Iraqi MP says 30-plus lawmakers sign petition to cut passport fees

BAGHDAD, Iraq — More than 30 Iraqi lawmakers have signed a request to reduce passport fees, MP Ibtisam al-Hilali said. She said the lawmakers plan to submit a written application to the prime minister and Interior Ministry after collecting the signatures. Al-Hilali said the passport law sets a base fee of 25,000 dinars for standard and electronic passports, while the total cost of obtaining a passport reaches 91,000 dinars. She described the additional charges as contrary to the law. The signatures will be formally submitted to the Iraqi Parliament’s presidency, with the aim of placing the issue on the agenda of upcoming sessions, al-Hilali said. The request follows an assessment placing Iraq’s passport among the world’s weakest in August 2026. At the time, the passport allowed travel to 28 destinations either without a visa or with a visa on arrival.