{"id":11342,"date":"2025-07-21T16:46:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T14:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/?p=11342"},"modified":"2026-01-03T18:35:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T17:35:28","slug":"iraq-leased-vehicle-legalize-papers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/guides\/iraq-leased-vehicle-legalize-papers\/","title":{"rendered":"Driving a Leased Vehicle to Iraq \u2013 Legalization Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"11342\" class=\"elementor elementor-11342 elementor-10652\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-34d072f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"34d072f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f3f2e50 elementor-toc--minimized-on-desktop elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"f3f2e50\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;No headings were found on this page.&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;,&quot;h4&quot;,&quot;h5&quot;,&quot;h6&quot;],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;numbers&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of contents\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__f3f2e50\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__f3f2e50\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__f3f2e50\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6026c2f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6026c2f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Hello! \ud83d\udc4b<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">Continuing our preparations for the motorcycle trip \u2013 yes, still on a leased bike. This time, we had to tackle the paperwork for Iraq. It\u2019s not exactly a \u201ctop 10 dream destination,\u201d but for us, <span class=\"s1\">it was the only reasonable route toward the Middle East<\/span>.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Hopefully, this post will also help those of you planning to cross Iraq with a leased vehicle \u2013 provided, of course, you can convince your leasing company not to make a fuss about it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1bf2afc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1bf2afc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"p1\"><b>Why is additional paperwork needed in Iraq?<\/b><\/h2><p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Irak\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Iraq<\/a> \u2013 much like Turkey, which we wrote about earlier \u2013 is not part of the European Union, and things are further complicated by its <a href=\"https:\/\/pl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ustr%C3%B3j_polityczny_Iraku\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>political division<\/b><\/span><\/a> into Federal Iraq and the <a href=\"https:\/\/pl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kurdystan_(region_autonomiczny)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">autonomous Kurdistan Region<\/a>. We\u2019ll be entering on a <span class=\"s1\"><b>federal visa<\/b> (to avoid having to exit into Iran and re-enter Iraq)<\/span>, as traveling through the federal part of the country is not allowed on a Kurdish visa. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Are Iraqi border officials very strict? We don\u2019t know from personal experience yet, but we preferred not to take any chances. In travel groups and various trip reports, we read that some people crossed the border with just the <span class=\"s1\"><b>standard leasing authorization<\/b><\/span>, and no one questioned it. Still, we didn\u2019t want to show up unprepared. We contacted the <a href=\"https:\/\/mofa.gov.iq\/warsaw\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Warsaw<\/a> to confirm exactly which documents were required. We\u2019d rather have everything done \u201cby the book\u201d \u2013 maybe the border guards will just wave us through, but if anyone decides to check thoroughly, there will be nothing to complain about.     <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e86b26b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e86b26b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"p1\"><b>What documents to take with you before you leave?<\/b><\/h2><p class=\"p1\">Below is a list of the essential documents you really should have when entering Iraq with a leased motorcycle (plus a few notes based on our own experience).<\/p><ul><li><strong>registration certificate<\/strong>,<\/li><li><strong>passport<\/strong> with federal e-visa &#8211; visa application is submitted on <a href=\"https:\/\/evisa.iq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">evisa.iq<\/a>; fee is $160 + payment commission, decision usually in 48 h,<\/li><li><strong>Notarized authorization<\/strong> from the lease translated by a sworn translator into Arabic and legalized at our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Warsaw,<\/li><li><strong>A copy of the lease agreement <\/strong>&#8211; just in case; in case you need it, it can be translated quickly at DeepL or ChatGPT.<\/li><li><strong>Photocopies of all papers <\/strong>&#8211; keep separate from the originals, in case of potential theft they will save your skin.<\/li><\/ul><p class=\"p1\">Officially, Iraq is listed among the countries that require a <a href=\"https:\/\/carnetdepassage.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Carnet de Passages<\/a>, although some motorcyclists have managed to cross without it \u2013 customs officers issued them a temporary import permit instead. Our rule of thumb: <span class=\"s2\"><b>always take the carnet. It makes life easier and reduces the risk of unnecessary trouble.<\/b><\/span> Make sure customs officers don\u2019t accidentally stamp the \u201cexit\u201d section on the \u201centry\u201d page \u2013 mistakes like that reportedly happen. You\u2019ll need a CPD anyway if you plan to enter the UAE or Oman. <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/guides\/carnet-de-passages-and-leasing\/\">We explained how to arrange one for a leased vehicle in this article.