Language
An official website of the United States government
An official website of the United States government
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
The U.S. government urges U.S. citizens not to travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and Mission Iraq’s limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens.
Welcome to U.S. Citizen Services at U.S. Embassy Baghdad. We provide information and assistance to U.S. citizens across Iraq. Please refer to the individual sections below for detailed information on the services we provide. For assistance with passports, please refer to the passport section of our website, available here.
If you require assistance in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, please contact the U.S. Consulate General Erbil.
The Department of State assists U.S. citizens imprisoned overseas and works to ensure their fair and humane treatment.
The Department of State helps the family and friends of U.S. citizens who die abroad. We inform the U.S. citizen’s next-of-kin of the death and we provide information on arrangements for local burial or the return of remains to the United States and on disposition of estates and personal effects. We also issue a Consular Report of Death Abroad, an official record of death.
International Parental Child Abduction
The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues works to resolve and prevent cases of international parental child abduction and to help children and families involved in abduction cases. For more information, see our international parental child abduction page on travel.state.gov.
The Department of State helps U.S. citizens who are victims of crime overseas. We connect crime victims with police and other services and provide information and resources to assist with physical, emotional, and/or financial injuries from crime.
U.S. citizens in need of emergency financial assistance while abroad should first attempt to contact their family, friends, banking institution, or employer. Our American Citizen Services unit can assist in this effort, if necessary.
Use a commercial money transfer service, such as Western Union or MoneyGram., to wire money overseas. Money transfer cost comparison tools online can help you identify the best option. The person receiving the money will need to present proof of identity such as a passport. Link text: Be wary of International Financial Scams.
Sending Money through the U.S. Department of State
When the commercial options listed above are not available or feasible, family or friends may send funds via the U.S. Department of State for delivery to a destitute U.S. citizen abroad at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. The U.S. Department of State assesses a $30 fee to establish an account and transfer funds.
Destitute U.S. citizens may be eligible for a loan from the U.S. government to travel to the United States. Repatriation loans must eventually be paid back to the U.S. government. Your U.S. passports will be limited at the time the loan is issued and in most cases you will not be issued a new passport until the loan is paid in full. Contact us for more information.
Consular Affairs (CA) is the public face of the Department of State for millions of people around the world. We provide many services, and the most common are listed below.
U.S. Citizens overseas can renew passports, replace passports, or apply for new passports.
If you are a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (green card holder), you are responsible for filing U.S. federal income tax returns while abroad. You will find useful information on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website, such as Frequently Asked Questions about taxes or how to apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
If you are a U.S. dual citizen or U.S. citizen living outside of the United States, you can register with the Selective Service System.
If you live in Iraq and and have questions regarding services provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA), contact the SSA Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) in Rome, Italy. For more information on their services and how to contact them, please visit their webpage at https://it.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/fbu/. For comprehensive information on SSA’s services abroad, please visit SSA’s webpage Service Around the World. If you are already receiving SSA benefits payments, there will be no change in the method of distribution of those payments.
U.S. service members, veterans, and their beneficiaries can apply for benefits on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website. The Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) may also be able to help veterans and beneficiaries with questions about benefits and services.
Depending on where you are eligible to vote, you may get your ballot by email, fax, or internet download. To start, complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) here. Print, sign, and return the FPCA to your local U.S. election office. Include your email address so election officials can reach you if there is a problem. If your state delivers ballots electronically by fax only, include your fax number. If you request electronic delivery and include your email address or fax number, you will receive your blank ballot 45 days before general and mid-term elections and generally 30 days before special, primary, and run-off elections for federal offices. We recommend completing a new FPCA each January, or when you move.
The Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by, the entities or individuals whose names appear on the following lists. Inclusion on this list is in no way an endorsement by the Department or the U.S. government. Names are listed alphabetically, and the order in which they appear has no other significance. The information on the list is provided directly by the local service providers; the Department is not in a position to vouch for such information.
Legal assistance Medical Assistance Refugee Assistance in Erbil Medical Facilities and Specialists in Erbil Security Companies ScamsLegal assistance
For information about lawyers in Iraq, U.S. citizens should contact the American Citizen Services Unit via BaghdadACS@state.gov, or, for lawyers located in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, via ErbilACS@state.gov. For security reasons, the names of organizations and individuals are not posted on this website.
For information about doctors and hospitals in Iraq, U.S. citizens should contact the American Citizen Services Unit directly. For security reasons, names of organizations and individuals are not posted on this website.
We receive many inquiries from individuals seeking protection and wishing to be resettled in the United States. Iraqi citizens living in Iraq who have worked directly, or in association with, the United States government may be eligible for resettlement to the United States through a Direct Access, Priority 2 program. Additionally, citizens of other countries living in Iraq who have a credible fear of persecution in their home countries and may be eligible for refugee or asylum status in Iraq can also be considered for resettlement to the United States.
Medical Facilities and Specialists in Erbil
The following is a list of health care providers and facilities in Erbil. Some of the medical specialists have had training in the U.S., Australia or the UK and are familiar with American medical care; all have a reasonable command of English.
The U.S. government assumes no responsibility for the professional ability or integrity of the persons or firms whose names appear on the list.
The U.S. Embassy is closely monitoring a fraudulent scheme by companies claiming they have entered into a contract with the U.S. Government to construct tens of thousands of housing units.
Iraq is not party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Therefore, when the Hague Adoption Convention entered into force for the United States on April 1, 2008, intercountry adoption processing for Iraq did not change.
If you have a child outside the United States the child may have acquired U.S. citizenship at birth if the requirements under the Immigration and Nationality Act have been met as of the time of your child’s birth. To determine whether your child acquired U.S. citizenship at birth and to document that, you can apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) for your child. You may also choose to just apply for a U.S. passport for your child, although one benefit of a CRBA is that, unlike the U.S. passport, it does not expire and may be used as proof of acquisition of U.S. citizenship at birth. A full validity, unexpired U.S. passport is also proof of U.S. citizenship.
In general, marriages which are valid abroad also are legally valid in the United States. Inquiries regarding the validity of marriage abroad should be directed to the attorney general of the state in the United States where the parties to the marriage will live.
Transmission of U.S. citizenship depends on: At least one parent having the nationality of the United States at the time of the child’s birth; The existence of a blood relationship between the child and U.S. citizen parent(s); Documentary evidence demonstrating the U.S. citizen parent(s)’ presence in the United States prior to the child’s birth.
Please call: (301) 985-8841
Outside of Office Hours, contact: 0760-030-4400
Outside of Iraq: 964-760 030-4400
Emergency Contact – All Locations Get Travel Alerts International Parental Child Abduction Arrest of a U.S. Citizen Death of a U.S. Citizen Victims of Crime Emergency Financial Assistance
