Greetings to all.
As a request for Iraq PCC has already been a huge headache for many applicants, I am sharing here my new experience hoping it may help someone.
Earlier I posted my adventures with Basra Police that took place in 2019 when I applied for a PCC inside Iraq. Though three years have passed, my case is not yet over as IRCC first sent it for a comprehensive security screening, then Covid pandemic started with all the consequences. A while ago, IRCC decided it's all not yet enough for me and fired an insurance shot.
As my criminality expired last year, I have got an ADR to provide a new PCC from Iraq within 30 days. Well, it really made me panick as in my previous experience it took over 2 months to have the PCC ready for collection. But something had to be done so I decided to try getting the document via Iraq Consulate General in Dubai.
The main difficulty of getting a PCC (or, as they call it in Iraq, a non-conviction certificate) is that the only authority that can issue one to an expatriate is Criminal Evidence Directorate (CED) located in Baghdad. This was the reason of the insane processing time of my PCC in Basra in 2019 as they are still in use of old-school document control techniques with all paperwork prepared in hard copy and mailed from Basra to Baghdad.
It therefore makes a lot of sense to apply directly in Baghdad. Or get someone in Baghdad to do it for you.
Applying for a PCC via Iraq diplomatic missions works exactly this way. No embassy can help you unless you have someone to act as your agent in Baghdad. The procedure is described on the official website but I would repeat it here in a clearer manner:
1. Appoint a local agent in Baghdad by issuing a relevant power of attorney (PoA).
2. Fill up the necessary forms in an embassy/consulate and give your fingerprints in an old-school way using ink.
3. Receive a sealed envelope from the embassy and mail it to your agent along with the original PoA.
4. The agent to submit the envelope to CED.
5. Once CED issues a PCC, the agent should collect it (again in a sealed envelope) and mail to you.
6. Bring the envelope to the embassy. They will take your fingerprints again to the reverse side of the original PCC and certify the document authenticity by their seal.
Here are the required documents:
1. The original PoA. As I am not Iraqi, the consulate couldn't make one for me and asked me to get it from the local notary and have it attested by UAE MoFA.
2. A passport copy. I also added a copy of my visa to Iraq.
3. Five passport-size photographs.
4. A batch of consulate forms. Please note they are all in Arabic and need to be filled in Arabic so if you can't read and write in this language, you will need help.
5. 14 USD to pay fees for PCC and PoA consular attestation.
My PCC processing timeline is as follows:
13.04.2022 - first visit to the consulate. Failed to complete the paperwork in one day as they sent me to UAE notary where I got stuck in a queue.
14.04.2022 - second visit to the consulate. PCC application finalized. The envelope from consulate and the original PoA sent to Baghdad by Aramex.
18.04.2022 - the agent received the shipment and submitted the application to CED.
21.04.2022 - PCC issued by CED.
25.04.2022 - the agent received the PCC envelope and sent it to me by Aramex
28.04.2022 - received the shipment. Third visit to the consulate. PCC completed.
As you can see, it has worked much faster compared to my 2019 experience in Basra.
As a request for Iraq PCC has already been a huge headache for many applicants, I am sharing here my new experience hoping it may help someone.
Earlier I posted my adventures with Basra Police that took place in 2019 when I applied for a PCC inside Iraq. Though three years have passed, my case is not yet over as IRCC first sent it for a comprehensive security screening, then Covid pandemic started with all the consequences. A while ago, IRCC decided it's all not yet enough for me and fired an insurance shot.
As my criminality expired last year, I have got an ADR to provide a new PCC from Iraq within 30 days. Well, it really made me panick as in my previous experience it took over 2 months to have the PCC ready for collection. But something had to be done so I decided to try getting the document via Iraq Consulate General in Dubai.
The main difficulty of getting a PCC (or, as they call it in Iraq, a non-conviction certificate) is that the only authority that can issue one to an expatriate is Criminal Evidence Directorate (CED) located in Baghdad. This was the reason of the insane processing time of my PCC in Basra in 2019 as they are still in use of old-school document control techniques with all paperwork prepared in hard copy and mailed from Basra to Baghdad.
It therefore makes a lot of sense to apply directly in Baghdad. Or get someone in Baghdad to do it for you.
Applying for a PCC via Iraq diplomatic missions works exactly this way. No embassy can help you unless you have someone to act as your agent in Baghdad. The procedure is described on the official website but I would repeat it here in a clearer manner:
1. Appoint a local agent in Baghdad by issuing a relevant power of attorney (PoA).
2. Fill up the necessary forms in an embassy/consulate and give your fingerprints in an old-school way using ink.
3. Receive a sealed envelope from the embassy and mail it to your agent along with the original PoA.
4. The agent to submit the envelope to CED.
5. Once CED issues a PCC, the agent should collect it (again in a sealed envelope) and mail to you.
6. Bring the envelope to the embassy. They will take your fingerprints again to the reverse side of the original PCC and certify the document authenticity by their seal.
Here are the required documents:
1. The original PoA. As I am not Iraqi, the consulate couldn't make one for me and asked me to get it from the local notary and have it attested by UAE MoFA.
2. A passport copy. I also added a copy of my visa to Iraq.
3. Five passport-size photographs.
4. A batch of consulate forms. Please note they are all in Arabic and need to be filled in Arabic so if you can't read and write in this language, you will need help.
5. 14 USD to pay fees for PCC and PoA consular attestation.
My PCC processing timeline is as follows:
13.04.2022 - first visit to the consulate. Failed to complete the paperwork in one day as they sent me to UAE notary where I got stuck in a queue.
14.04.2022 - second visit to the consulate. PCC application finalized. The envelope from consulate and the original PoA sent to Baghdad by Aramex.
18.04.2022 - the agent received the shipment and submitted the application to CED.
21.04.2022 - PCC issued by CED.
25.04.2022 - the agent received the PCC envelope and sent it to me by Aramex
28.04.2022 - received the shipment. Third visit to the consulate. PCC completed.
As you can see, it has worked much faster compared to my 2019 experience in Basra.
