--- iata: EBL name: Erbil International Airport city: Erbil country: Iraq lastUpdated: '2026-09-22' officialWebsite: 'https://www.eia.krd/english/home' sources: - 'https://www.eia.krd/english/home' - 'https://www.eia.krd/english/about-eia/statistics' - 'https://www.eia.krd/english/airport-guide/departure' - >- https://www.eia.krd/english/airport-guide/departure/check-point-and-screening - 'https://www.eia.krd/english/airport-guide/departure/check-in' - 'https://www.eia.krd/english/airport-guide/departure/to-from-airport' - 'https://www.eia.krd/english/airport-guide/departure/gates' - 'https://www.eia.krd/english/airport-guide/arrival' - 'https://www.eia.krd/english/services' - 'https://www.eia.krd/english/flight-information' - 'https://www.diwanlounge.com/' - 'https://visit.gov.krd/faq' - 'https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iraq/entry-requirements' - 'https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/iraq' - 'https://en.dragonpass.com.cn/airports/100426' - 'https://www.careem.com/en-AE/iraq-rides/' - 'https://www.flydubai.com/en/destinations/airports/erbil-airport' - >- https://flight-report.com/en/report/64231/turkish-airlines-tk317-arbil-ebl-istanbul-ist/ - 'https://www.sleepinginairports.net/guides/erbil-airport-guide.htm' - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erbil_International_Airport' quickFacts: - >- One live passenger hall (EIA still prints “new airport in 2010”; Wikipedia leftover 5 July 2005 is the replacement project). No live T2. 16 departure gates plus 1 transit gate. - >- EIA statistics: 2,090,838 passengers in 2025 (−1.8% vs 2,128,659 in 2024); 17,226 movements; 19,903 t freight. One runway 18/36, 4,800 × 75 m, ILS CAT II — leftover “four runways” is wrong. - >- Hub for Iraqi Airways, Fly Erbil and UR Airlines. EIA copy still says 18 carriers / 21 cities; live FIDS on 22 Sep 2026 also showed Turkish, Pegasus, AJet, Qatar, flydubai, Air Arabia, Royal Jordanian and Egyptair. - >- About 7 km north-east of the Erbil Citadel (EIA). No metro, no airport rail, no city bus. Official airport taxi is US$25 cash to the city centre. Uber is not Iraq; Careem is. - >- Three published departure screens: parking-area checkpoint, baggage X-ray before check-in, then hand-baggage at the gate. EIA: arrive 2.5 hours before departure. Airport is 24/7. - >- No Priority Pass at EBL (Collinson’s Iraq page lists Baghdad only). DragonPass lists 5 dining outlets and 0 lounges. Sit Newroz (shared airline CIP, upstairs) and Diwan (VIP, book 6 hours ahead). bentoTips: - label: Timing title: 'Budget 2.5 hours, then three screens' detail: >- Present passport and ticket at each screening point. Airline desk close times are unpublished — do not invent 45 minutes. Online check-in still visit a desk if you have bags. summary: >- EIA wants you 2.5 hours before departure because you clear a vehicle checkpoint, a terminal-door X-ray, then a third hand-baggage search at the gate. category: timing - label: Terminal title: One hall — ignore leftover T2 detail: >- 16 gates plus one transit gate. Same-ticket connections stay with airline staff — do not drop to landside immigration unless you are entering Kurdistan. The old military field is not a scheduled door. summary: >- Departures, check-in and passport control sit in a single passenger terminal. Arrivals immigration is one floor up by escalator or elevator. category: terminal - label: Food title: Eat 24/7 — names unpublished detail: >- Do not invent Starbucks or McDonald’s. Newroz upstairs is simple snacks and drinks for business-class; Diwan is the booked VIP product, not a casual café. summary: >- EIA lists Food & Beverage and Duty Free as 00:00–24:00. DragonPass counts 5 dining outlets and 0 shops it will reimburse. category: food - label: Status title: Kurdistan visa is not federal Iraq detail: >- FCDO: federal Iraq visit visas are no longer on arrival; apply on the Iraq e-visa portal (US$160) if Baghdad or the south is on the itinerary. Passport 6 months + one blank page. summary: >- List A passports can get a 30-day KRG e-visa on arrival or at visit.gov.krd for 100,000 IQD — valid in the Kurdistan Region only. category: status lounges: - name: Newroz Business Class Lounge zone: 'Airside, upstairs after passport control' hours: Reported 24 hours; EIA does not publish a Newroz timetable access: - Business class ticket - Airline invitation - Walk-in price unpublished — do not invent LoungePair $25 bestFor: - Business-class waits - A quiet upstairs room before the gate X-ray summary: >- The shared airline CIP: upstairs