Salar Abdullah, Director of the Slemani Passport Directorate, stated that reports circulating about a decrease in passport issuance and renewal fees are “entirely baseless.”

Speaking to Channel8, Abdullah confirmed that prices remain unchanged and no new directives have been issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior on the matter. 

Currently, passport issuance and renewal fees across Iraq are fixed at 91,000 IQD. Payment processing is conducted exclusively through electronic means, with all generated revenue deposited directly into the federal government's official bank accounts. 

10-Year Contract Blocks Passport Fee Cut 

Abdullah noted that this pricing is tied to a 10-year contract executed between the federal government and a private sector company. 

He indicated that if the government wishes to lower the fee, it would be legally required to pay substantial financial compensation to the firm for the remaining seven years of the contract, making a price reduction highly unlikely at this time. 

Fee Cuts Merely an MP Proposal, Not Official Policy 

Addressing the origin of the rumors, the director revealed that the circulating information stems merely from a proposal submitted to the government by an individual Member of Parliament, rather than an approved bill or executive decree. 

He emphasized that the fee will almost certainly remain unchanged, given that the federal government has made no fiscal provisions to absorb the cost of compensating the private firm.