Iraq is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille will not be accepted there. A U.S. document going to Iraq needs legalization instead: certification by the state that issued it, authentication by the U.S. Department of State, and then legalization by Iraq’s embassy or a consulate in the U.S.
Iraq has 3 missions in the U.S., and each legalizes documents only from the states in its district. The mission is decided by the state that issued or notarized the document, not the state you live in.
At a glance
Which mission takes your document
| Mission | States it covers |
|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. Embassy of Iraq, consular section |
Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia |
| Detroit Consulate General of Iraq |
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin |
| Los Angeles Consulate General of Iraq |
Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming |
From the mission’s own published information, checked October 2026. For federal documents such as an FBI check, we confirm the mission before submitting.
Documents we legalize most for Iraq
| Document | Usually for |
|---|---|
| Marriage, birth and death certificates | Civil registration and inheritance |
| Power of attorney | Property and legal representation |
| Company documents | Contracts and registration |
Things worth knowing
- Educational certificates go through the cultural attaché at the embassy in Washington, not the consular section.
- Some states are not on the published district list, including Texas and Louisiana. We confirm the mission before submitting.
- Arabic translation is usually required in Iraq.
How it works
Step 1
Notarize if needed
Private documents only. Vital records and court records skip this.
Step 2
State certification
By the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Federal documents skip this.
Step 3
U.S. Department of State
Federal authentication in Washington, D.C.
Step 4
Iraq embassy or consulate
The mission for your document’s state.
Iraq Embassy Legalization: common questions
Can I get an apostille for Iraq instead?
No. Iraq is not in the Apostille Convention, so it needs the legalization chain ending at its embassy or consulate.
Does it matter which consulate I use?
Yes. Missions only legalize documents from the states in their district, decided by where the document was issued or notarized. Use the consulate finder.
How long does it take?
The state and federal stages take one to three weeks together, and the embassy stage adds its own time, which varies. Plan for several weeks in total, and longer around holidays.
Official sources
Requirements, fees and processing times are set by the authorities below and can change without notice. Verify anything time-critical directly with them.
Iraq mission in the U.S.
Ready to get started?
Tell us the document and its state, and we will run the whole chain to the right Iraq mission.
Related: Embassy legalization · Non-Hague countries · Country checker · Translation requirements