Do you need an IDP to drive in Iraq if you are from the US?

Do You Need an IDP to Drive in Iraq with a US License?

Yes, but whether you can use International Driving Permit to drive in Iraq with a US-issued driver's license is a question without a straightforward answer. Iraq sits in a gray area: the US and Iraq did not sign the same treaty governing IDPs, the available government-issued guidance from says almost nothing, and travelers are left to make a judgment call. Below is what we found from the best sources available, what your options are, and what the potential impacts may be of what you do.

Why the issue is complicated

There are two different formats of International Driving Permits (IDPs) in the world, they are not automatically mutually recognized, and the US and Iraq fall on opposite sides of the line.

The first type of IDP comes from a United Nations treaty on road traffic signed in Geneva in 1949. The second comes from a similar UN treaty signed in Vienna in 1968. Countries that joined the 1949 agreement accept IDPs issued by other 1949 countries, and countries that joined the 1968 agreement accept IDPs issued by other 1968 countries. Many countries joined both, so for most destinations this never becomes an issue.

Iraq is not one of those countries. According to the United Nations Treaty Collection, Iraq acceded to the 1968 Vienna Convention on February 1, 2017, and it does not appear anywhere in the participant list for the 1949 Geneva Convention. The United States is the mirror image: it is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention and never joined the 1968 Vienna Convention. There is no treaty overlap between the two countries, which means Iraq is under no treaty obligation to recognize the only kind of IDP an American can legally obtain.

What the sources actually say

We could not find any guidance from the Iraqi government, in English, stating whether a foreign driver's license or a foreign IDP is accepted, or what a visitor is supposed to carry instead.

The US State Department's country information page for Iraq does not address driver's licenses or International Driving Permits at all. What it does say is that vehicular travel in Iraq can be extremely dangerous, that there have been attacks on civilian vehicles on roads and highways throughout the country, and that government checkpoints are common and can cause significant delays. As of this writing, Iraq carries a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory. That advisory is the more important document for most readers, and we would not encourage anyone to drive in Iraq casually.

AAA and AATA, the only two organizations authorized by the US State Department to issue IDPs, both publish lists of countries that honor the permit. Iraq does not appear on those lists at all. That is not the same as a "no." It means Iraq is outside the set of countries either organization has taken a position on.

Searching online is not much help either, because results for "Iraq international driving permit" are dominated by unauthorized sellers marketing fake permits. More on that below.

What this means in practice

Vietnam is in a similar situation with signing the opposite treaty to the United States. However, for Vietnam, we can point to a large body of traveler experience showing that a US-issued IDP is generally accepted in practice even though the paperwork does not require it. For Iraq, that body of experience does not exist in any form we can verify, and we are not going to invent one.

What we can say:

• A US-issued IDP is a 1949-format permit. Iraq has no treaty obligation to accept it.

• An IDP is still an official translation of your license into multiple languages, issued by an authorized body. At a checkpoint or a rental counter where nobody reads English, that translation has practical value regardless of its treaty status.

• If you are staying in Iraq for an extended period, the right answer is a local Iraqi license obtained through the local traffic directorate, not a permit issued abroad.

• If you have arranged travel in Iraq through an employer, an NGO, a security provider, or a tour operator, ask them what their drivers carry. Organizations operating on the ground will have a far better read on what checkpoints actually accept than any published list.

For most short-term visitors, the practical choice is a driver rather than a rental car. If you are going to drive, carrying an IDP alongside your home license and passport is better than carrying the license alone.

If you have driven in Iraq with a US license and an IDP, or been turned away for having one, please reach out. We will update this post with anything you can tell us.

How to Get an IDP for Iraq

Here are your options if you decide to get an IDP before traveling:

Through AAA or AATA directly:

As the only authorized providers of International Driving Permits in the United States, your IDP must be issued by AAA or AATA. To get an IDP directly from one of them, you can visit a AAA branch, mail your application to AAA, or apply online. Processing times are same-day if you go to a AAA branch in person, 5 to 7 weeks if applying by mail from abroad, and at least 5 business days plus shipping if done online. The cost from AAA is $20 for the IDP, $10 to $20 for passport photos, plus potential expedited processing and shipping fees if you do not get the IDP in person, which can be expensive.

Through Fast IDP:

If you are already abroad and need an IDP quickly, or if you want to avoid the hassle of going to AAA in person, we can process your application with AAA and have your official IDP delivered to you as quickly as the next day if you are in the US, or 2 to 5 days if you are abroad. We receive your application, check it for errors, go to AAA to obtain your IDP, and then ship it to you anywhere in the world. You can apply on our website here. Fast IDP is not usually the cheapest option, but it is the most reliable and fastest way to get an IDP other than walking into a AAA branch yourself. We have 4.9 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot from hundreds of customers, so you do not have to take our word for it.

Note: Avoid Fake IDP Scams

This matters more for Iraq than for most destinations, because the search results are full of them. Many companies online claim to issue international driving permits, but only AAA and AATA are authorized by the US State Department to issue IDPs for US drivers. Every other company is selling an illegitimate document, which they sometimes call an international driver's license or IDL. There is no such thing as an IDL. Using a fake permit can result in a fine and an inability to drive abroad, and presenting one at a checkpoint in a country like Iraq is a worse problem than presenting nothing.

Conclusion

Iraq is a 1968 convention country and the United States is a 1949 convention country, so there is no treaty basis for a US-issued IDP to be recognized there. Unlike Vietnam, we have no clear signal from AAA, AATA, the State Department, or the Iraqi government about what happens in practice. If you are going to be in Iraq long term, get a local license. If you are going for a short trip and intend to drive, carry an IDP along with your home license, and take the State Department's road safety warnings seriously.

As always, let us know if you have suggestions for this guide. Drive safely.

Yes. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is required for U.S. drivers in Iraq alongside a valid U.S. license. Due to security conditions in many areas, the U.S. State Department advises extreme caution.