KRG Interior Ministry Announces 90-Day Amnesty for Foreigners with Expired Visas

(IRAQI KURDISTAN) – The Kurdistan Regional Government Interior Ministry announced on April 27, 2026 a 90-day amnesty for foreign nationals in Iraqi Kurdistan whose visas or residency permits have expired, opening a three-month window to renew their status or leave with sharply reduced penalties.

The amnesty began on April 27, 2026 and applies to foreigners who regularize their stay or depart during the period. The KRG Interior Ministry said those covered will pay only 25 percent of standard overstay fines.

Foreigners who want to remain must go to a local residency or administrative office within the 90-day period to renew their permits. Those who choose to leave will receive the reduced penalty and an official “exit clearance” from district authorities so they can depart through airports or land borders without legal hindrance.

The move followed a stretch of regional instability that disrupted travel across the region. Authorities framed the amnesty as a way to regularize the position of thousands of people whose documents lapsed after recent border and airspace closures.

A 40-day conflict that began on February 28, 2026 grounded flights and closed borders, leaving many foreigners unable to renew their papers or depart on time. In Iraqi Kurdistan, that left workers, tourists and other residents exposed to mounting penalties while normal travel channels remained interrupted.

Standard overstay fines in the region can exceed $15–$20 per day. Charging 25 percent of those penalties amounts to a 75% reduction, cutting a daily financial burden that had built up during the closures.

The amnesty also offers a path back into legal residency for foreigners employed in sectors such as energy and tech in Erbil and elsewhere in Iraqi Kurdistan. People who fell out of status during the disruptions now have a defined window to move from illegal residency back to legal status through the local renewal process.

The local relief measure comes as the United States keeps in place stricter immigration screening tied to Iraq and other countries it classifies as high risk. In a statement dated March 30, 2026, USCIS said it had strengthened vetting for such cases.

“USCIS will continue to strengthen our screening and vetting procedures to ensure maximum protection for national security and public safety. These gaps expose the United States to significant national security and public safety risks and compromise the integrity of the immigration system.” That statement appeared in an Official USCIS Newsroom update dated March 30, 2026.

DHS also put in place Policy Memorandum PM-602-0194, effective January 1, 2026, imposing a hold and review process for applications from several countries, including Iraq. That policy remained in effect in late April 2026, meaning the amnesty announced by Kurdish authorities does not alter delays or freezes affecting Iraq-related U.S. immigration benefits.

That distinction matters for foreigners who may be trying to solve two separate problems at once: legal status inside Iraqi Kurdistan and immigration processing tied to the United States. The KRG measure addresses local overstay penalties and lawful exit or renewal; it does not change U.S. adjudication rules.

Washington’s security posture toward Iraq remained tight in April. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert on April 20, 2026 that repeated the Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory and said routine consular services were still suspended.

“Do not attempt to come to the Embassy in Baghdad or the Consulate General in Erbil in light of significant security risks. U.S. Mission Iraq remains open while on ordered departure to assist U.S. citizens.” The alert was published by the U.S. Embassy in Iraq on April 20, 2026.

Routine consular services remained suspended even as the U.S. mission stayed open to assist U.S. citizens. That left a narrow channel for emergency support while broader travel and visa-related access stayed constrained by the security environment.

The KRG amnesty addresses a problem that accumulated during the conflict and closures rather than a routine overstay issue. Foreigners who could not travel, renew documents or reach administrative offices now have a formal route to resolve their cases with a fraction of the normal financial penalty.

In practical terms, the biggest immediate choice is between renewal and departure. Someone who intends to stay in Iraqi Kurdistan must appear before the local residency authorities within the three-month period, while someone who plans to leave must secure district-level exit clearance and pay the reduced amount before departing.

The official terms do not erase all penalties. They reduce the bill to 25 percent of the standard overstay fines, a formula likely to bring the largest benefit to people who have been out of status the longest since the closures began.

That makes the measure especially relevant to workers who remained in place during the disruption. A person facing fines that can exceed $15–$20 per day would see a large drop in accumulated charges under the amnesty terms, easing the cost of either resuming legal residency or leaving the region.

Tourists and short-term visitors who became stranded also stand to benefit, though the procedures differ depending on whether they want to remain or depart. The official “exit clearance” requirement signals that district authorities will play a central role in clearing departures through land crossings and airports after payment of the reduced penalty.

The announcement places the KRG Interior Ministry at the center of a regional cleanup effort after weeks of interrupted movement. Kurdish authorities are trying to restore order in the residency system while airspace and border disruptions from the conflict continue to shape decisions by foreign governments and immigration agencies.

The gap between local and international policy is stark. Iraqi Kurdistan is offering relief from overstays to stabilize residency and departures after a regional shock, while U.S. agencies continue to apply heightened screening and hold procedures for Iraq-related cases because of security concerns.

Foreign nationals in Iraqi Kurdistan now have until late July under the 90-day amnesty that started on April 27, 2026 to act through local offices or arrange departure with exit clearance. The program, outlined by the KRG Interior Ministry, gives those caught by the conflict and closures a limited chance to reset their status at a reduced cost.