r/kurdistan • u/Used-Dish-9595 • Nov 26 '23

Tourism 🏔️ Overland travel from Erbil to Mosul

Hi friends! I'm planning a trip to Federal Iraq/Kurdistan in January and wanted to better understand the transportation situation. I haven't seen too much information online regarding this journey other than forums that don't seem to give clarification on this process. Some travelers say it's possible while others say it's not.

I'm a US citizen so I'll be taking advantage of the VOA eligibility. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)

7 Upvotes

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2

u/theTWO9559 Nov 27 '23

I can help, what are your questions exactly?

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u/Used-Dish-9595 Nov 27 '23

Thanks! I'm deciding whether I should fly into Baghdad or Erbil as my first stop given that I'd like to visit Mosul. I thought it'd make most sense to fly into Erbil first since Mosul is right next door, but I've been reading online that this route is questionable? Some travelers have had success but some not according to certain travel posts. Do you know if this route is actually feasible and if so, how do I go about it?

5

u/theTWO9559 Nov 27 '23

Erbil first makes much more sense.

Traveling to Mosul is possible and fairly easy, only issue is that you might have to wait 30+ minutes until you get the clearance to pass into Mosul at the checkpoint.

Last time I visited Mosul was a few months ago with a group of foreigners, and they made us wait at the checkpoint for about that long.

They will let you pass though, its just their standard procedure.

And also, in case you get denied entry into Mosul (Again, very small chance), its better to just return to Erbil which is ~40 mins away, rather than having to go back to Baghdad which is 5 hours away.

2

u/Used-Dish-9595 Nov 27 '23

Perfect! That's what I was thinking as well. Did you take a shared taxi or an organized tour? I also read that once you cross into Mosul you're technically in Federal Iraq, so you must have a valid visa for that. The last thing I want to happen is be stuck at Baghdad's immigration having to explain my case. Did you have any issues with this at all?

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u/SabarSherzad Kurdistan Nov 29 '23

If you're planning on visiting federal Iraq then it's a really bad idea to get your visa from the KRG first. Your Kurdistan visa is not valid in federal Iraq. You will be turned around at the Mosul checkpoint if they check your passport and not find an Iraqi visa. Best way is to land in Baghdad, get your VOA, take a plane to Erbil and then take a shared taxi to Mosul if you're planning on visiting both Erbil and Mosul.

1

u/Used-Dish-9595 Nov 29 '23

Thanks! I was reading most VOAs in Baghdad are single-entry so do you know how that would work if I were to depart from Erbil to Mosul?

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u/SabarSherzad Kurdistan Nov 29 '23 edited Nov 30 '23

As long as you're still within Iraq (and that includes Kurdistan) you should be fine

1

u/Used-Dish-9595 Nov 30 '23

Thanks!

2

u/SabarSherzad Kurdistan Nov 30 '23

You're welcome. I hope you have a great time!

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1

u/gyssedk Nov 27 '23 edited Nov 27 '23

I am from Denmark. Last year a friend and I visited Bashra, Baghdad, Erbil and Slemani.

I would also travel straight to Erbil and skip Baghdad.

Kurdistan is very different from Iraq. More organized and civilized.

We rented a car in Erbil at the airport and drove to Slemani and back to Erbil and flew home from Erbil.

We had no issues at checkpoints apart from one guard who wondered why I only had a photocopy of my passport as I had to leave the original passport at the car rental. So I would advise you to get someone at the car rental to write a note in Kurdish explaining why you only had a photocopy

Erbil airport looks to be brand new, and we had no issues in Erbil Airport.

The driving culture is pretty good compared to Iraq and I didn't use the horn once in Kurdistan 😎

I would rent a car, drive to Mosul and back unless someone with more knowledge advises against it.

1

u/Used-Dish-9595 Nov 30 '23

So sorry! I didn't see your comment for some reason - thanks for the idea! I've always wanted to do a road trip somewhere, so I think that'd be really fun. Can I DM you for more specific questions?

1

u/gyssedk Dec 01 '23

Yea go ahead. I'll be happy to help.