Medical specialties are considered one of the most in-demand jobs in Iraq for the year 2024, especially since all countries of the world are moving towards a qualitative shift in the medical field, and the Arab world can only keep up with this development with hard work and continuous training.
Iraq aspires to attract doctors and health personnel to work in Iraqi hospitals and health centers, and offers them attractive employment contracts with high salaries, as Iraq needs competent specialists in all medical fields, including doctors and nurses. Afaq Medical Recruitment Company will provide you through this article with all the details about the jobs. Required in Iraq within the medical field.
Contents of the article
An overview of employment contracts in Iraq.
● Types of work visas in Iraq.
● Work visa requirements in Iraq.
● Timeframe for a work visa in Iraq.
● The cost of a work permit in Iraq.
● Terminating the employment contract in Iraq.
● Working hours in Iraq.
● Mandatory benefits in Iraq.

An Overview about employment contracts in Iraq
One of the basics of concluding medical employment contracts is obtaining a work permit, which is an important document for foreigners who wish to work abroad. This permit also confirms the individual’s right to reside in a foreign country for the duration of work. The Iraqi Labor Law also requires foreigners to obtain an Iraqi work permit to work in the country.

Types of work visas in Iraq
The Iraqi Labor Law clearly distinguishes regarding issuing work permits to foreign employees, whether they are Arabs or foreigners. Therefore, foreign employees need work permits in order to be allowed to work in Iraq legally.
It is necessary to know the types of work visas that Iraq grants to its foreign workers.
There are two types of work permits issued by the state:
● Tourist Work Visa: This visa is intended for foreigners entering the country for commercial activities or investment purposes, and is valid for 30 days.
● Multiple Work Visa: This is the most common visa issued to foreigners coming to the country for paid work.

Work visa requirements in Iraq
When applying for a work visa in a foreign country, it is necessary to provide some documents that differ depending on nationality. Here are the most important documents required to obtain a work visa in Iraq:
● Completed Iraq visa application form.
● A passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Iraq.
● Two passport size photographs.
● Official employment contract.
● Pay work visa fees in Iraq.
● Work visa application process in Iraq.
The application process may seem a bit complicated, as the employer begins by issuing work permits to foreign employees in Iraq, after which the foreigners receive an official employment letter from the Iraqi authorities or relevant ministries, and the process of applying for an Iraq work visa is as follows:
● The employer sends a job offer to the employee.
● The employer sends a request to employ a foreign employee to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, which includes all information related to the employees such as their nationality, addresses, gender, and duration of work, in addition to all documents necessary for work visa requirements in Iraq.
● The Department of Labor and Vocational Training verifies the legal conditions and then issues an entry visa to the country.
● The foreign worker must visit the Department of Labor and Vocational Training to complete the procedures for obtaining a work permit, within 7 days of his arrival in Iraq.
● It is necessary to submit all necessary papers to obtain a work permit for both the employer and the employee, and if the employer has a fixed identity in Iraq, obtaining work permits for employees will be difficult.
● After that, an application for a doctor’s entry visa can be made at the Iraqi embassy in the applicant’s country of residence.
● When the employee enters the country, the Immigration Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq verify the visa and related documents.
Timeframe for a work visa in Iraq
The Iraqi work visa is processed in two stages:
● The first is obtaining approval from the Ministry of Labor, which can take from 15 to 20 days.
● The second: is submitting the application to the embassy. The total time for processing the work visa in Iraq ranges between 4 to 8 weeks.

The cost of a work permit in Iraq
The cost of a work permit in Iraq is $100 for a single entry visa, and it also includes tourist and religious visas, while the cost of a multiple entry visa is $150.
Terminating the employment contract in Iraq
Iraqi hospitals conduct a probationary period to identify doctors and analyze their performance and abilities. This period does not exceed 3 months. The period must be specified in the employment contract, after which the doctor registers in the hospital as a full-time worker. Possible cases for terminating the medical contract in Iraq are as follows:
● Mutual agreement between employer and employee.
● The expiration of the contract period mentioned in its terms.
● The employee’s desire to apply for another job opportunity.
● The employee becomes ill and suffers from disability for more than 6 months.
● The hospital is at risk of closure.
● Doctors cannot be terminated simply because of the doctor’s weak performance. A written warning must first be given to him. If the behavior continues for 30 days or more after the warning is issued, the contract will be terminated unilaterally. Notice of termination must be provided at least 30 days before the date of termination.

Working hours in Iraq
As a general rule, doctors should not work more than eight hours a day for six days a week, but working hours can be increased in exceptional cases. The increase is treated as overtime and wages must be increased by 50% to 100% depending on the type and nature of the work.

Mandatory benefits in Iraq
Iraqi law imposes mandatory benefits that include a probationary period, annual leave, and official holidays, in addition to maternity leave, overtime pay, and end-of-service benefits. Legal benefits also include:
1. Social Security benefits.
2. Rent anywhere, without risk.
In conclusion, over the course of nine years since the founding of our company, we have worked with the health sector in Iraq, governmental and private, where we have been an honest platform for doctors and owners of centers and hospitals, by concluding the best contracts and providing the best services and consultations, so if you are a specialist doctor who wants to work in Iraq or From the owners of medical centers in Iraq, do not hesitate to contact us