---
title: "Living in Basra as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/basra
description: "Iraq's oil port on the Shatt al-Arab, among the hottest cities on earth"
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Basra, Iraq

Basra scores 25.9/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 1501 of 1501 cities. There is no open cost-of-living figure yet; expect no dedicated nomad visa, and a measured median download speed of 1.7 Mbps.

Basra is Iraq's main port and oil hub, spread along the Shatt al-Arab with a riverside corniche, palm groves and the southern marshes within reach. Summers pass 50 °C, power cuts and water quality problems are frequent, payments are mostly in cash, and most Western governments advise against travel to federal Iraq, so it suits oil-sector postings more than remote work.

Known for: Shatt al-Arab corniche, Date palm groves, Southern marshes nearby, Advisories and 50 °C summers.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 25.9 |
| Cost of living | — |
| Safety | 21 |
| Healthcare | 64 |
| Internet | 17 |
| Visa ease | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 7 |
| Climate | 25 |
| Air quality | 0 |
| Quality of life | 38 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | — | country | 2026-09 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 12.6 | country | 2021 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 32.9 | country | 2025 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 64 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.7 | country | 2023 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 1.7 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 3.3 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Starlink residential service | Available | country | 2026-10 | [^9] |
| Nomad visa | none listed | country | 2026-07 | [^10] |
| Entry for US / EU / UK passports | visa on arrival / visa on arrival / visa on arrival | country | 2026-02 | [^11] |
| Non-stop destinations (BSR) | 15 | city | 2026-07 | [^12] |
| Restaurants within 3 km of the centre (OpenStreetMap) | 192 | city | 2026-11 | [^16] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 2 / 1 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^13] |
| Comfortable months | 3 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^14] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 91.7 | city | 2023 | [^15] |
| Human Development Index | 0.695 | country | 2023 | [^17] |
| English proficiency band | very-low | country | 2024 | [^18] |

## Tax on income from abroad

**Foreigners pay no Iraqi tax on foreign income, but work done in Iraq is likely taxed at 3%–15%.** Iraq does not tax a foreign resident's income from outside Iraq, so foreign dividends, interest, rent, gains and pensions are untaxed. Income arising in Iraq is taxed for anyone, and pay for work you do there most likely counts, at 3%–15%. The 15% band starts at only IQD 1,000,000 a year. Iraqi citizens are taxed on worldwide income. The Kurdistan Region (Erbil) has its own bands. There is no wealth tax.

| Question | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| How residents are taxed | territorial (local income only) |
| Remote work for foreign clients or employers | taxed (3%–15% progressive in federal Iraq (15% above IQD 1,000,000 of taxable income a year); 3%–15% with wider bands in the Kurdistan Region) |
| Investments and pensions from abroad | not taxed |
| Wealth | no wealth tax |
| Tax resident after | 120 days a year |
| Top income tax rate | 15% |

Residency: Income Tax Law No 113 of 1982 (Article 1(10)) uses months, not days. A non-Iraqi is resident if they live in Iraq for at least six months in total during the year in which the income arises, or for four continuous months, so about 120 days in a row is the earliest trigger. A foreigner employed by a legal entity in Iraq is resident whatever the length of stay. In federal Iraq, nationals of Arab countries who work in Iraq are resident whatever the length of stay; the Kurdistan Region suspended that rule, so Arab nationals there face the same four- or six-month test (Kurdistan Law No 26 of 2007, Article 1). An Iraqi citizen is resident after four months in Iraq, or when absent only temporarily while keeping a permanent home and main place of work there. The tax year is the calendar year. Residency matters less than in most countries: a foreigner's foreign income is untaxed either way (Article 5(3)), and Iraqi-source income is taxed either way (Article 5(2)). It decides whether you get the personal allowances (Article 12), which a foreign resident receives in proportion to the full months spent in Iraq.

