If you hold Iraqi nationality and live within reach of Washington, this is the office your paperwork goes through. Consular work is unglamorous and exacting, and knowing what this post does before you turn up saves the wasted morning that catches most people out.
The contact details, the services usually available and the appointment process are set out below, along with the things worth knowing before you make the trip into Washington.
๐ Quick Contact
- Address: 1801 P ST NW, Washington
- Phone: (202) 742-1600
- Official website: http://www.iraqiembassy.us
- Type of office: Embassy
๐ Services normally available
In broad terms, expect the following. Anything unusual is worth confirming by telephone first:
- Powers of attorney: authorising someone to act for you back in Iraq — selling property, dealing with a bank, handling an estate.
- Passports: applications and renewals for Iraqi nationals, with personal attendance required because of the biometric data.
- Visas: the counter still matters for the categories online systems do not cover, which is most things beyond tourism.
- Documents: certification of papers so they have legal effect abroad — either an apostille or the older legalisation chain, depending on the country.
๐ Appointments and waiting times
Most consular procedures need an appointment, and at a busy embassy the wait for one is usually the longest part of the whole process.
Check the official site for how this post takes bookings — online system, email or telephone all exist across the network. Whatever the method, it is free.
Bring originals and copies of everything. Counters keep the copy and return the original, and the reverse is the exception.
๐ค Practical points
Check the consular district before anything else. The map that matters is the one the country drew, not the one on your phone.
Keep the old documents. Expired passports, previous identity cards and original certificates are asked for far more often than people expect, and reconstructing them from abroad is slow.
Public holidays close the office twice over: the American ones and those of Iraq. Check both calendars before travelling.
Common questions before you go
What if I lose my passport days before a flight?
That does not go through the ordinary appointment queue. Call and say it is an emergency: for imminent travel most networks issue a travel document valid for a single journey.
Do I need a visa to visit Iraq?
That depends on your nationality and the length of the trip. Where Iraq does require one, it is increasingly applied for online rather than at a counter.
Where exactly is this embassy?
At 1801 P ST NW, in Washington. Check the floor or suite number before travelling — it is the detail that ruins more visits than anything else.
How do I know which office is mine?
By the consular district assigned to it, not by distance. It is the first thing worth asking on the phone.
Is it worth calling ahead?
Yes, and it saves wasted journeys. Call (202) 742-1600 and ask what they need and how they take payment — cards are the exception rather than the rule.