after passport control, simple snacks and drinks, not crowded in a 2023 Turkish J report. Not Priority Pass, not DragonPass, not LoungeKey. verdict: worth-it terminal: Passenger terminal amenities: - Snacks - Soft drinks - Alcohol (reported 2023) - Wi-Fi - Flight information - name: Diwan Lounge zone: Airside international / VIP meet-and-greet hours: '00:00–24:00 (EIA services page)' access: - Prepaid booking (request at least 6 hours before the flight) - Airline invitation - Pay at the door reported by Sleeping in Airports — confirm the till bestFor: - Booked VIP arrivals and departures - Anyone who will pay for meet-and-greet summary: >- EIA’s listed 24/7 lounge (tel +964 750 444 5588). Operator: book 6 hours ahead; they process passport control and can drive you to the aircraft. This is VIP, not a casual Priority Pass room. verdict: depends terminal: Passenger terminal amenities: - Kurdish and international menu - Drinks - Wi-Fi - Satellite TV - Immigration handled while you wait (operator) - Private car to the aircraft (operator) waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: 24/7 Food & Beverage bottle zone: airside price: Unpublished at the till summary: >- The only hydrate EIA actually publishes: Food & Beverage is 24/7. Fountains are unpublished — buy here after the second screen empties a full bottle. location: >- EIA 24/7 Food & Beverage outlets after the terminal-door X-ray and around check-in / airside terminal: Passenger terminal isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Duty Free bottled water zone: airside price: Unpublished at the till summary: >- Sealed bottles after passport control. No posted IQD this pass — treat as the sealed-bottle fallback, not a bargain fountain. location: 'Duty Free, airside, listed 00:00–24:00 on the EIA services page' terminal: Passenger terminal isBestQuality: true - kind: free name: Newroz complimentary drinks zone: airside summary: >- Business-class (and invited) passengers get water and other drinks in the shared CIP. Economy cannot count on this as a public fountain. location: >- Newroz lounge upstairs after passport control, before the gate hand-baggage X-ray terminal: Passenger terminal - kind: purchase name: Landside bottle before the door X-ray zone: landside price: Unpublished at the till summary: >- Only useful if you will drink it before the terminal-door X-ray. A full bottle will be emptied at the second screen. location: >- Landside public hall / Meeters and Greeters before the terminal-entrance screening terminal: Passenger terminal airportistScore: 6.5 slug: ebl region: Middle East --- > Markdown for [/airports/ebl](/airports/ebl). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/ebl) - [Lounge directory](/airports/ebl/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Erbil International Airport (EBL) Erbil, Iraq · Middle East Erbil is a clean, uncrowded one-hall 24/7 gateway with a real visa-on-arrival for List A — paid for with three security stops, a parking-lot shuttle, a $25 cash taxi, and no Priority Pass. ## Airportist Score **6.5 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 6.8 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 6.8 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.2 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 6.0 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 6.2 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 6.4 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 2,090,838 (2025) - Terminals: 1 passenger terminal (16 departure gates + 1 transit gate). No live T2. One 4,800 m runway. - Typical security: 30 min - On-time: 0% - Disruption: minor ## Best for - Kurdistan-only arrivals who can use List A visa on arrival - Business-class passengers who can sit Newroz upstairs - Short hops to the Citadel (~7 km) by official taxi or Careem ## Watch out for - Three published screens plus a vehicle checkpoint — the 2.5-hour ask is real - KRG e-visa / VoA does not cover federal Iraq - No metro, no airport rail, no city bus; leftover T2 / four runways / Priority Pass - Official city-centre taxi is US$25 cash; Uber is not Iraq ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/ebl/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/ebl/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/ebl/amenities.md) (free) - [Traveler tips](/airports/ebl/tips.md) (free) - [Water](/airports/ebl/water.md) (free) - [Full guide](/airports/ebl/guide.md) (free) - [Disruptions](/airports/ebl/disruptions.md) (free) - [Reviews](/airports/ebl/reviews.md) (free)