FCDO Legalisation for Iraq
Our experienced team specialises in notarising, apostilling, and legalising documents for Iraq, ensuring compliance with all legal requirements. Whether for business or personal use, we make the legalisation process straightforward and efficient.
FCDO Document Legalisation Process
Step 1: Apostille by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCDO):
The first step in the legalisation process is to have your document apostilled by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in the UK. This authenticates the signature, seal, or stamp of the document and makes it legally valid for use outside of the UK.
Step 2: Consular Legalisation by the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq (for non-corporate documents):
Once your document has been apostilled, non-corporate documents related to individuals (such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc.) must be submitted to the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq for consular legalisation. This step ensures that the document is officially recognised by the Iraqi authorities.
Step 3: Attestation by the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) (for corporate documents):
For corporate documents, once they have been apostilled, they must first be attested by the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). After attestation by the ABCC, the documents can then be submitted to the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq for final legalisation.
Step 4: Validation by the Iraqi Cultural Attaché (for educational documents, if applicable):
In some cases, educational documents (such as diplomas or transcripts) may also require additional validation by the Iraqi Cultural Attaché before the legalisation process can begin. It is recommended that you check directly with the Iraqi authorities regarding the specific requirements for validation by the Cultural Attaché, as this step is not always necessary.
Fees
- Apostille Fee: The fee for obtaining an Apostille from the FCDO is £40 per document (exclusive of VAT).
- Arab-British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) Fee: For corporate documents, the ABCC charges an additional fee, which brings the total cost to £256.40 (this includes both the ABCC fee and the consular fee for the Iraqi Embassy).
Processing Times
- Apostille Processing Time: The FCDO typically processes Apostille requests within 48 hours.
- Iraqi Embassy Processing Time: Once submitted to the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq, the legalisation process generally takes 2-3 weeks.
- Arab-British Chamber of Commerce Processing Time: The attestation by the ABCC can take additional time, typically adding a few days to the overall processing time for corporate documents.