The signing ceremony took place at the headquarters of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad, where Ambassador Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Husseini, Undersecretary of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Administrative and Technical Affairs, signed on behalf of the Republic of Iraq, while Mr. Elbrus Kutrashev, the Russian Ambassador to Iraq, signed as a representative of the Russian Federal Government.

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this agreement is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to improve the status of the Iraqi passport, which is currently an important priority for the Iraqi government. It is worth noting that the Iraqi passport ranks 107th on the Guide Consultants Passport Index, with holders of ordinary Iraqi passports can travel to 27 destinations without a prior visa, including Malaysia, Lebanon, Iran, and Bolivia.