Process service · Middle East & AfricaOverview
Process Server in Iraq: How Service of Process Works
Iraq is not a party to the Hague Service Convention, so cross-border service from the United States relies on diplomatic channels and formal Letters Rogatory. Iraq participates in the 1983 Riyadh Arab Agreement for Judicial Cooperation among Arab League states, though this framework does not extend to the United States. Given the practical and security considerations that can affect judicial cooperation with Iraq, litigants should expect longer timelines and should work closely with local counsel before selecting a service strategy.
Who serves process
Who Can Serve Legal Documents in Iraq
Iraq is a civil-law country, and service is governed by the Civil Procedure Law No. 83 of 1969. Court documents are served by court process servers. The Kurdistan Region has its own courts and administration, so the arrangements depend on where the person is.
There is no Hague Service Convention route into Iraq; requests for Baghdad or Middle Euphrates & Nineveh need another channel. For a U.S. case, a local agent who hands the papers over in person, in Baghdad or out in Middle Euphrates & Nineveh, is usually fastest; letters rogatory suit cases needing a court-to-court request. Service that ignores Iraq's own rules can weaken a judgment you later try to enforce in Baghdad's courts, so we match the method to your next step. Arabic is the language of the federal courts and Kurdish is also official in the Kurdistan Region, so documents need translations into the right language. Security conditions vary by region, so we confirm feasibility first.
Most papers we serve in Iraq, whether in Baghdad or the regions, are an Arabic-language statement of claim, followed by court orders, injunctions and judgment notices. Defendants may be anywhere from Baghdad to Middle Euphrates & Nineveh, and we cover the whole country.
Proof you receive: a sworn affidavit of service
Your proof from Iraq is a sworn affidavit of service, prepared by the process server who served the papers around Baghdad, with an English translation if it is issued in Arabic.
Diplomatic Letters Rogatory
We prepare and route formal Letters Rogatory through diplomatic channels to Iraqi judicial authorities, the standard pathway for U.S.-originated requests.
Local Agent Service via Iraqi Counsel
We engage local Iraqi counsel to advise on the fastest compliant method given Iraq's non-Hague status and the practical realities of judicial administration in specific regions.
Certified Arabic or Kurdish Translation
Formal filings should be translated into Arabic or, for the Kurdistan Region, Kurdish, depending on the applicable jurisdiction. We arrange certified Arabic translations of every document so the courts in Baghdad accept them.
Treaties
Iraq and the Hague Conventions: Treaty Status
The Hague Service Convention lets member countries send documents to each other's Central Authorities for service. Iraq has not joined it, so that route isn't available, and the Convention's Article 10 rules on postal and private service don't apply. Whether those methods are acceptable depends on Iraq's law and on what your court allows.
Iraq is not a party to the Hague Evidence Convention, so requests for witness testimony or documents go through letters rogatory.
United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Israel
Qatar
Kuwait
South Africa
Nigeria
Kenya