LEGALISATION REQUIREMENTS FOR IRAQ
For a document to be accepted in Iraq, it will normally need to be legalised first by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) with an Apostille and then sent to the Iraqi Consulate for final attestation.
Where the document is commercial in nature, it must also pass through both the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce before submission to the Consulate.

In many cases, documents will need Notarisation prior to the Apostille, depending on the content and type of document.
The Apostille itself is issued by the FCDO as explained on our Apostille page, and any consular step that follows is handled through our Consular Legalisation service.

Iraq Consular Fees

Processing times – what to expect
Personal documents and Certificates of Origin/Invoices are usually dealt with by the Consulate in around 1–2 working days.
Commercial documents that must first be processed by the London Chamber and the Arab-British Chamber typically take in the region of 10–15 working days in total.

Key practical points
– A copy of every document must be supplied to the Consulate. For commercial paperwork, three photocopies of each document are required for the Chambers and the Consulate.
– Under Circular 766 (Arab-British Chamber of Commerce), documents containing handwritten additions or alterations cannot be legalised. Apart from signatures, all wording and references must be fully typed or printed.
– Commercial documents such as Powers of Attorney or Authorisations of Agent for Iraq should set out the UK company registration number and address of any company mentioned, together with the passport or ID number of each individual referred to in the text.

For commercial documents more generally, Circular 140322 requires that one of the UK company’s directors signs an authority letter (we can supply a template) allowing the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce to arrange legalisation at the Iraqi Consulate. Where a commercial Power of Attorney or Authorisation Letter is being legalised, the director’s statement should confirm that the document is genuine and include:
– The issuing company’s name
– The company’s address
– The name(s) of the director(s)
– The director(s)’ email address(es) and telephone number(s)

For a private Power of Attorney, the person signing must attend the Consulate in person with their original passport so that the consular officer can identify them. We can, if required, accompany the executant and arrange collection of the legalised document when it is ready.

Educational documents
UK academic certificates for use in Iraq are processed differently. These are submitted via the Iraqi Cultural Attaché only and require a separate application form in Arabic completed by the document holder. They do not normally need prior notarisation or an FCDO Apostille. The Cultural Attaché will verify the qualification directly with the issuing UK institution and attest the document once authenticity has been confirmed.

Certificates of Origin and Invoices
For Certificates of Origin and Invoices, the company must obtain the certificate on the standard form issued by the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. After it has been stamped by the Chamber, we can arrange for submission to the Commercial Attaché at the Iraqi Embassy for final attestation. An FCDO Apostille is not usually required for these particular documents.

Other important restrictions
– The Consulate will not accept foreign documents, including company documents, where the company is not incorporated in the UK.
– Copies of the passport are required from both the document holder and any representative attending on their behalf.

Payment methods
At the Iraqi Consulate, fees are payable in cash only. When documents are being processed through the London and Arab Chambers of Commerce, card or bank transfer payment is generally accepted according to their own arrangements.

Consular opening hours:
Monday to Friday, 10:00 – 13:00.

Embassy / Consulate address:
Consular Section
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq
3 Elvaston Place
London
SW7 5QH
0207 590 9220 Embassy of Iraq, London