Is Balad safe? Iraq travel risk
Is Balad safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Balad scores 75/100 on our travel risk index (Extreme). The US State Department rates Iraq Level 4 (Do Not Travel, updated 29 Aug 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all travel to parts of the country (updated 22 Jul 2026); Canada says: avoid all travel. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Balad scores 75/100 (Extreme). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Iraq (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Balad: nearest emergency and transport facilities, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: The US State Department and Government of Canada advise against all travel here, so the score is held at 75 or higher. Governments disagree: US Level 4, UK Level 2, Canada Level 4.
A score of 75 is higher than the scores of 91% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Iraq travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Geographic & Regional Coordinates
Positioned at 34.0147° N, 44.1456° E in Şalāḩ ad Dīn, Balad features an altitude of 53 m. The settlement is located 80.4 km SSE from Baghdad.
Şalāḩ ad Dīn
34.0147° N, 44.1456° E
53 m
Asia/Baghdad
62,817
Emergency & Aviation Access
Nearby Towns & Settlements in Iraq
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Balad happened in March (2 of 2 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Iraq travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Iraq entry requirements.
Evaluated Destinations in this Region
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