Updated on 16 September 2026 ·
source checked daily
Iraq — official level as of 16 September 2026: Level 4/4 ("Do Not Travel"), from the U.S. Department of State. Maximum Insurance covers this country: hospital settled directly, unlimited repatriation, CHF 1.5M, certificate on payment.
Four official readings
United StatesState Departmentsource ↗Our reference level — the one shown across this site
Is the whole country advised against?Yesthe whole country is formally advised against
Level 4/4 — “Do Not Travel”
FranceFrance Diplomatiesource ↗Added on top of the U.S. level, under its own rules: red or orange AREAS
Is the whole country advised against?Nono restriction on the whole country+ red areas
our reading: some areas are classified red (formally advised against)
United KingdomFCDOsource ↗Added on top of the U.S. level, under its own rules: travel statuses
Is the whole country advised against?Nono restriction on the whole country+ parts of the country
our reading: all travel advised against to parts of the country · all but essential travel advised against to parts of the country
source reviewed 22 July 2026
SwitzerlandFDFAsource ↗Advisory cited by the Maximum policy
Is the whole country advised against?Yesthe whole country is formally advised against
our reading: Switzerland’s FDFA advises against all travel to the country
advice published 06.03.2026
These readings do not say the same thing. The United States and Switzerland say yes; France and the United Kingdom say no — a 2-band gap on our comparison scale.Our comparison reading: 15 September 2026
Every country has its own scale, so we ask them all the same question: is the whole country advised against?
An advisory covering only areas of the country does not raise the answer: it stays “No”, and the area is shown in the relevant column.
The level shown on this page — and across this site — is the one published by the U.S. State Department, from 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel). France and the United Kingdom publish their own advisories, with their own rules: they add to that level, they do not replace it.
15 recorded incidents (UCDP)hover, click to open it in the briefing
Level 4/4 — Do Not Travel
Checked on 16 September 2026 · U.S. State Department
Observed repatriation
45 000 € – 120 000 €
Country briefing
Get the PDF
The comparator
What is your current insurance?
The verdict
Your Amex Platinum expressly excludes this trip: the T&Cs rule out travel to countries your government has advised against visiting.
Exact wording (official French text): « Des Voyages vers des pays où Votre gouvernement a conseillé de ne pas voyager » — general exclusion n° 11, applying to ALL travel covers.
Observed repatriation cost — 45 000 € – 120 000 € by severity and distance (Diversified Quotes, 2026).
Travel covered
What the Pack VIP covers — including Iraq
Emergency medical expenses — CHF 1.5M
Medical evacuation & repatriation — unlimited
Hospitalisation — direct payment guarantee
Visa certificate (incl. Schengen) — nominative, issued on payment
$990 for twelve months, unlimited trips — or $99/month.
Conflict-zone extraction and Kidnap & Ransom fall under the Pack VIP Extreme (GC art. 18.4), with dedicated crisis management — these two guarantees are granted ✦ subject to eligibility.
Travelling only once? Below three trips a year, this contract is probably not for you.
Where, exactly?
What the national level does not tell you
The level is national. Risk areas are in the state advisories below.
U.S. State Department — the full advisory details the regions concerned and the reasons (crime, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest)
(read the advisory)
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (United Kingdom) — the United Kingdom advises against all travel to PARTS of the country and advises against all but essential travel to parts · reviewed 22 July 2026 Last announced change : « Updated information about regional tensions following recent strikes and retaliatory attacks by Iran ('Warnings and insurance' page). » (read the advisory)
France Diplomatie — France classifies SOME AREAS of the country as red (travel formally advised against) — the advisory is geographic, check it for your exact destination (read the Security advisory)
No major event in progress is located in this country at this morning's check.
What happened, and where
Over 1 January 2026 → 30 June 2026, UCDP (Uppsala University) recorded 15 geolocated violent incidents in this country, for 32 documented deaths.
