Today
Persian Gulf sea freight suspended · Hormuz · review 5 Dec
Chazzabeh / Al-Sheeb closed to goods · review 6 Oct
Arbaeen: Mehran closes 2–3 weeks · around Safar 20
Where we truck, how long it takes
Iraq Border Crossings & Trade Corridors
70lanes
15border crossings
2customs systems
Figures last verified 2026-09-29 · calendar days, full truck load
Find your route
No lane on the map for this pair — ask us, we route cargo beyond the map every week.
Fastest option1-2 d
Crossing—
CustomsDomestic · tariff difference at Al-Sad
Distance486 km
Fastest option1-2 d
Crossing—
CustomsDomestic · tariff difference at Chiman
Distance376 km
Fastest option1-2 d
Crossing—
CustomsDomestic · tariff difference at Bawa Mahmoud
Distance252 km
Fastest option5-7 droad, from the port
CrossingIbrahim Khalil
CustomsKRG
Distance1,030 km
Fastest option5-7 droad, from the port
CrossingIbrahim Khalil
CustomsKRG · tariff difference at Al-Sad
Distance1,350 km
Fastest option3-5 droad, from the port
CrossingAl-Waleed
CustomsFederal
Distance1,181 km
Fastest option21-35 dfrom the border of China
CrossingHaji Omran
CustomsKRG
Distance4,644 km (road part)
Fastest optionAsk us
CrossingParviz Khan
CustomsKRG · tariff difference at Bawa Mahmoud
Distance907 km
Iran
16 lanesTürkiye
5 lanesGulf
5 lanesLevant & Syria
7 lanesCaucasus & Russia
3 lanesChina & Europe
19 lanesInside Iraq
15 lanesNo lane matches.
Before you pick a crossing
Iraq has two customs systems, not one
This single fact decides how long your shipment takes. It is why the crossings on the map are drawn in two colours.
Delivering in KurdistanErbil, Duhok, Sulaymaniyah
KRG crossingIbrahim Khalil, Haji Omran, Parviz Khan, BashmaghKRG customsone clearanceDeliveredErbil · Duhok · Sulaymaniyah✓ Fastest
Delivering in federal IraqBaghdad and the south
Federal crossingKhosravi, Mehran, Shalamcheh, Safwan, Arar, Trebil…Federal customsone clearanceDeliveredBaghdad · Karbala · Basra✓ One clearance
The costly mixKRG entry, federal delivery
KRG crossingKRG customsFederal tariff differencepaid at Al-Sad, Dareman, Chiman or Bawa MahmoudDeliveredBaghdad or the south+1–2 days · more paperwork
→
Rule of thumb: pick the crossing by where the cargo is delivered, not by distance. Choosing the wrong entry point is what makes a quote slip.
15 border crossings + 1 border market
Every crossing we work through
Each card shows one real lane through that crossing and its transit time, straight from the map. Tap “On the map” to see the road.
Ibrahim Khalil
Türkiye side: Habur (Hudut Kapısı)
Mersin → Erbil5-7 d
Typical cargo: Electronics, retail appliances, industrial machinery
Also serves as Hormuz crisis alternative (Mersin port → road)
Al-Rabia
Syria side: Al-Yaarubiyah
Reopened 2026
Latakia → Mosul3-5 d
Typical cargo: General cargo
Reopened 2026-04-20 after ~13 years closed; for time-sensitive cargo confirm same-day status with a DDL specialist
Haji Omran
Iran side: Tamarchin (Piranshahr)
Tehran → Erbil3-5 d
Typical cargo: Consumer goods, electronics
DDL holds special operating license — preferential access
Bashmagh
Iran side: Bashmaq (Marivan)
Tehran → Sulaymaniyah2-3 d express4-5 d standard
Typical cargo: Heavy machinery, industrial equipment
Sheikh Saleh
Iran side: Sheikh Sale (Salas-e Babajani)
Border market
Kermanshah → Sulaymaniyah3-5 d
Typical cargo: Tiles, ceramics, cartons, plastics
Parviz Khan
Iran side: Parviz Khan (Kermanshah)
Tehran → Sulaymaniyah3-4 d
Typical cargo: FMCG, construction materials, industrial goods
Largest single border crossing — 54% of Iran non-oil exports to Iraq
Al-Qaim
Syria side: Al-Bukamal (Abu Kamal)
Latakia → Baghdad3-5 d
Typical cargo: General cargo
Open since 2019; the most active Iraq–Syria crossing for goods
