Do foreign workers have the same rights?
Kurdistan Region
Yes. Every labour-law right applies, on top of the instruction's own rules, and social security covers them.
- KRG Ministry of Labour Instruction No. 2 of 2024 · Art. 16, 17
Federal Iraq
The labour law covers every worker in Iraq, foreigners included. Losing the job does not make a foreign worker illegal, and the employer pays the ticket home.
- Labour Law No. 37 of 2015 · Art. 3/1, 34
The law
The Kurdistan Region has no labour law of its own, so it still applies Iraqi Labour Law No. 71 of 1987. Federal Iraq has applied the newer Labour Law No. 37 since 2015.
گشت ماف و ئەرکی کرێکاری بیانی کە لەم ڕێنماییەدا دیاری نەکراون بەپێی یاسای کاری بەرکار دەبن، سەرەرای ئەو ماف و ئەرکانەی لەم ڕێنماییەدا دیاری کراون.کرێکاری بیانی بەپێی یاسای دەستەبەری کۆمەڵایەتی بەرکار لە هەرێمی کوردستان دەستەبەر دەکرێت.تسري احكام هذا القانون على جميع العمال في جمهورية العراق او من هم بحكمهملا يعتبر العامل الاجنبي المقيم بشكل قانوني في العراق من اجل العمل ، في وضع غير قانونيThis is general information, not legal advice. It is for private-sector workers only, not government employees. It is written from the official texts of the laws named with each answer, checked on Oct 15, 2026. If anything differs, the official text of the law decides. For your own situation, speak to a lawyer or the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
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