Remote work: The law taxes a non-resident on income arising in Iraq even if it is not received there (Article 5(2)), and taxes a resident Iraqi on worldwide income (Article 5(1)). Salaries and professional earnings are listed sources of income (Article 2). The law has no explicit rule on where a salary from a foreign employer arises, and we found no General Commission of Taxes (GCT) guidance on remote work, so treating pay for work physically done in Iraq as Iraqi income is our reading of the law, not an official position. If it is taxable, no Iraqi employer withholds it, so you report it yourself: the GCT's income tax guide sets the deadline for the annual income tax report at 31 May. Federal rates after allowances are 3% up to IQD 250,000, 5% to IQD 500,000, 10% to IQD 1,000,000 and 15% above (Article 13, applied by the GCT's circular for 2017 onward). The 2017 circular sets the allowances at IQD 2,500,000 a year for a single person and IQD 4,500,000 for a married employee whose spouse has no income; non-residents get no allowances. In practice almost all professional income reaches the 15% band. Self-employed people are assessed using the GCT's annual deemed-profit guidelines for trades and professions; the 2026 edition is a scanned PDF and we did not review how it treats online or IT work. In the Kurdistan Region, Law No 26 of 2007 replaced the bands with 3% up to IQD 2,000,000, 5% to 4,000,000, 10% to 6,000,000 and 15% above, after larger allowances. Law No 20 of 2011 taxes the salaries of the region's public employees and officially registered private-sector employees at 5% of the amount above IQD 1,000,000 (the text does not state the period). Whether that 5% rule reaches a remote worker paid from abroad is unclear. Iraqi residents can credit foreign income tax against Iraqi tax on the same income (Article 5(4)). Iraq has very few tax treaties; the GCT reported signing one with Pakistan in August 2023. Social security was not reviewed here.

Investments: Income arising outside Iraq is not taxed for non-Iraqi residents (Income Tax Law, Article 5(3)). That covers foreign dividends, interest, capital gains, rent from property abroad and pensions paid from abroad. Iraqi citizens are different: a resident Iraqi is taxed on income from inside and outside Iraq wherever it is received (Article 5(1)), with a credit for foreign tax (Article 5(4)). Iraqi investments are mostly lightly taxed. Interest that individuals earn on deposits with Iraqi banks and savings funds is exempt (Article 7(15)). A dividend paid from company profits on which the company has paid tax is not taxable income for the shareholder (Article 2). Gains on shares and bonds are taxed only when you trade them as a business (Article 2(3)). Rent from Iraqi property is exempt from income tax (Article 7(2)) but pays the real estate tax of 10% of the annual rent after a 10% allowance for maintenance (Real Estate Tax Law No 162 of 1959). Selling Iraqi property triggers the property transfer tax described under wealth. The law has no specific rule for crypto-assets, so this profile does not say how they are treated.

On the nomad visa: Iraq has no digital nomad visa. Visitors can apply online for a 30-day e-visa for single or multiple entry. Your visa does not change the tax rules: you become resident after four continuous months or six months in total in a year, and pay for work you do in Iraq is likely taxable from the first day, while a foreigner's foreign income is untaxed either way.

Official sources: [Income Tax Law No 113 of 1982 and its amendments (consolidated Arabic text)](https://tax.mof.gov.iq/%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B6%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%AE%D9%84-%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%85-113-%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-1982-%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%87/) (General Commission of Taxes, Ministry of Finance (tax.mof.gov.iq), read 2026-10-27); [Legal allowances and tax scale for the 2017 financial year (circular signed 29 January 2017)](https://tax.mof.gov.iq/uploads/Hiba/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9%20%D9%88%D9%85%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B3%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9.pdf) (General Commission of Taxes, Ministry of Finance (tax.mof.gov.iq), read 2026-10-27); [Income tax guide](https://tax.mof.gov.iq/%d8%af%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%84-%d8%b6%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%af%d8%ae%d9%84/) (General Commission of Taxes, Ministry of Finance (tax.mof.gov.iq), read 2026-10-27); [Revolutionary Command Council Decision No 120 of 2002 on the property transfer tax, with Instructions No 12 of 2002](https://tax.mof.gov.iq/%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-120-%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-2002-%D8%B6%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%84%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1/) (General Commission of Taxes, Ministry of Finance (tax.mof.gov.iq), read 2026-10-27); [Real Estate Tax Law No 162 of 1959 and its amendments](https://tax.mof.gov.iq/%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B6%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%85-162-%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-1959-%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7/) (General Commission of Taxes, Ministry of Finance (tax.mof.gov.iq), read 2026-10-27); [Vacant Land Tax Law No 26 of 1962 as amended](https://tax.mof.gov.iq/%D9%82%D9%80%D9%80%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B6%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%85-26-%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-1962-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B9/) (General Commission of Taxes, Ministry of Finance (tax.mof.gov.iq), read 2026-10-27); [Legal legislation (list of tax laws applied)](https://tax.mof.gov.iq/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9/) (General Commission of Taxes, Ministry of Finance (tax.mof.gov.iq), read 2026-10-27); [Iraq and Pakistan sign an agreement to avoid double taxation (14 August 2023)](https://tax.mof.gov.iq/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82-%d9%88%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%83%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%82%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%81%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%85%d9%86%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84/) (General Commission of Taxes, Ministry of Finance (tax.mof.gov.iq), read 2026-10-27); [Kurdistan Law No 26 of 2007 amending the application of Income Tax Law No 113 of 1982 in the Kurdistan Region](https://legislation.krd/law-detail/?id=3796) (Kurdistan Parliament legislation database (legislation.krd), read 2026-10-27); [Kurdistan Law No 20 of 2011, first amendment to Law No 26 of 2007](https://legislation.krd/law-detail/?id=3547) (Kurdistan Parliament legislation database (legislation.krd), read 2026-10-27); [Electronic visa for Iraq: instructions](https://evisa.iq/Instructions) (Iraq e-visa portal (evisa.iq), read 2026-10-27).

