1. Iraq requires consular legalization
Iraq is not a party to the Apostille Convention. Chinese documents destined for Iraq require consular legalization.
But Iraq’s process is more involved than a standard three-step chain, and the differences are where shipments fail.
2. Two document categories, two channels
Iraq distinguishes between document types.
Commercial documents
Invoices, packing lists and certificates of origin. These are not notarized by a notary office. They go directly to the commercial office of the Iraqi embassy for certification.
The commercial office receives and dispatches only on Tuesdays.
This is the single most consequential procedural detail. An exporter who prepares the invoice and certificate of origin for notarization is on the wrong path entirely.
Commercial certification documents
Contracts, powers of attorney, credit certificates and similar documents. These follow notarization, foreign ministry authentication, then embassy legalization.
Documents in this category also require Arabic translation, per rules published in October 2025.
3. The conformity certificate requirement
Since May 2018, applications for certification of certificates of origin and commercial invoices must include a Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued by TÜV Rheinland or Bureau Veritas.
Goods not on the relevant list require a Certificate of Inspection (COI) from the same bodies as an attachment to the certification application.
Practical implication: before any embassy certification can be considered, a third-party conformity assessment must be completed.
The process requires filing the application accurately according to the published requirements of TÜV Rheinland or Bureau Veritas, determining whether the product requires a COC or a COI based on its category, and applying to the Chinese office of the relevant body.
4. Products excluded from certification
The Iraqi embassy does not certify documents for meat and dairy products.
For exporters of those categories, the consular route is closed. The documentary path for those shipments has to be resolved another way, and that resolution is a commercial question rather than a documentation one.
Food imports generally require a health certificate.
5. The language requirement
Commercial certification documents, excluding invoices, packing lists and certificates of origin, require Arabic translation.
The translation must come from a qualified translation service and be submitted with the original or notarized document.
6. Process sequence
Step one: confirm the product category and whether it is excluded.
Step two: apply to TÜV Rheinland or Bureau Veritas for a COC or COI.
Step three: prepare documents by category. Invoices, packing lists and certificates of origin go directly to the commercial office. Other documents are notarized and translated.
Step four: submit. Documents go to the commercial office on Tuesdays.
Step five: await certification. Around twenty working days at the embassy stage.
7. The timing problem
Iraq has one of the longest certification cycles of any destination.
Conformity assessment: several weeks to a month, depending on product category and the inspection body’s workload.
Notarization and foreign ministry authentication: several days.
Consular certification: around twenty working days.
A full cycle can run two to three months.
This is not compressible. It has to be built into the commercial timeline from contract signature, not from the shipment date. Letters of credit with standard presentation periods are generally unworkable for Iraq without specific arrangements.
8. Common errors
Notarizing invoices and certificates of origin
Iraq’s commercial documents do not go through notarization. They go to the commercial office.
No COC or COI
Certification is refused without one.
Choosing the wrong conformity document
COC and COI apply to different product categories. The wrong one means reapplication.
Missing the Tuesday window
The commercial office receives on Tuesdays only. Missing it costs a week.
No Arabic translation for commercial certification documents
Required for that category.
Attempting meat or dairy certification
Not accepted.
9. An honest assessment
Iraq is a demanding market on the documentation side, and the requirements are genuinely more complex than most destinations.
That is not a reason to avoid it. It is a reason to treat the certification timeline as a commercial constraint rather than an administrative detail. Companies that build the timeline into their contracts and their letters of credit manage Iraq successfully. Companies that treat it as paperwork discover the problem in month two.
*This article is based on the consular authentication guidance published by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated October 2026. Exporters should confirm current requirements with the Iraqi embassy’s commercial office and the designated conformity assessment bodies.*