Bulk SMS in Iraq: CMC, Sender ID and Arabic Text Guide
Bulk SMS Iraq guide: CMC as regulator, Asiacell, Zain Iraq and Korek routes, sender ID registration, Arabic and Kurdish Unicode limits, OTP vs promo and consent.
By OmniChannels.ai Editorial Team · Reviewed by BroadNet Messaging Solutions Team
SMS & OTP
Short answer
To send bulk SMS in Iraq, use a provider with direct routes to Asiacell, Zain Iraq and Korek, register an alphanumeric sender ID of up to 11 characters (our data lists a typical lead time of 7 to 14 business days), and send marketing only to people with logged opt-in. The regulator is the Communications and Media Commission (CMC). Arabic text uses Unicode, so one message holds 70 characters, or 67 per part when it is split.
On this page
- Who regulates bulk SMS in Iraq?
- Which operators carry SMS in Iraq?
- Do you need a registered sender ID in Iraq?
- How many characters fit in an Arabic or Kurdish SMS?
- What is the difference between OTP and promotional SMS in Iraq?
- What consent and opt-out rules apply?
- When should you send, and what about Fridays and Ramadan?
- Where does WhatsApp fit next to SMS in Iraq?
- A worked example: a Baghdad online electronics store
- What are the common mistakes?
- How OmniChannels.ai helps
Key takeaways
- Our regulation data names the Communications and Media Commission (CMC) as the regulator, with a typical sender ID lead time of 7 to 14 business days.
- Our coverage data lists three operators with direct routes: Asiacell (418-05), Zain Iraq (418-30) and Korek (418-40).
- Sender IDs are pre-registered: one per legal entity per use case, in Latin or Arabic letters, up to 11 characters. Public guidance from other sources on whether registration is mandatory is inconsistent, so treat it as required and let our team confirm the current position for your traffic.
- Arabic and Kurdish written in Arabic script need Unicode: 70 characters for a single message and 67 per part once it is split, against 160 and 153 for plain GSM-7 text.
- Marketing needs verifiable opt-in and an opt-out keyword (STOP or its Arabic equivalent). We have found no regulator-published time-of-day window, so schedule promotions for local daytime and keep OTPs on a separate route.
This guide is for banks, retailers, delivery firms, clinics and service companies that want to send SMS to mobile numbers in Iraq: one-time passcodes, order alerts, reminders and promotions. It explains who regulates SMS, how the three main networks are reached, how sender ID registration works, why Arabic text changes message length and how to keep OTPs and promotions apart. It is a practical overview, not legal advice; confirm requirements with Iraqi counsel and your provider before launch.
Who regulates bulk SMS in Iraq?
The Communications and Media Commission (CMC) is the regulator listed in our regulation data for Iraq. Day-to-day conditions, such as sender ID registration, are applied through the mobile operators.
| Item | What our data says |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Communications and Media Commission (CMC), cmc.iq |
| Calling code | +964 |
| Sender ID format | Alphanumeric, Latin or Arabic letters, up to 11 characters |
| Pre-registration | Required for Asiacell and Zain Iraq; one sender ID per legal entity per use case |
| Typical lead time | 7 to 14 business days |
| Marketing consent | Verifiable opt-in; opt-out keyword on every marketing message |
| Quiet hours | No regulator-published time-of-day window found |
Our regulation data was last reviewed in September 2026 and the rules change, so we confirm the current position for your traffic during onboarding. See the Iraq sender ID guide and the Iraq market page.
Which operators carry SMS in Iraq?
Three mobile networks appear in our coverage data, and all three are reached over direct routes. A direct route is a connection to the operator's own SMS centre, so delivery reports come from the operator rather than from a chain of intermediaries.
| Operator | MCC-MNC | Route in our data |
|---|---|---|
| Asiacell | 418-05 | Direct |
| Zain Iraq | 418-30 | Direct |
| Korek | 418-40 | Direct |
Direct routing matters more in Iraq than in many markets because grey routes and SIM boxes are common and lead to filtered messages and unreliable delivery reports (see grey route SMS). Ask any provider whether Iraqi traffic runs on direct operator routes, and ask how the delivery report is produced. Our guide to choosing a bulk SMS provider has a test plan you can copy.
Do you need a registered sender ID in Iraq?
Plan on registering one. A sender ID is the name that appears instead of a phone number, and in Iraq our data lists pre-registration, with one ID per legal entity per use case.
