Is Erbil safe? Iraq travel risk
Is Erbil safe right now? Checked 8 October 2026
Erbil 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.
Erbil 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 Erbil: nearest emergency and transport facilities, local climate normals, 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.
Local Geographic Profile
In the Arbīl territory, Erbil is established at 36.1911° N, 44.0094° E. It lies 321.4 km S relative to Baghdad. Time zone observed: Asia/Baghdad.
Arbīl
36.1911° N, 44.0094° E
429 m
Asia/Baghdad
846,000
Emergency & Transport Infrastructure
Surrounding Localities in Iraq
Climate by Month
Hottest: July (42 °C avg high); Wettest: January (96 mm).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 12° | 14° | 18° | 24° | 31° | 38° | 42° | 42° | 37° | 29° | 20° | 13° |
| Low °C | 1° | 2° | 6° | 10° | 17° | 22° | 26° | 26° | 21° | 15° | 9° | 3° |
| Rain mm | 96 | 92 | 82 | 71 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 79 | 90 |
Normals: Erbil (0 km away).
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 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Most flood events within 100 km of Erbil happened in April, November and December (6 of 9 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.
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