First – the ratification procedures of the stamp: –
The embassies and consulates ratify the Iraqi and foreign documents, which is carried out basing on the law of ratification of signatures on the Iraqi and foreign documents number (52) of 1970 and its amendments. The ratification is done on authorizations and documents used inside Iraq and signed in a foreign country and organized according to the law, if endorsed by the Iraqi consul or his/her replacement, the ratifications include: –
1.The ratification of the stamp and signature, whether for institutions or individuals. The concept of the ratification of document differs from the concept of the ratification of the signature; the first means the ratification of what is in the document, while the second means to ratify the validity of the signature after signing in front of the Consul and to identify the person or compare the signature with an existing signature previously in the mission in a formal way.
2.Certificate of origin and trade lists.
3. Graduation certificates or various school documents.
Second – Basic terms of ratification: –
1. The document or certificate must be issued by a foreign body and ratified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country which released the document or certificate in order to be ratified by the mission and then by the Department of Ratifications in the Consular Department.
2. The ratification of a certificate of origin, also concentrates on the content as well as the stamp.
3. The ratification of university or institute certificate after the ratification of the Foreign Ministry of the country that issued this certificate (in case the applicant is the ratification applicant is Iraqi), taking into account the fact that the institute or university is recognized in Iraq.
4. Copies of signatures of the authorized of signing are sent by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country concerned or the Chamber of Commerce to the embassy annually or whenever it was changed. Stamp and signature must be verified and matched accurately.
5. Documents, lists, and certificates issued from inside Iraq may not be ratified unless they were certified by the Department of ratifications of the Consular Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and signed by the authorizing persons exclusively and stamped.
6. A fee for the ratification of documents is taken accounting to receipt (37 a) its number and date on are written on the back of the authorization.
7. In case there was no Iraqi mission in the concerned country, the ratification of a document is ratified by that country’s mission in Iraq, and then approved by the Department of Ratifications in the Iraqi Consular Department.
8. In case there was no Iraqi mission in the country in which the document was issued, and there was no mission of that country in Iraq, then the ratification of a document or certificate is done in another country where there are missions to that country and an Iraqi mission in order to be approved by the two missions and then ratified by Department of Ratifications in the Consular Department.
9. Documents issued by the diplomatic and consular missions and international and regional organizations that operate in Iraq that concern their members and employees are exempted from the fees in accordance with the provisions of international relations and international conventions.
Third – the procedures for the ratification process: –
1. The Consul ratifies the signature and stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country where the mission is located. He also signs and ratifies the signatures of individuals in case of testifying or granting authorization (general or limited)
2. Documents are stamped by the consulate stamp for ratifications and the blanks in the ratification page are filled, i.e., (we ratify the validity of the stamp and signature …………. and the Foreign Ministry……….. the Embassy is not responsible for their contents).
3. The Consul signs it and stamps it with the stamp of the Consular Department.
4. Taking the ratification fee under receipt number (37 a), writing its number and date on the back of the document.
5. The mission organizes a record in which it writes all of the information about the documents ratified by the mission in the attached form (1).
Fourth – fees of certificates of origin, trade lists, and certificates of inspection: –
Fees are taken for the ratification of certificates of origin, trade lists, and certificates of inspection in accordance to the law of ratification of signatures and Iraqi and foreign documents number (52) of 1970 and as shown below: –
1. The ratification of the aforementioned documents by commercial attaché or Iraqi missions in case of the absence of commercial attaché; $160 U.S. dollars or its equivalent per process is taken as well as for certificates of origin and commercial lists and inspection certificates, taking into account stamping all copies with the round stamp of the embassy to avoid forgery, providing that all copies have to be stamped on top to avoid cancelling any document (letter of the Consular Department No. 8/9/1/70440 on 7/4/2010).
2. Commercial lists’ and certificates of origin’s contents must be ratified, because the ratification of the signatures is not enough. The ratification of the aforementioned documents issued by a Member State in the Arab Common Market and ratified by the official reference in the country of origin of the goods produced in Arab countries (without taking fee of ratification) in accordance with the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League Decree No. 1506 on 2/19/2004 and the approval of the Ministerial Council/ Economic Affairs Committee in its letter No. 1320 on 26/2/2007 which states abolishing the ratification of the certificates of origin and commercial lists attached with them, preserving Iraq’s right to reciprocity.
3. The following procedures are adopted in as much as it is related to goods manufactured in non-Arab countries and exported to Iraqi market: –
A- The ratification of the embassies or consulates of the manufacturing countries in the light of the certificate of origin exported to the Arab countries.
B– The ratification of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab countries exporting goods such as re-exporting to Iraq on the ratification of the stamp of the Consulates of the manufacturing countries.
C- Ratification fees of $160 per ratification and putting stamp on all pages.
D- Taking into account that the goods are produced by the same producing countries and write it upon ratification to avoid forgery in case the ratification was done in a country other than the country of origin.
Letter of Consular Department (8/9/1/83159 on 11/8/2010) and (8/9/1/70440 on 7/4/2010)
