Internet
Yes
Calls
No
SMS
No
4G
Yes
Works only on unlocked eSIM-supported devices — check your phone compatibility before purchase
Most packages do not include calls or SMS
Choose one of three methods:
Scan QR code
Install via 'Quick Install' button
Manual setup through phone settings
Use the package within 3 months from purchase
Local (one country), Regional (multiple countries), Global (many countries)
Not available for Sicily
People travel to Iraq as pilgrims to Najaf and Karbala, on business to Baghdad, Basra and Erbil, and out of interest in the history of Mesopotamia and Babylon. A trip often links several cities by road and domestic flights, so navigation, contact with a driver or guide, a translator and banking apps are needed from the moment you land. An eSIM is easy to set up at home, so you do not have to look for a shop after landing.
This page is the quickest way to buy a travel eSIM for Iraq from 6 500 ₸. Pick a plan, pay online and install the digital SIM card at home before the flight — no passport and no queue at an airport kiosk.
The eSIM connects to local mobile networks, so you have data wherever they have coverage — Baghdad and the rest of the country.
Compared with roaming in Iraq, an eSIM is usually much cheaper for mobile data: the price of the package is fixed and known in advance. Your home number stays active on the main SIM for calls and SMS.
If your phone does not support eSIM, you can buy a regular physical SIM card with data for Iraq at a Funsim point of sale: at Almaty and Shymkent airports, or at our offices in Almaty — 130/1 Abay St and 1 Pozharsky St. Handy if you remember about the internet right before departure.
On a trip around Iraq it is hard to predict how long transfers, meetings and queues will take, so reliable contact with a driver, a greeter and a guide is especially useful. Buying a local SIM after landing takes time, while an eSIM profile can be prepared at home. See the plans above for terms and covered countries, and if your route includes neighbouring countries, look at the regional plans.
Your main SIM stays in the phone for calls and bank SMS, while mobile data goes through the eSIM. Most plans have no voice calls or SMS, so it is easier to arrange things with a hotel, guide or driver through WhatsApp and Telegram, which are used very actively there. Before the trip, check the current travel advisories and entry rules.
| Criterion | eSIM Funsim | Roaming | Local SIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| When to prepare | At home, before the flight | Usually on arrival | After landing, at a point of sale |
| What you do in Iraq | Switch data on for the eSIM | Check your operator's terms | Visit a point of sale in person |
| Cost of data | Fixed package, see plans above | Usually much more expensive | Depends on the operator's tariff |
| Your main number | Stays for calls and banking | Stays active | Usually a separate second SIM |
| Route through several cities | One profile for the trip | Depends on operator terms | Yes, but you need time to buy it |
In cities connectivity is usually easier than between them and in desert areas. These are the places and routes where you will use mobile internet most.
The capital and largest city, with business meetings, museums and old districts along the Tigris. You need internet for maps, contact with your driver and greeter, and translating signs and notices. Distances are large and traffic is heavy, so agree the time and exact meeting point in a messenger beforehand.
The administrative centre of the Kurdistan Region in the north, with an ancient citadel and a large bazaar. Direct flights arrive here from a number of cities, and many people come on business. Internet helps with maps, taxis, contact with partners and translation, as both Kurdish and Arabic are spoken. Check on the plan page whether it covers the region you need.
One of the main pilgrimage centres: people come to the shrine of Imam Ali and the ancient Wadi al-Salam cemetery. Pilgrims usually travel in groups with organisers, but internet helps with contact with your guide, maps and messages to family. On big religious holidays networks are overloaded, so download maps and addresses in advance.
Another important pilgrimage centre, roughly a hundred kilometres from Baghdad. The shrines of Imam Husayn and Abbas receive many visitors, especially on holidays. A map, contact with the group leader and a translator are useful here, and before the trip it is worth saving your accommodation address and the organisers' contacts.
A port city in the south and a business centre of the oil industry, by the Shatt al-Arab. People come mostly for work, conferences and meetings. Internet is needed for contact with colleagues, email, video calls and banking apps, and for taxis and translation around the city.
A large city in the north-east with cafes, bookshops and mountain views around it. It is often chosen by those travelling around the north of the country. Internet helps with maps, booking rooms and checking the weather, and if you plan to head into the hills, download an offline map in advance.
The ruins of ancient Babylon are near the city of Hillah, roughly one to two hours' drive from Baghdad. It is a day trip for those interested in history. Mobile internet helps with maps, contact with the driver and opening hours, and signal at the site itself can be uneven.
Main services work as at home, but a few universal apps are worth installing before the trip.
Good for routes, reviews and opening hours. Download offline maps of cities and the region in advance, and save points on the map for long transfers.
Needed for Arabic and Kurdish: signs, menus and documents. Download the language for offline use and translate text with the camera.
The main way to arrange things with a hotel, guide, driver and organisers. Install it in advance and check that the verification code reaches your main number.
Good for talking with a group and receiving documents and routes. Since most plans have no calls, you can call and message family through a messenger.
Helps you find hotels in the larger cities. Save the confirmation and the hotel's contacts in your phone, and it is best to tell them your arrival time in advance.
Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier. You can see this in settings or on the manufacturer's website.
Choose an Iraq plan above and pay by card on the site, no passport is needed. On the plan page, see which regions of the country it covers.
Install the eSIM at home by QR code, the Quick install button or manually while you have Wi-Fi. That way you will not need to look for internet at the airport.
After landing, select the eSIM as your mobile data line and switch data roaming on for that line.
Keep your main SIM on for calls and bank SMS, but turn off mobile data on it so traffic does not go through roaming.
If the package runs out, buy extra data on the site. You can use the hotspot for a laptop on plans that allow it, check the plan page for details.
Before a long transfer between cities, download offline maps and save addresses and contacts in your phone: signal can be uneven in desert areas.
