Ship vehicles from China to Iraq with full customs duty estimates and import license support.

For a standard petrol vehicle, the total tax burden is approximately 48% of CIF value. Breakdown: Customs Duty at 25% of CIF, Reconstruction Levy at 5% of CIF, and VAT at 15% of (CIF + Duty + Levy). For hybrids (15% duty): total tax ~36% of CIF. For EVs (12.5% duty): total tax ~30% of CIF. In the Kurdistan Region, EVs are fully exempt from customs duty under KRG policy, reducing the total burden to approximately 15–20% of CIF (VAT only).

Iraq enforces a 7-year maximum age limit for used vehicle imports, calculated from the year of manufacture. For vehicles arriving in 2026, the vehicle must be a 2019 model year or newer. The age is determined by the VIN model year, not the first registration date. Vehicles exceeding the 7-year limit are denied entry and cannot be cleared through Iraqi customs at Umm Qasr or any other port of entry. There is no exemption route for over-age vehicles, and no overage penalty schedule — the ban is absolute.

No. Iraq drives on the right-hand side of the road and strictly prohibits the import of Right-Hand Drive vehicles. RHD vehicles will be refused entry at the port regardless of age, condition, or documentation quality. There is no legal pathway to convert an RHD vehicle to LHD and register it in Iraq. All Chinese-market vehicles are LHD by default, so sourcing from China is safe.

Iraq offers significant import duty reductions for green vehicles: Electric vehicles (BEVs) pay 12.5% duty — half the standard 25% petrol rate — and may be exempt from the reconstruction levy. Hybrids pay 15% duty versus 25% for equivalent petrol models. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) offers an even stronger incentive: full customs duty exemption on EVs, with zero registration fees and no annual environmental charges.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) maintains a separate customs regime from the federal Iraqi government. Key differences for vehicle imports: KRG offers full customs duty exemption on electric vehicles (federal Iraq charges 12.5%), KRG waives registration and annual environmental fees for EVs, KRG has its own age limit regulations (separate from the federal 7-year rule), and vehicle clearance through KRG crossings (Ibrahim Khalil, Bashmakh) may have different documentation requirements than federal ports like Umm Qasr.

Iraqi customs requires that all foreign-language documents be accompanied by certified Arabic translations. The documents typically requiring translation include: the Commercial Invoice, the Certificate of Origin, the Bill of Lading, the Insurance Certificate, and the Purchase Invoice. Translations must be done by a certified/sworn translator recognized by the Iraqi authorities.

Yes, a licensed customs broker (Mukallaf Jumruki) is required for all commercial vehicle imports into Iraq and is strongly recommended for individual imports. The customs broker handles: submitting the import declaration (Bayan Jumruki) through the Iraqi customs system, coordinating the physical vehicle inspection at the port, calculating and paying all duties and taxes, managing the Arabic translation verification, and handling the release process and vehicle collection from Umm Qasr.

Chery is the clear leader, with the Tiggo 7 Pro being the single most popular Chinese model in Iraq, backed by a strong dealer network in Baghdad, Basra, and Erbil. Changan follows closely with the CS35 Plus and CS55. MG has built significant brand recognition through local partnerships. BYD is the fastest-growing brand, particularly in the hybrid and EV segments.

Iraq mandates that all imported vehicles comply with Euro 5 emissions standards as a minimum. This requires a Certificate of Conformity (COC) from the manufacturer or an authorized body proving that the vehicle meets Euro 5 standards for CO, HC, NOx, and PM emissions.

Day 1–3 vehicle selection; Day 4–8 procurement and Euro 5 verification; Day 9–14 documentation preparation; Day 15 container loading; Day 16–50 sea transit (25–40 days) plus port handling; Day 51–58 customs clearance (5–8 business days); Day 59–60 inland trucking to Baghdad. Total: approximately 8–10 weeks.

All vehicles are fully insured during transit from the moment they leave our facilities in Beijing and Guizhou until arrival at the Port of Umm Qasr. We insure at 110% of the CIF value to ensure full replacement coverage. We have maintained a 96% damage-free delivery rate on the Iraq route.