Erbil is the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan and it’s located about 35 kilometers north from the city of Baghdad.  Because of the current unstable situation in Iraq it might be quite challenging to move there to work or even as a returning citizen.

In any case, if you want to do so it is best if you have your own personal vehicle shipped with you as public transport is greatly unreliable. If you are planning to stay in the country, regardless of the occasion, you might want to rely on a professional auto transport service such as the A1 Auto Transport as it has over 20 years of professional experience in shipping vehicles to countries all over the world, including to Iraq.

A-1 Auto Transport ships vehicles worldwide. Click here or call 1-800-518-8708 to get a free, no obligation to buy price quote to ship your car.

Import Restrictions.

Iraq government only allows import of vehicles for expatriates, diplomats as well as for foreigners who have valid working permits or visas. As a tourist you won’t be allowed to do so. At the same time, the duties and taxes are going to amount to about 25% of the value of your car. Diplomats, on the other hand, have a free waiver and they don’t have to pay taxes.

There is a wide range of documents that you’d have to submit for validation of the import and some of them include:

• Title deed and registration.
• Purchase bill.
• Shipping documentation.
• Bill of Lading.
• Proof of ownership – driving license, passport.

Diplomats also have to submit:

• Tax exemption forms.
• Request letter for customs clearance.
• Copy of diplomatic passport.
• Memo letter from the Embassy.

The political instability in Iraq is rather high and this is why the overall time for the import procedures could be significant. This is why it’s important to work with a shipping service which is reputable and recognized so that it manages to ensure a hassle free shipping process without any further delays. The A1 Auto Transport service advises that you send the documents in advance so that you can spare some significant amount of time at the arrival point.

Shipping Methods.

When it comes to shipping methods, you should know that Iraq is a landlocked country and you have to ship your vehicle to a neighboring country and get it transport it to the country. In any case, you’d have to take advantage of RORO or Container shipping. The former would require you to manually drive your car on its own wheels on a shipping deck of a freight ship while the latter would require you to get your car inside a private container. Both options are convenient with RORO being the overly preferred one as it’s cheaper. You can also go for air shipping but you should know that this is the most expensive method. Of course, it’s also the fastest one.

For any further information, you might want to contact the Embassy of Iraq in Washington, DC.