New counter-terrorism laws passed on Monday have made travel to Islamic State-controlled areas of Iraq illegal for Australians and punishable with jail time.

If prosecuted, Australians travelling to the Iraqi city of Mosul must be able to show they have a legitimate reason for travel and aren’t joining the Islamic State.

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In a statement, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the Mosul district in Iraq’s Ninewa province had been declared a “no-go zone” by the Federal Court.

Mosul is the largest city controlled by the Islamic State extremist group.

It is the second city to be designated a no-go area after Ms Bishop criminalised travel to Syria’s Al-Raqqa province in December.

Ms Bishop said the declaration would send a “strong message” to those considering travelling to Iraq to fight with the Islamic State.

She said the terrorist organisation had carried out “mass atrocities” in the district, including public beheadings and executions, as well as the destruction of historic and religious sites.

“Examples of these hideous crimes include the execution of 13 teenage boys in January for simply watching a soccer match,” Ms Bishop wrote.

Any Australians currently in the area illegitimately are encouraged to leave immediately.