# Iraq eSIM — Instant Data from $3.00/GB Jetogo eSIM data plans for Iraq (ISO IQ). ## Pricing - Price per GB: $3.00 - Pricing tier: 3 - Live price per GB (eSIMAccess-cached): $3.00 ### Estimated cost by usage - Light traveler (2 GB): $6.00 - Average traveler (6 GB): $18.00 - Heavy traveler (15 GB): $45.00 ## Network & carriers - Asia Cell — 4G - Data exit route: United Kingdom — this is where your data traffic breaks out to the internet; it does not affect coverage or speed in-country. - Hotspot/tethering: unlimited. Speed limit: none. Activation: instant, auto-connects on arrival. ## Major cities - Baghdad — local time 2026-09-09T19:33:00+03:00, sunrise 2026-09-09T02:41:53.788Z / sunset 2026-09-09T15:17:24.968Z - Erbil — local time 2026-09-09T19:33:00+03:00, sunrise 2026-09-09T02:41:34.857Z / sunset 2026-09-09T15:20:31.410Z - Najaf — local time 2026-09-09T19:33:00+03:00, sunrise 2026-09-09T02:42:42.992Z / sunset 2026-09-09T15:16:46.860Z - Karbala — local time 2026-09-09T19:33:00+03:00, sunrise 2026-09-09T02:43:39.994Z / sunset 2026-09-09T15:18:23.370Z - Basra — local time 2026-09-09T19:33:00+03:00, sunrise 2026-09-09T02:29:48.330Z / sunset 2026-09-09T15:02:13.875Z ## Data situation Iraq sits in the middle of the pack globally for mobile data cost — locals pay roughly $1.07 per gigabyte on average, ranking 97th cheapest out of 237 countries and territories in the Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing study, with Zain, Asiacell, and Korek Telecom competing on 4G coverage across the country. Free Wi-Fi is fairly easy to find in tourist-relevant cities: most hotels in Baghdad and Erbil offer it to guests, and cafés and restaurants will usually share their password without much friction. Coverage and speed are noticeably better in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah than in rural areas, where 4G can slow down significantly. Because reliable connectivity is concentrated in hotels and urban cafés rather than blanketing the whole country, an eSIM data plan is the more dependable option for navigation, translation, and staying in touch once you're moving between cities or sites. - Local price per GB: $1.07/GB average for locals (rank 97 of 237 countries, cable.co.uk / BestBroadbandDeals Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing study) - Free Wi-Fi: Common in hotels, cafés, and restaurants in Baghdad and Erbil — most hotels offer free Wi-Fi for guests and cafés will share the password on request, though speed is best described as good enough for messaging and maps rather than fast. - Paid Wi-Fi: Not typically sold as a standalone product for visitors — Wi-Fi is usually a free perk bundled with a hotel stay, café purchase, or mall visit rather than billed separately; pay-per-use internet cafés exist in some cities as an alternative. ## International airports - BGW — Baghdad International Airport (Baghdad) — https://baghdadairport.gov.iq/ - EBL — Erbil International Airport (Erbil) — https://www.eia.krd/english/home - NJF — Al Najaf International Airport (Najaf) — https://alnajafairport.net/ - ISU — Jalal Talabani International Airport (Sulaymaniyah) — https://www.sulairport.krd/ - KIK — Kirkuk International Airport (Kirkuk) — https://kik-airport.com/en/home/ ### Travel advisories - UK FCDO: FCDO advises against all travel to parts of this country. FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of this country. ## Local SIM / phone number situation Iraq requires a valid passport to register a prepaid SIM with any of the three main carriers — Zain, Asiacell, and Korek Telecom. Zain runs a dedicated visitor product, the Zeyarah Line, a prepaid SIM valid for 15 days that can be extended once by SMS for a further 15 days (30 days total), originally aimed at religious pilgrims but usable by any visitor. Kiosks for Asiacell, Korek, and Zain operate in the arrivals areas of Baghdad and Erbil international airports, so a SIM can typically be bought and activated immediately after clearing customs without an appointment. Tourist SIM cards cost roughly $3–10, broadly in line with what locals pay, and eSIM support from Iraqi carriers themselves remains limited — a reason many travelers prefer to arrive with an international eSIM already active. - KYC requirements: Passport required for registration at all three carriers (Zain, Asiacell, Korek); no biometric or fingerprint capture is documented for tourist SIM purchases from these carriers. - Wait time: Fast at airport kiosks — SIMs are sold and activated on the spot in the arrivals area at Baghdad and Erbil airports; no appointment or advance registration reported as necessary, though queues and language barriers can add friction. - Jetogo Local SIM Hassle Score: 4/10 Wi-Fi calling lets you keep receiving calls and texts on your home phone number over an internet connection — including the data connection from your Jetogo eSIM — without needing a local SIM or number. Turn it on in your phone's settings before you travel (Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling on iPhone, or Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi Calling on Android), and your carrier will route calls to your regular number through data instead of a local cell signal, so friends and family can reach you exactly as they always have. ## Practical travel info - Power sockets: types C, D, G — 230V, 50Hz - Type E and F plugs will also fit in type C sockets - No alternative plugs will also fit in type D sockets - No alternative plugs will also fit in type G sockets - Emergency numbers: police 112, ambulance 112, fire 112 - Calling code: +964 - Driving side: right - Tipping: Generally not expected — unusual or not recommended _Data via CountryWise._ ## FAQ **Does my Jetogo eSIM work for visiting Najaf and Karbala, not just Baghdad?** Yes. Coverage from Iraq's main carriers extends to Najaf and Karbala along with Baghdad, Erbil, and Basra — the cities that see the heaviest religious and business travel — so your eSIM stays connected as you move between them. **Do I need to register my Jetogo eSIM with a passport when I land in Iraq?** No. Iraq's passport-based SIM registration rules apply to SIM cards bought from local carriers in-country. Since your Jetogo eSIM is provisioned before you fly, it isn't subject to that in-country retail registration process. **Is there a difference in coverage between Baghdad/southern Iraq and the Kurdistan Region (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah)?** Network quality tends to be strongest in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region, with adequate 4G for video calls; rural areas throughout the country generally see slower speeds than major cities. **How does an eSIM actually work?** An eSIM is a digital SIM built into your phone — instead of inserting a physical card, you install a small profile (usually by scanning a QR code) and your phone connects to a local or partner network for data. There's nothing to pick up at a store or swap in your device; the whole process happens over Wi-Fi in a couple of minutes. **Is my phone compatible with eSIM?** Most phones from the last 4-5 years support eSIM, including iPhone XS and later, most Google Pixel models from the Pixel 3 onward, and many recent Samsung Galaxy, and other Android flagships. Check Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Network) for an "Add eSIM" or "Add Cellular Plan" option — if it's there, you're set. Your phone also needs to be carrier-unlocked. **When does my eSIM activate — do I need to already be in the country?** You can install your Jetogo eSIM before you fly, but the data plan itself only starts counting once it connects to a network in your destination country — so there's no risk of burning through your allowance early. For most plans, connectivity kicks in automatically the moment you land and your phone finds a signal. **Can I use my eSIM as a personal hotspot?** Yes — hotspot and tethering are included on Jetogo eSIM plans at no extra cost, so you can share your connection with a laptop, tablet, or a travel companion's phone. **What happens when I run out of data? Can I top up?** You can top up directly from your Jetogo account in a couple of taps, without needing to buy a whole new plan or visit a store. Many travelers also use Jetogo's PayGo option, which lets you pay only for the data you actually use instead of committing to a fixed bundle. **Do I need a local phone number to use my eSIM?** No — Jetogo eSIMs are data-only, so there's no local phone number involved. If you need to make calls or send texts, you can use an internet calling app (like WhatsApp or FaceTime) over your eSIM data, or rely on Wi-Fi calling to keep using your existing home number (see below). **What is PayGo and why does it start at $5?** PayGo is Jetogo's pay-as-you-go option: you load a small starting balance — as low as $5 — and only pay for the data you actually use, with no expiration pressure or unused-data waste. It's a low-commitment way to try Jetogo or to cover shorter trips where a full data bundle would be overkill. **Will adding a Jetogo eSIM affect my existing phone number or home plan?** No. Your eSIM runs alongside your regular SIM (physical or eSIM) as a second, independent profile — your home number, texts, and voicemail keep working exactly as before. You simply choose which profile handles data while you're on Jetogo, and switch back anytime after your trip. ## Trust _Content coming soon._ ## Why Jetogo _Content coming soon._ ## Why Choose Jetogo _Content coming soon._ ## Practical travel info _Content coming soon._ ## Other countries pricing _Content coming soon._ --- Weather and air quality data © OpenWeatherMap, licensed under the Open Database License (ODbL): https://openweathermap.org/full-history UK travel advice contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Exchange rates via Frankfurter (European Central Bank reference rates): https://www.frankfurter.dev