Iraqi Kurdistan — Work (Employer-sponsored job (work permit + residency card))

Main requirements

You need a KRI-registered employer to act as your residency sponsor and obtain your work permit. Because the foreign share per project is capped, your chances are best in jobs where local candidates are scarce.

In the KRI a visa or residency does not by itself allow work; every foreigner needs a work permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Iraqi residency directorate, Sep 2024). Fragomen reported in Feb 2025 a work-permit fee of IQD 110,000 (the KRG's 2024 service page listed it as free, with about 10 days' processing), and residency applicants must buy mandatory health insurance at IQD 375,000 a year.

Under KRG Decree 172 (2022) at least 75% of every project's workforce must be KRI citizens and foreign labour may not exceed 25%; the KRG's own report (Mar 2026) counts about 45,000 foreign workers in social security. Per the KRG Labour Ministry's service page, the employer must first publish the vacancy in an official newspaper and gets approval only if no local worker is available; foreign workers are hired through a licensed recruitment company that has paid a bank deposit.

The company must be licensed by the Ministries of Labour and Interior to recruit foreign labour and each contract is registered at the Labour Directorate. Per UNHCR the permit file includes a passport copy, employment contract, social security clearance, the company's foreign-recruitment licence, a bank security deposit receipt and 4 colour photos.

Residency: your sponsor is a KRI-registered company or an Iraqi citizen holding a KRI information card; cards are usually one year and renewable, and the sponsoring company bears legal and financial responsibility for you. Fees under KRG Directive 1 of 2021: IQD 300,000 to convert the visit visa, 150,000 for the card and 25,000 admin the first time; 150,000 + 25,000 to renew. You need a passport valid 6+ months with entry stamp, the job contract, a blood test (IQD 31,500, all ages) and security clearance from the Asayish. You must collect the card in person. Since 2023 foreigners can change employer without cancelling residency or leaving the country.

Documents

Valid passport, employment contract, translated degree and work references, photos, and after arrival the blood test, health insurance and security clearance. Company-side documents (foreign-recruitment licence, tax and social security clearance, bank deposit) are the employer's job.

Language

No official language requirement for the work permit was found. Kurdish and Arabic help a lot in most jobs; English is enough at international companies.

Costs and proof of funds

Fees as of Oct 2026: work permit IQD 110,000 (Fragomen, 2025), health insurance IQD 375,000 a year, blood test IQD 31,500, residency card IQD 475,000 the first time and 175,000 to renew (KRG fee schedule). Employers often cover some of this, but sources don't make it mandatory. No official entry proof of funds was found; bring living costs for the first month or two.

The unskilled minimum wage is IQD 450,000 a month (Aug 2025 decision); Numbeo puts Erbil's average net salary at about IQD 784,000. Employers must register you for social security from day one (5% from your pay, 12% employer share) and you get 20 days' paid annual leave. No official data on salaries for foreign specialists was found; compare any offer with living costs (about IQD 890,000 a month excluding rent).

Steps and timeline

Send CVs and interview online from Iran, sign a contract, enter on the 30-day visit visa and within the first 30 days (extendable, see below) complete the blood test, insurance, work permit and residency card with your employer. Usually 2–6 months from starting the search to arrival.

Notes for Iranian applicants

You don't need to arrange a visa in advance: Iran is on the KRG's 'List A', so with a passport valid at least 6 months you get a 30-day visit visa online (visit.gov.krd) or on arrival at any KRI border point or airport. The KRG Interior Ministry's service page lists an administrative fee of IQD 100,000, while the KRG representation's letter (Apr 2025) says Iranian passports have a visa waiver, so carry dinars and check before you travel. The visit visa can be extended 30 days at a time at the residency directorate, only a limited number of times (IQD 100,000 + 10,000 admin fee each time, health test at the first extension, late penalty IQD 20,000 a day); to stay longer you need a 6-month or 1-year residency card with a sponsor (kafil). According to Iran's consulate in Sulaymaniyah, the KRI entry stamp is valid only inside the region: travelling on it to Baghdad or southern Iraq counts as illegal entry and carries 3 months to 3 years in prison, and travel accident insurance is required.

Working before the permit is issued is illegal; overstaying costs up to IQD 20,000 a day per UNHCR. Iran's consulates in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah provide consular services such as passports for resident Iranians. No official information was found on bank accounts for Iranians, so agree with your employer how your salary will be paid.

Security: since 28 Feb 2026 the region, especially Erbil, has been hit by more than a thousand Iranian drone and missile attacks, with new drone strikes reported on 8 and 12 October 2026. Since 25 Sep 2026 flights between Iran and Erbil or Sulaymaniyah have been suspended (still suspended on 2 Oct 2026), so for now you travel overland through the border crossings. Check the situation right before you travel.

After arrival (work while studying, post-study stay, permanent residence)

Your stay depends on a renewable card and a sponsor, and you can switch employers without leaving. Family sponsorship was not covered by the sources checked. No clear permanent-residence or citizenship path for foreigners was found; treat this route as temporary.