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-95314b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"95314b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\"><b>Notarial authorization &#8211; step by step<\/b><\/h3><p class=\"p1\">A leased vehicle isn\u2019t legally yours, so you need permission from the actual owner \u2013 the leasing company. If your contract doesn\u2019t include a clause forbidding travel outside the EU, that\u2019s good news, as the company has no formal reason to refuse. In practice, however, it all depends on the leasing provider \u2013 some will issue the document quickly, while others may hesitate or drag things out. And honestly, it\u2019s hard to blame them.<\/p><p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/irak\/informacje-dla-podrozujacych\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs classifies Iraq<\/a> as a country to which all travel is <span class=\"s1\"><b>strongly discouraged<\/b><\/span>. Leasing companies tend to look at this pragmatically \u2013 they worry the vehicle could be lost, and you might not be able to repay the remaining lease. That\u2019s why not every company will be willing to authorize a trip to such a high-risk region.<\/p><p class=\"p1\"><strong>What must be included in the document?<\/strong> The key is a clear statement confirming that you are allowed to use the vehicle outside of Poland \u2013 that\u2019s what unlocks the entire process. The document must be signed by authorized representatives of the company (board members or appointed attorneys) <span class=\"s1\"><b>in the presence of a notary<\/b><\/span>. The cost is 24.60 PLN per signature. It\u2019s worth requesting several copies right away \u2013 keep the original safely stored, and use the certified copies for the subsequent legalization steps.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">After visiting the notary, you need to go to the <span class=\"s1\"><b>District Court<\/b><\/span> (S\u0105d Okr\u0119gowy) <a href=\"https:\/\/bip.warszawa.so.gov.pl\/artykul\/222\/69\/uwierzytelnienie-dokumentow-przeznaczonych-do-uzytku-za-granica\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to legalize the notary\u2019s signature<\/a>. This step is mandatory \u2013 without it, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not accept the document to complete the legalization process.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e2a2956 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"e2a2956\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--1 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iraq-legalization-documents-003.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iraq-legalization-documents-003-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Iraq vehicle legalization documents page with notary signature, stamps, and payment details\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c069997 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c069997\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\"><b>MFA &#8211; legalization and apostille on one copy<\/b><\/h3><p class=\"p1\">After legalizing the notary&#8217;s signature at the district court, the next step is to visit the <span class=\"s1\"><b>MFA &#8211; Legalization Desk <\/b> on Krucza Street 38\/42 in Warsaw <\/span>. It is here that the document gets the last Polish seals before translation.<\/p><p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It&#8217;s worth clarifying right away: <\/span><b>there are two types of document authentication at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:<\/b><\/p><ul><li class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/dyplomacja\/legalizacja\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>legalization sticker <\/b><\/span><\/a>(used for countries outside the apostille system, such as Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates),<\/li><li class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/dyplomacja\/apostille\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Apostille<\/b><\/span><\/a> (for countries that have signed the Hague Convention, such as Oman and Saudi Arabia).<\/li><\/ul><p class=\"p1\">Normally, <span class=\"s1\"><b>legalization<\/b><\/span> alone would be enough, as Iraq is not a party to the Hague Convention and an apostille has no legal effect there. However, if you plan to use the same document in other Middle Eastern countries (such as Saudi Arabia or Oman), <span class=\"s1\"><b>it\u2019s worth doing both legalization and an apostille on a single certified copy<\/b><\/span>. Why? Because the sworn translation must be done on the document in its final form \u2013 with all stickers and stamps exactly as it will later be presented to the embassies.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The process is straightforward: book an appointment through the online reservation system, pay 26 PLN for legalization and 60 PLN for the apostille. If you go in person, everything is done on the spot. If you send the documents by courier, expect to wait a few days, and it\u2019s a good idea to insure the shipment.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">This stage closes the Polish part of the paperwork &#8211; the document is ready for certified translation into Arabic.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0034d3f elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"0034d3f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--1 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iraq-legalization-documents-004.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-7\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iraq-legalization-documents-004-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Iraq vehicle legalization documents with stamped legal papers and seals on a document folder\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f9e7855 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f9e7855\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\"><b>Sworn translation into Arabic<\/b><\/h3><p class=\"p1\">After completing the Polish part of the legalization process \u2013 obtaining legalization and (optionally) an apostille at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs \u2013 <span class=\"s1\"><b>the document must be taken to a sworn Arabic translator.<\/b><\/span> A sworn translator is officially registered with the Polish Ministry of Justice, holds state certification, and uses an official seal. Only such translations are accepted by embassies and government offices.