Khosravi
Iran side: Khosravi (Qasr-e Shirin)
Tehran → Baghdad3-4 d
Typical cargo: Industrial equipment, commercial goods
Direct federal Baghdad access — one clearance at the border, no tariff difference to settle inland
Sumar
Iran side: Sumar (Kermanshah)
Tehran → Baghdad3-5 d
Typical cargo: Ceramics, marble, rubber, fittings, tableware
Strategic Baghdad access — 155km Mandali to Baghdad
Al-Waleed
Syria side: Al-Tanf
Reopened 2026
Latakia → Baghdad3-5 d
Typical cargo: General cargo
Reopened 2026-04-02 after ~11 years closed; for time-sensitive cargo confirm same-day status with a DDL specialist
Mehran
Iran side: Mehran (Ilam)
Tehran → Karbala5-7 d
Typical cargo: FMCG, consumer goods
Trebil
Jordan side: Karameh
Aqaba → Baghdad10-12 d
Typical cargo: General cargo, Aqaba-origin containers
Mixed-cargo containers need a longer Aqaba clearance first; waits spike during Hajj and spring agricultural peaks. One clearance at the federal border — no tariff difference to settle inland, unlike Turkey-route cargo entering through the KRG
Chazzabeh
Iran side: Chazabeh (Khuzestan)
Closed to goods
Tehran → AmarahSuspended · review 6 Oct
Typical cargo: Perishables, time-sensitive goods
Arar
Saudi Arabia side: Arar (Northern Borders)
Riyadh → Baghdad2-3 d
Typical cargo: General cargo
Onward overland to UAE and Oman via the Saudi road network; delays possible during Hajj and heightened Saudi inspections
Shalamcheh
Iran side: Shalamcheh (Khorramshahr)
Tehran → Basra4-5 d
Typical cargo: Southern Iraq cargo, petrochemical inputs
Safwan
Kuwait side: Al-Abdali
Kuwait City → Basra2-3 d
Typical cargo: General cargo, GCC trade
Paired with Umm Qasr port for Kuwait–Iraq flows to Baghdad, Basra and northern Iraq
Questions
Questions we get about these routes
Which crossing should my shipment use?
It depends on where the cargo clears, not only on distance. If the final destination is Baghdad or the south, a federal crossing such as Khosravi, Mehran or Shalamcheh avoids settling a tariff difference inland. If it is Erbil, Duhok or Sulaymaniyah, a KRG crossing is faster. Tell us the origin and the delivery city and we will name the crossing.
How long does Mersin to Erbil take?
5–7 days by road from the port, through Ibrahim Khalil, the Turkey–Iraq crossing at Zakho. Turkish cargo to Iraq moves overwhelmingly by road: UN Comtrade records USD 10.4 billion of Türkiye’s 13.0 billion in exports to Iraq travelling by road in 2024, about 80 per cent.
How long does Tehran to Baghdad take?
3–4 days through Khosravi, or 3–5 days through Sumar. Both are federal crossings, so the cargo clears once and needs no tariff difference inland.
Do you handle Syrian routes?
Yes, in both directions. Al-Qaim, Rabia and Al-Waleed connect to Al-Bukamal, Al-Yaarubiyah and Al-Tanf on the Syrian side. Latakia reaches Baghdad in 3–5 days inbound; Kirkuk to Latakia outbound is 4–5 days.
Is sea freight through the Persian Gulf running?
Not at the moment. Sea freight to and from Persian Gulf ports is suspended because of the Hormuz crisis, and we are not quoting it. We route Gulf-bound and Gulf-origin cargo overland or through Mersin and Aqaba instead. We review this on 5 December.
What happens during Arbaeen?
Several crossings see heavy disruption around the pilgrimage, and Mehran closes to goods for two to three weeks. The dates move each year with the lunar calendar. We re-route affected shipments through other crossings in the same customs system. Ask us for this year’s dates before you plan a shipment for that window.
Tell us the two cities
Origin and destination are enough for us to name the crossing, the customs system and the realistic transit time.