Not yet reviewed by a person. General information, not tax advice. US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live.

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 11.8 | 20 | 58 | no |
| Feb | 14.4 | 11 | 51 | no |
| Mar | 20.1 | 8 | 38 | yes |
| Apr | 25.9 | 8 | 31 | yes |
| May | 32.7 | 2 | 21 | no |
| Jun | 37.1 | 1 | 14 | no |
| Jul | 39.1 | 1 | 14 | no |
| Aug | 38.8 | 0 | 15 | no |
| Sep | 34.8 | 0 | 17 | no |
| Oct | 28.8 | 4 | 27 | no |
| Nov | 19.4 | 13 | 44 | yes |
| Dec | 13.4 | 16 | 56 | no |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Basra International Airport | BSR | 15 | 12 | 0 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 15, of which 12 international (Wikipedia, 2026-07).

## Similar cities

- [Karbala](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/karbala) (29.7) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/basra-vs-karbala)
- [Baghdad](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/baghdad) (31.7) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/baghdad-vs-basra)
- [Najaf](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/najaf) (31.5) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/basra-vs-najaf)
- [Erbil](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/erbil) (33.4) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/basra-vs-erbil)
- [Sargodha](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/sargodha) (27.1) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/basra-vs-sargodha)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Basra as a digital nomad?

We do not have a reliable monthly cost figure for Basra yet.

### Is Basra safe for digital nomads?

Basra scores 21/100 on safety. Iraq records 12.6 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2021) and a political-stability score of 32.9/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Iraq have a digital nomad visa?

No dedicated digital nomad visa was listed for Iraq as of 2026-07. Visitors from the US get a visa on arrival.

### How fast is the internet in Basra?

Measured median download speed in Basra was 1.7 Mbps (upload 3.3 Mbps) across 6,486 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Is Starlink available in Basra?

Yes. Starlink's availability map lists residential service as available in Iraq (checked 2026-10), so a dish can serve as a backup line in Basra. Check the exact address on starlink.com before ordering, since capacity varies by area.

### Which airports serve Basra and how many nonstop flights are there?

Basra is served by Basra International Airport (BSR) with 15 nonstop destinations, of which 12 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-07.

### When is the best time of year to be in Basra?

The most comfortable months are Mar, Apr, Nov. Mean temperatures range from 53°F (12°C) in Jan to 102°F (39°C) in Jul (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Basra or Karbala: which is better for digital nomads?

Karbala is the city with the closest factor profile to Basra in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Plan a trip

[Plan a trip to Basra](https://dashboard.navoy.io/trip/new?utm_source=nostos&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=plan_trip&utm_content=basra&destination=Basra%2C+Iraq) on Navoy, the AI travel planner behind Nostos.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/estimates-of-rates-of-homicides-per-100-000-population (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Starlink availability map, SpaceX (Starlink). Factual status cited from starlink.com. https://www.starlink.com/map (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^10]: Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^11]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^12]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^13]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04), Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis. CC BY 4.0. https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/surface-pm2-5/ (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^16]: OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API), OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. https://overpass-api.de/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
[^17]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^18]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/basra