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">In our case, we used the services of <a href=\"https:\/\/arch-bip.ms.gov.pl\/pl\/rejestry-i-ewidencje\/tlumacze-przysiegli\/lista-tlumaczy-przysieglych\/translator,2758.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Dr Adam Hosin<\/b><\/span><\/a>. The cost of translating this type of document generally ranges from <span class=\"s1\"><b>300 to 600 PLN net<\/b><\/span>, depending on the length of the text. A big advantage was that everything could be done on-site \u2013 the translator immediately <span class=\"s1\"><b>bound the translation together with the original certified copy<\/b><\/span> (with legalization and apostille) and sealed the entire set with his official stamp.<\/p><p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">This is very important<\/span>, <b>because the consular departments of Iraq, Kuwait or the Emirates will not accept the document if the translation is not stapled to the original<\/b><span class=\"s1\">.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7ecddc3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"7ecddc3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--1 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iraq-legalization-documents-001.jpg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iraq-legalization-documents-001-1300x650.jpg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Iraq vehicle legalization documents papers on a wooden table with official stamps and signatures\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0dc7387 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0dc7387\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\"><b>Legalize the translation at the MFA and the Iraqi Embassy<\/b><\/h3><p class=\"p1\">The Polish part of the paperwork for the original document ends with legalization and an apostille at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. <span class=\"s1\"><b>However, the sworn translation is treated as a new, separate official document<\/b><\/span>, which means the entire process must be repeated \u2013 <span class=\"s1\"><b>legalization and an apostille must also be applied to the translation<\/b><\/span>. Only then will the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq accept it.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">After obtaining the stamps at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we contacted the <b>Embassy<\/b> by phone or email to inform them of our visit \u2013 no appointment was required. The embassy is located in <span class=\"s1\"><b>Saska K\u0119pa<\/b><\/span> (Warsaw). A very friendly lady handles the process, and everything goes smoothly \u2013 legalization costs <span class=\"s1\"><b>15 USD<\/b><\/span>, payable in cash only. The legalized document is issued immediately.<\/p><p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Practical tip:<\/b><\/span> Iraqi stamps are quite large, just like the previous MSZ legalizations. On the last page of the translation, where the Polish stamps are placed, <span class=\"s1\"><b>there\u2019s space for a maximum of two embassy stamps<\/b><\/span>. We managed to squeeze in three after some serious juggling, but it was really pushing the limits. That\u2019s why <span class=\"s1\"><b>we recommend preparing at least two copies of the translation<\/b><\/span> if you plan to legalize the document in more than two embassies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84efd9e elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"84efd9e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--1 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iraq-legalization-documents-005.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/iraq-legalization-documents-005-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Iraq vehicle legalization documents with Polish legalization stamp and signatures on papers\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9f90eb2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9f90eb2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"p1\"><b>How much does it take and how not to go crazy?<\/b><\/h2><p class=\"p1\">The entire process mainly depends on how quickly the sworn translator can get the job done. In the best-case scenario, everything can be completed <span class=\"s1\">within two weeks<\/span>, but if the translator is busy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the embassy have longer waiting times, it can take up to a <span class=\"s1\">month<\/span>. For us, the whole procedure \u2013 from the notarial signature to the stamp at the embassy \u2013 <span class=\"s1\">took two and a half weeks<\/span>.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Keep in mind that the <span class=\"s1\"><b>embassy does not verify the content of the document<\/b><\/span>. Legalization at the embassy only confirms that the translator and the officials who previously stamped the document are authorized to perform such actions. The embassy takes no responsibility for whether Iraqi border officials will accept it \u2013 and neither do we. All we can do is share how the process looked for us. We\u2019ll let you know how it went after crossing the border, but honestly\u2026 we don\u2019t expect any problems. \ud83d\ude04<\/p><p class=\"p1\">If you don\u2019t have the time or simply don\u2019t feel like running around offices, we can help you organize these documents in Poland. Just send us a message through the <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/contact\/\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>contact form on our blog<\/b><\/span><\/a> \u2013 we can guide you through the process step by step or even handle it for you. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">See you on the road! \ud83d\uddfa\ufe0f \ud83c\udfcd\ufe0f <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Planning to ride a leased motorcycle or car to Iraq? Learn how to prepare, translate, and legalize documents to cross the border smoothly.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[668,666,166,170],"class_list":{"0":"post-11342","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-guides","8":"tag-iraq","9":"tag-legalization-of-documents","10":"tag-motorcycle-travels","11":"tag-visas-and-documents","12":"cs-entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11342"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11342\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}