Nope.
Iraq’s safety score rose to 39, but US and Canadian advisories remain at level 4, capping your safety rating regardless of the math. Governments disagree by two levels, and a global measles notice is active.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Iraq
The advisories disagree by 2 level(s) — read all four before you decide who to trust.
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Nope.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Corrupt official solicitation
Foreigners attract the attention of corrupt police officers. Remain firm and polite to handle these interactions without escalating the situation.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Militia document inspections
Local militias set up road blocks on many highways to inspect your documents and question your purpose of visit.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Recommended:
From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Although things are gradually getting better, the political and security situation remain very unstable.
- •Emergency services: Due to years of warfare and destruction, emergency services are unreliable and inadequate.
- •Corruption: Iraq is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
- •Brutality and corruption are rampant in Iraq's police force; such is the extent of corruption in the police force that it's common for officers to bribe political figures so that they can climb up the work ladder.
- •Foreigners may attract the attention of corrupt police officers.
- •Legal issues: The legal system in Iraq is slow, highly corrupt, and inefficient.
Staying healthy
- •It is not safe for short term visitors to drink the water anywhere in Iraq.
- •Those with experience in Iraq should use their discretion and past experience when purchasing drinks.
- •Drinking the local tea (chai) can be safe for some people since it is brought to a boil before serving, but when in doubt, insist that bottled water be used.
- •As a walk past an Iraqi butcher shop will demonstrate, food preparation standards are not the same as in Western countries, and consumption of local food can make a visitor ill.
- •Should you find your body in the uncomfortable position of rejecting food and water due to something you shouldn't have drunk, immediately find someone who speaks Arabic and send them to a l…
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers report that Iraq is surprisingly safe for visitors, noting an absence of the aggressive touting or petty crime common in other regional tourist destinations. While official advisories label the country a no-travel zone, those who have visited describe a welcoming environment where locals are exceptionally friendly. Real dangers are limited to geopolitical tensions involving missiles or drones, which typically impact remote areas rather than urban centers. Navigating cities is straightforward using ride-sharing apps like Careem, but intercity travel via shared vans at hectic, disorganized transport garages is physically demanding and stressful. Checkpoints manned by various armed groups are frequent but generally involve only a quick passport check.
“Iraq is not a country like Morocco or Egypt were random people come to talk you trying to get something of you. In the whole time I’ve been there, not a single person has approached me trying to sell me anything or asking for money or whatever.
— r/travel
“Every single encounter with any of them has been smooth and friendly. In Babylon they let me enter Saddams palace, even though it was closed, and a soldier also walked for 10 minutes with me to help me find a taxi.
— r/travel
“Checkpoints run by Iran-backed Shia militias are common, but usually it's a quick flash of your passport. And you move on.
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / D / G · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 112 or 911 / ambulance: 112 or 911 / fire: 112 or 911
Zoom in
One Iraq city on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (10 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-07-12
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-07-12
- ca-gac — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-07-12
- cdc-health — observed 2026-07-12
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-07-12
- reddit — observed 2026-07-12
- unodc — observed 2026-07-12
- acled-hdx — observed 2026-07-12