Iraq said on Wednesday that passengers arriving in the country must provide a coronavirus vaccination certificate.
The country reported at least five cases of the highly transmissible Omicron Covid-19 variant last week.
More cases have been reported among foreign diplomats in Baghdad, the ministry said, without elaborating.
Coronavirus infections are thought to have significantly decreased in recent months, helped by rising numbers of vaccinated people.
“All arrivals to Iraq, both Iraqis and foreigners, must present the Covid-19 vaccine cards, containing the IQ verification code, proving that the person has received at least two doses of one of the vaccines,” said a statement by the coronavirus emergency committee.
“Pilgrims are not exempt from this new law and they will be required to present an international card for the vaccination,” said the committee.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, Iraq has recorded a total of 2.1 million cases and more than 24,000 fatalities.
Due to sanctions, conflict and war, the country’s healthcare system has been in crisis for decades. The country has suffered a shortage of medical staff and doctors as many have fled the country, and medication is scarce.
For months, health officials have warned that they are running low on oxygen supplies and nearly all of the country's Covid-19 hospital units have been operating at maximum capacity.
The committee said it has “prepared hospitals for another wave of Covid-19 patients, giving them extra supplies.”
Iraq, which uses the Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines, launched its inoculation campaign last March. Since then, authorities have been pushing forward their vaccination drives.
More than five-and-a-half million people have received at least a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to health ministry figures.
Distrust of vaccines has been strong among Iraq's population of 40 million.
Omicron in the middle east - in pictures