Public guidance is inconsistent. Some sources say registration is required, others say it is not possible or not needed, and several warn that generic IDs such as INFO or SMS can be replaced or filtered. We cannot reconcile those from a primary source, so we recommend the conservative path:
- Choose a name that matches your brand and your message content. Avoid generic words.
- Choose Latin or Arabic letters, up to 11 characters. Latin is easier to recognise in a mixed Arabic and English inbox.
- Prepare your company documents and, where asked, a letter of authorisation. Our sender ID letter generator drafts one.
- Register one ID per use case, for example one for OTP and one for marketing, so that a complaint about promotions does not block your codes.
- Allow 7 to 14 business days and test on all three networks before launch.
Our team prepares and files the registration with you; approval stays with the operators and regulator. The sender ID checker shows the rules for each country, and sender ID types explained compares alphanumeric IDs with long and short codes.
How many characters fit in an Arabic or Kurdish SMS?
A single Arabic SMS holds 70 characters, not 160, because Arabic letters are outside the default GSM 7-bit alphabet and the message is sent as Unicode (UCS-2). When a message is split, each part carries 67 characters in Unicode or 153 in GSM-7, because part of every segment is used for a concatenation header (3GPP TS 23.038 and 23.040).
| Encoding | Single message | Per part when split |
|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 (plain English) | 160 | 153 |
| Unicode (Arabic, Kurdish in Arabic script, emoji) | 70 | 67 |
Here are three Iraqi examples with their real lengths, counted in characters:
- OTP, Arabic, 67 characters, 1 message (limit 70):
رمز التحقق الخاص بك هو 482915. لا تشاركه مع أحد. صالح لمدة 5 دقائق. - Delivery alert, Arabic, 64 characters, 1 message (limit 70):
أهلا علي، تم شحن طلبك 4471 وسيصل غدا. تتبع الشحنة: example.com/t - Promotion, English, plain GSM-7, 87 characters, 1 message (limit 160):
DIJLA STORE: Weekend offer on electronics. Details: example.com/o Reply STOP to opt out
An Arabic version of the promotion runs to 84 characters, so it is sent as 2 parts (limit 67 per part), and you pay for both parts. Short links, no diacritics and fewer words keep Arabic messages in one part. Our article on SMS character limits and Unicode goes deeper, and the SMS character counter shows the exact encoding before you send.
Kurdish written in Arabic script (Sorani) is Unicode and behaves like Arabic. Kurdish in Latin letters often contains ş, ê, î or û, which are not in GSM-7, so those messages are Unicode as well. A single emoji or a curly quotation mark turns an English GSM-7 message into Unicode and cuts its capacity to 70.
What is the difference between OTP and promotional SMS in Iraq?
Keep them on separate sender IDs and routes. OTPs and alerts are transactional: the customer is waiting for them, they can be sent at any hour and they need the fastest, most reliable path. Promotions are optional, depend on consent and must carry an opt-out.
| Traffic type | Sender ID | Consent | Timing | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTP and security alerts | Own registered ID | Not a marketing consent matter; the user triggered it | Any hour | Code, validity, "never share" warning |
| Order and appointment updates | Own or shared transactional ID | Customer relationship | Any hour, sensible for the customer | Facts only, no offers |
| Promotions | Separate marketing ID | Verifiable opt-in | Local daytime | Offer, link, opt-out keyword |
Never add an offer to an OTP. It mixes consent categories, invites complaints against your OTP sender ID and makes the code harder to read. See our OTP message guide for wording and expiry, and SMS pumping fraud prevention for protecting an OTP endpoint from abuse.
What consent and opt-out rules apply?
Our regulation data for Iraq requires verifiable opt-in for marketing: log the source, timestamp, IP address and channel, and keep the evidence for as long as the marketing relationship lasts. Every marketing message must carry an opt-out keyword, STOP or its Arabic equivalent, which our data says is honoured network-wide and audited by the regulator.
Practical steps:
- Collect consent at the point of sign-up with plain wording that names SMS.
- Store the evidence, not only a yes/no flag.
- Put the opt-out in every promotion, in the same language as the message.
- Suppress opt-outs across every channel, not only SMS.
- Never buy or rent number lists.
The opt-in consent generator drafts wording, and our guide to opt-in across channels explains how to keep records. Confirm your case with an Iraqi lawyer.
When should you send, and what about Fridays and Ramadan?
