Iraqis will therefore be required to use the Iraqi G-passport when travelling to and from Norway.

The reason why the Norwegian authorities are no longer recognizing the S-passports is that, the conditions surrounding the issuing of the documents and also the security considerations do not permit the recognition of the passports as valid travel document. The S-passports do not fulfil international security demands for travel documents. As it says in the press release from The Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion on the 25.04.2007, the G-passport series that the Iraqi government started issuing last year has greater security in terms of identity issues. The G-passports also have technical qualities that make it difficult to manipulate. There are stricter requirements for such passports to be issued. They are only being issued temporarily by central Iraqi authorities, which in itself contribute in securing the quality of the documents.

For those who have S-passports and have already been issued visitor’s visa to Norway or other Schengen country, a transitional arrangement has been made such that the visa can be used. S -passports which by the 25. April 2007 have visa issued in them for visits to the Schengen countries are recognized as valid travel documents within the validity of the visa period.

Read the press release from The Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion (AID) (only in Norwegian)