Official documents republished for reference with source links. Not legal advice — customs practice changes; confirm current fees and approvals with your clearing agent or the customs directorate. Last verified 2026-11-07.
Part of the Iraq & Kurdistan Regulations Library
KRG Interior Instruction 14/2025 — imported vehicles: summary
Safety conditions, allowed model years and border inspection for imported vehicles — both Kurdish originals hosted.
Official source page: https://gov.krd/moi/publications/ · Download Instruction 14/2025 (PDF) · Download the First Amendment 7/2026 (PDF)
What these documents are
Instruction No. 14 of 2025, dated 17/12/2025 (6 pages), is signed by the Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government and sets the safety conditions and registration rules for imported vehicles in the Kurdistan Region. Under Art. 10 it is in force from 1 January 2026 and repeals Instruction 7/2021 and its amendments (3/2023, 1/2025, 2/2025). The First Amendment, Instruction No. 7 of 2026, dated about 20 August 2026 (1 page), amends Art. 9. Both are Kurdish-only PDFs published by the Ministry of Interior; both are hosted here.
This page restates only the provisions we have read in the originals, and cites them by article number. It is not a translation and not the whole instruction — for anything not shown here, open the PDFs.
Conditions on the vehicle (Art. 1, 3, 4)
| Topic | What the instruction says | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Conformity (CoC) | The vehicle must have a CoC issued by the quality-control companies at the border crossings of the Kurdistan Region. The text does not name a company. | Art. 3(1) pt 4 |
| Border scanner | Scanners at all border crossings check the technical conditions. The CoC is arranged at the border point after the scanner inspection. | Art. 4 |
| Steering | Vehicles with right-hand steering: import is banned, and they are not registered. | Art. 3(3) |
| Barred condition | Cut-chassis, flood-damaged and burnt vehicles are barred. Salvage vehicles are defined in the instruction and are barred. | Art. 1; Art. 3(1) pts 1–3 |
| Safety equipment | ABS (or an equivalent) is required for cargo trucks of 4 t and over. Lighter airbag / ABS rules apply to vehicles over 25 seats, cargo vehicles over 4 t, and agricultural and construction vehicles. Passenger vehicles need airbags and a catalytic converter. Read Art. 3 for the exact wording per class. | Art. 3 |
Allowed model years (Art. 5)
The window is counted from the year of manufacture. Vehicles outside the window may not enter at the border.
| Vehicle | Allowed window (model years) |
|---|---|
| Saloon / station car | 3 |
| Bus, up to 25 seats | 3 |
| Bus, over 25 seats | 9 |
| Cargo truck, 1 t | 3 |
| Cargo truck, middle class (printed «(٣،٢)» — see the note below) | 4 |
| Cargo truck, 4 t and over | 9 |
| Construction vehicles | 16 |
| Agricultural vehicles | 19 |
| Motorhome | 17 |
The middle cargo-truck class is printed in the original as «(٣،٢)». The printed form is ambiguous, so it is given here as printed and not translated. Confirm the class with your clearing agent.
Scanner fees and failed scans (Art. 4)
- Scanner inspection fees of 50,000 IQD and 25,000 IQD (Art. 4).
- A vehicle that fails the scan may be re-scanned. After two failed scans it may be re-exported, or cut into four parts and its parts sold (Art. 4).
In force, and the First Amendment (Art. 9, 10)
- Art. 10: in force from 1 January 2026; Instruction 7/2021 and its amendments are repealed.
- Art. 9: the allowed model year rolls forward each 1 September.
- The First Amendment (Instruction 7/2026) postpones the start of the yearly model roll-forward (Art. 9). The dates in the amendment’s text and in its distribution note differ — confirm the current date with the Traffic Directorate or your clearing agent.
Vehicles and goods are separate regimes
This instruction governs vehicles; the CBCA list (Intertek) governs regulated goods — they are separate regimes.
What this means for a shipment of trucks or vehicles
- Check each vehicle’s year of manufacture against the Art. 5 window before booking; a vehicle outside its window may not enter at the border.
- Right-hand-steering, cut-chassis, flood-damaged, burnt and salvage vehicles are barred (Art. 1, Art. 3).
- Expect scanner inspection at the border, with the CoC arranged there afterwards (Art. 3, Art. 4); scanner inspection fees are set in Art. 4.
- Cargo trucks of 4 t and over need ABS or an equivalent (Art. 3).
- A vehicle that fails the scan twice may be re-exported or cut into four parts (Art. 4).
- The date the yearly model roll-forward starts is not settled by the documents themselves — confirm it before you buy or ship.
Customs Instruction 7/2020 requires ABS and double airbag for saloon, station and pickup vehicles up to 3 t and not for cargo vehicles above 3 t; this Interior Ministry instruction requires ABS for cargo trucks of 4 t and over (Art. 3). The allowed model windows also differ between the two texts, and neither states a single answer — confirm the allowed models with your clearing agent.
The quality flag is wider than the CBCA list. In our copy of the KRG customs tariff (portal snapshot of 2026-10-13) the quality column كوالتي is on for complete goods-vehicle lines — 87.04.2120, 2121, 2122, 2123, 2310, 2311, 2315, pickups and tippers — while Intertek’s list of 119 CBCA categories names no complete vehicle. See the guide.
Official service pages
- Customs clearance of exported / imported goods (services.gov.krd, MOF-21, last updated 18-03-2024): service time 25–35 minutes if the directorate works in an orderly way, otherwise 1–2 hours — a generic time, not specific to trucks, and it leaves out the scanner and the laboratory. Inspection fee as printed there: $17 for a large truck, $9 for a 2-tonne truck (the page was last updated in 2024 and may predate the 2026 changes). Office hours 08:30–14:30. General Directorate of Customs, Erbil (Manara quarter): kurdistancustoms@gmail.com and kurdistancustoms@yahoo.com.
- First registration of an imported vehicle (services.gov.krd, MOI-20, last updated 20-05-2024): registration within 60 days of the contract; the plate is issued 3–4 hours after the inspection form. Conditions: the vehicle was imported legally at a KRG border, a manifest, an electronic contract. Provincial Traffic Police directorates are open 08:00–15:00 (Erbil: 066188).
Clearing a shipment into Kurdistan or federal Iraq?
Send the HS line and the origin; we answer with the approvals and the lane.
Call Kak Frya: (+964) 750 637 9296