We have not found a regulator-published time-of-day window for promotional SMS in Iraq, so agree sending hours with the operator and schedule promotions for the recipient's local daytime. Transactional traffic runs 24/7.
Beyond that, use judgment and your own results. We have not verified any Iraqi rule on Fridays or public holidays, so treat them as a matter of audience behaviour: test a small send on a Friday before putting a large campaign there. During Ramadan, buying and reading habits shift towards the evening, and our Ramadan messaging guide covers tone and timing for the region. The send time planner helps you lay out a schedule.
Where does WhatsApp fit next to SMS in Iraq?
Use SMS for reach and urgency, WhatsApp for conversation and rich content. SMS reaches any phone without an app; WhatsApp needs the customer to have the app and to have opted in, and Meta's policy requires that opt-in. A common pattern is WhatsApp first and SMS as the fallback for time-critical messages such as OTPs and delivery notices. Read channel fallback strategy for the rules, and WhatsApp Business API providers in Iraq for the WhatsApp side, including why templates are submitted in Arabic or English.
A worked example: a Baghdad online electronics store
"Dijla Store" (synthetic) sells online with delivery across Iraq. It registers two sender IDs well before its launch: one for OTPs and delivery alerts and one for marketing, each in Latin letters. The OTP route sends Arabic codes of 67 characters, so each fits one message. Delivery alerts are 64 characters, also one message. Promotions go only to customers who ticked an SMS box at checkout, with the source and timestamp stored, and they carry a STOP keyword. The team sends promotions on weekday afternoons and tests a Friday send on a small group first. Each campaign is previewed in the character counter, and an Arabic promotion of 84 characters is cut by dropping a sentence so it fits one message.
What are the common mistakes?
- Launching without a sender ID and getting a generic one substituted.
- Using one sender ID for OTPs and promotions, so a marketing complaint blocks login codes.
- Writing Arabic copy as if it had 160 characters, then paying for three parts.
- Sending through grey routes because they are cheap, and finding delivery reports are unreliable.
- Storing consent as a yes/no flag without source or timestamp.
- Assuming the Kurdistan Region has the same set-up as Baghdad without checking. We have not verified a separate rule, so ask.
How OmniChannels.ai helps
OmniChannels.ai sends A2P SMS over BroadNet's direct operator connectivity, with Unicode and Arabic support, two-way SMS, HLR lookup and scheduling. Our team prepares and files sender ID registrations with you, and WhatsApp fallback is configured per use case. Delivery reports are available in summary and advanced views. See the Iraq SMS pricing page for current list prices, the Iraq market page, or book a demo to plan registration and a pilot send.
Frequently asked questions
Is bulk SMS legal in Iraq?
Yes. Businesses in Iraq send OTPs, alerts and marketing by SMS through licensed operators and providers. The Communications and Media Commission (CMC) regulates telecoms, and operators set sender ID conditions. Treat consent as mandatory for marketing, register your sender ID before launch and confirm current requirements with your provider. This guide is not legal advice.
Do I need to register a sender ID to send SMS to Iraq?
Plan on it. Our regulation data lists pre-registration for Asiacell and Zain Iraq, one sender ID per legal entity per use case. Public sources disagree on how strictly each network enforces it, and unregistered or generic IDs risk being replaced or filtered. Registering a sender ID that matches your brand is the safe route.
How long does sender ID registration take in Iraq?
Our published lead time for Iraq is 7 to 14 business days. That is a typical range, not a promise: operators decide, and missing company documents add time. Start registration well before a campaign date, and use our team to prepare and file the application with you.
How many characters fit in an Arabic SMS?
An Arabic SMS is Unicode, so a single message holds 70 characters. Once the text is longer it is split into parts of 67 characters each, and every part is billed as a separate message. A 100-character Arabic message therefore takes two parts. Preview the text in an SMS character counter before you send.
Can I send SMS in Kurdish?
Kurdish written in Arabic script is Unicode text and sends like Arabic, at 70 characters per single message. Kurdish in Latin letters often uses characters such as ş, ê, î and û that are outside GSM-7, which also forces Unicode. We have not verified any separate Kurdistan Region rule, so ask us to confirm your route and registration at onboarding.
What is the best time to send promotional SMS in Iraq?
We have not found a regulator-published time-of-day window for promotional SMS in Iraq. Agree sending hours with the operator and schedule promotions for the recipient's local daytime. Transactional traffic such as OTPs and alerts can run at any hour. Late-night promotions are a matter of courtesy and complaint risk, not a published rule.
Sources
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