The Habur Border Gate is Türkiye's main road customs gate to Iraq, located in the Silopi district of Şırnak, opposite the Ibrahim Khalil gate on the Iraqi side. It is listed by the Ministry of Trade (Ticaret Bakanlığı) as an operational, permanent gate; according to Ministry data, it was the land gate in Türkiye with the most commercial vehicle crossings in 2020.
Location and key facts
| Item | Habur |
|---|---|
| Province / district | Şırnak / Silopi |
| Customs office | Habur Customs Directorate |
| Opposite gate | Ibrahim Khalil (El-Halil in the Ministry list) |
| Neighbouring country | Iraq |
| Status | Operational, permanent (Ministry of Trade, May 2026 list) |
Why is it so important?
According to the Ministry of Trade's 2020 data, Habur was the border gate with the most commercial vehicle crossings in Türkiye, with approximately 1,090,000 commercial vehicles, followed by Kapıkule and Sarp. A significant part of road cargo from Türkiye to northern Iraq, and from there to other regions of the country, passes through this gate. In the Ministry list, Derecik and Üzümlü on the Iraqi border are also shown as operational, while Gülyazı, Aktepe and Ovaköy are not. For an overview of the gates, see the entry Türkiye's road border gates.
Documents required for the crossing
- Export declaration to be closed on the Turkish side
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- CMR consignment note
- Certificate of origin where requested by the consignee
- Conformity or quality certificates required by the Iraqi authorities depending on the product group
- Vehicle registration, international transport permits, driver's passport and visa if required
Because the Iraqi side's document requirements can vary by product and destination region, the current list should be confirmed with the consignee and the customs broker before each shipment.
The crossing step by step
- Loading and declaration: The export declaration is opened at an inland customs office or at the border, and the documents are handed to the driver.
- Turkish exit: The declaration is closed at the Habur Customs Directorate, and the vehicle and driver pass exit control.
- Iraqi entry: At Ibrahim Khalil, documents are checked, an examination is carried out if necessary, and the Iraqi side's duty and fee formalities are completed.
- Arrival: The vehicle proceeds to the delivery point in Iraq; after unloading, the same gates are used for the return.
Reasons for waiting
- Processing capacity on both sides not keeping up with demand at peak times
- The description of goods, quantity or value on the invoice not matching the other documents
- Product-specific controls and document verifications on the Iraqi side
- Vehicles accumulating around religious and public holidays
- The vehicle being held in the border area because of missing or unsigned documents
During the pandemic, a contactless trade arrangement reducing contact between vehicles and drivers was introduced at Habur on 1 March 2020 and ended on 21 August 2020. This example shows that operations at the gate can change with temporary decisions.
Who is responsible for what?
The exporter is responsible for the accuracy of the declaration and the commercial documents; the declaration is usually submitted on its behalf by a customs broker. The carrier keeps the vehicle's and driver's crossing documents, transport permits and CMR ready. The consignee in Iraq is responsible for clearance, payment of duties and product-specific permits on its side; this work is usually handled through an Iraqi customs agent used by the consignee. The delivery terms in the sales contract determine who bears which costs; under delivered terms such as DAP, delays in formalities on the Iraqi side directly extend the transit time.
Planning tips
- Give the contact details of the Iraqi customs agent to the driver and carrier before loading
- Send scanned documents to the consignee on the day of loading and obtain approval
- Take the weeks before religious holidays into account separately in the schedule
- Discuss customs clearance and delivery time as separate items in the international road freight quote