The airports, which are under the Ministry of Interior, are reportedly received an order to allow all citizens from Iran to enter Iraq without visa and that Iranian must not be questioned upon arrivals.
As mass strikes shaking Iraqi cities and towns, there have been reports of presence of Iran’s revolutionary guards among the Iraqi anti-riot forces suppressing the protesters.
Baghdad airport has been more crowded than usual this week as foreigners are leaving the country due to the unrest. Immigration officers have been requested to work for extra hours and during their days off to handle the situation.
Visitors from other countries, especially Europe and America, are waiting for couple of hours while their visa stamps or confirmed in Iraq. These visas are already obtained from Iraqi embassies abroad.
Iraq is receiving $200 US dollars for each visa to be verified at the airport. The foreigners must then visit the residency office (Ikama) immediately where their visa may or may not be activated. Activation can take days or weeks of fulfilling paperwork requirements.
A new regulation implemented in July requires visa holders to pay 1,000,000-dinar bond which is promised to be refunded when they leave the country.