Most affected areas Arbīl province 3 · Kirkūk province 3 · Sulaymānīyah province 3 · Al Anbār province 2 · Nīnawá province 2 · Diyālá province 1
Most recent incidents
11 June 2026 · Diyālá province · Buhriz town IS local leader, militant killed in airstrikes in E. Iraq;ISHM: June 11 – 18, 2026 · 2 deathsSource: Xinhua News Agency;epic · 11 June 2026 · Security Media Cell · UCDP #633877 ↗
11 June 2026 · Kirkūk province · Bayshīr town ISHM: June 11 – 18, 2026 · 3 deathsSource: epic · 18 June 2026 · security sources · UCDP #633879 ↗
4 June 2026 · Al Anbār province · Ramādī town ISHM: June 4 – 11, 2026 · 1 deathSource: epic · 11 June 2026 · local sources · UCDP #633874 ↗
3 June 2026 · Nīnawá province · Al Ba‘āj district 3 IS militants killed in northern Iraq · 3 deathsSource: Xinhua News Agency · 3 June 2026 · PMF statement · UCDP #634256 ↗
23 May 2026 · Kirkūk province · Wadi ash Shay valley 4 IS militants killed in aerial, ground operations in N. Iraq;3 counter-terrorism personnel killed in bomb explosion in N. Iraq · 4 deathsSource: Xinhua News Agency;Xinhua News Agency · 23 May 2026 · Iraqi military · UCDP #630909 ↗
23 May 2026 · Nīnawá province · Al Ḩaḑar town 3 counter-terrorism personnel killed in bomb explosion in N. Iraq;IS newspaper belatedly claims deadly northern Iraq attack, supporters celebrate · 3 deathsSource: Xinhua News Agency;BBC Monitoring Report · 24 May 2026 · Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service, IS claim · UCDP #630913 ↗
Source: UCDP Georeferenced Event Dataset (Uppsala Conflict Data Program), file GEDEvent_v26_01_26_06.csv, CC BY 4.0 licence. We keep only incidents UCDP codes as "Clear" and whose location is precise enough to be placed — about 58% of the dataset. An incident may be revised, moved or withdrawn by UCDP in a later release: these figures describe a closed period, not a live situation.
What we do locate on the map are events in progress — earthquakes and disasters reported by USGS and GDACS (UN / European Commission), which do have real coordinates. Hover a dot for details, click to open it in this briefing.
What is happening in Iraq right now
Live alerts and level changes, each with its official source. Continuously updated.
No level change recorded for this country since the log opened. The live alerts above are updated continuously.
Level 4/4: in an emergency our assistance desk names the facility. The list below is OpenStreetMap, not a partner network. Hospitals with emergency rooms, nearest evacuation airport and live alerts — public data (OpenStreetMap, GDACS), computed live. In an emergency, one reflex: +41 22 ••• •• ••.
Level 4/4 ("Do Not Travel") according to the U.S. Department of State, retrieved on 16 September 2026. Maximum Insurance checks this official source every day.
What does Maximum Insurance do in Iraq?
The Pack VIP ($990 for twelve months, unlimited trips) covers CHF 1.5M emergency medical expenses, unlimited evacuation and repatriation, the direct payment guarantee in hospital, and a nominative certificate in the format visa applications require, Schengen included. The Pack VIP Extreme adds crisis management & security and Kidnap & Ransom (subject to eligibility).
How much does a medical repatriation from Iraq cost?
Observed costs range from 45 000 € to 120 000 € depending on severity and distance (Diversified Quotes, 2026). The Pack VIP covers evacuation and medical repatriation without cap, settled directly by the insurer.
Do I need an insurance certificate for a Iraq visa?
Many consulates require proof of international medical cover before issuing a visa — Schengen included for non-European travellers. Maximum Insurance issues the official named certificate on payment, accepted for these procedures.
What should I do if hospitalised in Iraq?
One reflex: call +41 22 ••• •• •• (24/7). Within our worldwide medical network — 45,000 medical providers — the insurer sends its direct payment guarantee: the hospital is settled directly, no deposit advanced by the traveller.
Is an Amex, Visa or Mastercard enough in Iraq?
These are travel-insurance options, with a public notice. At level 4/4 (Do Not Travel), several notices rule the trip out (Amex, exclusion no. 11; Mastercard Fortuneo, art. 5.5). Below that, the area exclusion generally does not apply — 90 days max, reimbursement afterwards, no visa certificate remain. The VIP Pack runs 12 months, pays the hospital, and issues the certificate on payment.
Are a health plan or a travel policy enough in Iraq?
A health plan treats you at home: the hospital here asks for a guarantee before admission. A travel policy has its own terms — often a territorial clause at level 4/4, and 90 days. Without the document (IPID number or PDF), we cannot say. Ask a Maximum Insurance expert to call you back.
Travelling to Bagdad, Erbil: what changes
The published advisory level is national, but risk is not: business hubs (Bagdad, Erbil) do not share the profile of border areas. The medical network shown on this page is computed around Baghdad — real hospitals, evacuation airport and live alerts. Before a specific trip, always cross-check your country of residence's advisory: that is what your policy cites.
The displayed level comes from the State Department, checked every morning. Before departure, always cross-check your country of residence's advisory: that is what your policy cites.
The level shown is the official U.S. Department of State level, checked daily. Maximum Insurance is an insurance distributor — general information, not personal advice.