Civil Documentation and Residency

Syrian Refugees:

Entry without a visa: Syrian refugees who arrived at KRI without a visa and who hold a valid UNHCR asylum-seeker certificate and a Syrian identity document can obtain residency permits by contacting the Erbil Residency office at PARC:

• If you are registered with UNHCR and live in Erbil city: call 07519511951 to schedule an appointment.
• If you live in Soran, Choman, Rawanduz, Khalifan, Harir, and Shaqlawa districts: approach the residency office in Basirma camp.
• If you live in the Syrian refugee camps in Erbil governorate (Basirma, Qushtapa, Kawargosk and Darashakran): approach the residency office inside your respective camp.

Once you receive a Residency Office appointment, they will refer you to Assayesh for a security interview.

You should bring the following documents to obtain your residency permit card for both your Residency Office appointment and to the Assayesh interview:

• A valid UNHCR certificate
• A Syrian identification document, which can include a family booklet, Syrian national ID, record of the family registry, etc. For children: birth certificate or proof of birth certificate or the family booklet.
• A housing support letter from the Mukhtar of your area, ratified by the mayor of your district or local Assayesh

The Residency Department will refer you to the Central Public Health Laboratory in Erbil for the blood test, which costs each individual IQD 31,500. The residency Department issues a one-year renewable residency permit card upon submission of the required documents, blood test results and Assayesh security clearance.

Entry with a visa: If you have entered KRI regularly with a visa, you should visit the Erbil Residency Directorate to obtain residency permit card within 30 days; otherwise you will be subjected to overstay fine payments.

Residency permit cards are issued to all asylum-seekers, age 12 and older. Names of children under age 12 are placed on the back of mother’s residency permit card. In the absence of the mother, the child’s name is placed on the back of the father’s card. If no parent is available, it will be placed on the caregiver’s card.

Refugees of other nationalities:

• Entry with a visa: If you entered KRI regularly by visa, you should visit the Erbil Residency Directorate to obtain a residency permit card within 30 days; otherwise you will be subjected to overstay fine payments.
• Entry without a visa: Iranian refugees with a political party support letter can visit the Erbil Residency Directorate and obtain a residency permit card.

Syrian Refugees:

Syrians with a valid UNHCR asylum-seeker certificate and any Syrian identity document (Syrian national identification card; a national passport; a family booklet; an identification certificate; or an individual civil registration record) can obtain residency permits by approaching the Residency Office in Duhok City (Duhok Shandokha; Danielle Mitterrand Road), Domiz 1, or Gawilan Refugee Camps with those documents. Those who entered KRI via Peshkhabour Border Crossing Point (PK-BCP) with a 30 days visa should also secure approval from border authorities (PK-BCP) to change your legal status from visitor to asylum-seeker and approval from camp management.

The Residency Office will refer the applicant to:

• (1) A medical laboratory for a blood test to detect any transmittable diseases for all men age 14-60 and women age 14-50 (free of charge and only for first-time arrivals. There is no need for the test in case of renewal of residency permits) and
• (2) Local neighbourhood Assayesh, who will request a valid address of the applicant. The local Mukhtar will issue a letter confirming the address of the applicant.

Note: If your blood test result is positive, you may still be cleared for residency if you first bring a medical report from the hospital stating your prescribed medical treatment.

The Residency Department in Duhok issues the residency permit card free of charge. If you are transferring residency from Erbil or Sulaymaniyah, the fee is IQD10,000.

Documents are issued to all asylum-seekers, age 14 and older. Names of children under age 14 are placed on the back of the mother’s card. If the mother is not available, the name is placed on the father’s card. If no parent is available, it will be placed on the caregiver’s card.

The entire process may take up to 2-3 weeks from the time you submit your application.

The Residency Department issues a one-year renewable residency permit after obtaining both the results of the blood test and Assayesh clearance.

Refugees of other nationalities:

If you originally entered KRI with a visa via Erbil International Airport or Ibrahim Al-Khalil if they are entering for ordinary residence and work-related reasons but have decided to register as an asylum-seeker: you should visit the Dohuk Residency Directorate within 30 days to obtain a residency permit card, otherwise, you will be subjected to overstay fine payments.

You will need to bring with you:

• Valid Passport: valid for at least 6 months with visit visa and entry stamp
• Sponsorship provided by an Iraqi national holding a Kurdistan Region Information Card, or a company that is registered in the KR-I
• Job contract signed by Iraqi employers, Iraqi companies, or Iraqi foreign companies registered in the KR-I indicating the contract period
• Security clearance granted by the General Assayesh (within one month)
• Blood test results, issued by the General Laboratory in relevant cities, confirming you do not have any communicable diseases.

Turkish refugees who have been registered with UNHCR for many years may have their residency permits processed by the Dohuk Residency Directorate. You will need to bring with you:

• Valid UNHCR certificate
• Housing letter issued by the Mukhtar and ratified by the mayor of your district.

Syrian refugees:

Entry without a visa: Syrian refugees who arrived to KRI without a visa and who hold a valid UNHCR asylum-seeker certificate and any Syrian identity document (ID, family book, etc) can obtain residency permits by approaching the Sulaymaniyah Residency Department’s Refugee Unit with those documents. The Residency Department will refer the applicant to:

• (1) a medical laboratory for a blood test to detect any transmittable diseases (free of charge and only for first-time arrivals. There is no need for the test in case of renewal of residency permits) and
• (2) Local neighbourhood Assayesh, who will request a valid address of the applicant. The local Mukhtar will issue a letter confirming the address of the applicant.

The Residency Department issues a one-year renewable residency permit after obtaining both the results of the blood test and Assayesh clearance.

Both the Residency Department and Assayesh operate next to the UNHCR registration office in the Arbat Refugee Camp, as well as in the Sulaymaniyah Registration Centre (as of March 2020).

Entry with a visa: If you have entered KRI regularly by visa, you should visit the Sulaymaniyah Residency Directorate to obtain a residency permit.

In Sulaymaniyah, the Residency Department has reduced fees for Syrians who entered KRI via airport with a valid visa and has waived sponsor requirements and overstay fines for Syrian refugee registered with UNHCR.

Refugees of other nationalities:

If you hold a UNHCR Refugee Certificate based on Refugee Status Determination (RSD) or prima facie status: Refugees with (1) a valid UNHCR certificate, (2) any identity document (Nationality ID, Civil ID), (3) and sponsorship, you can obtain residency permits by approaching the Sulaymaniyah Residency Department’s Refugee Unit with those documents.

The Residency Department will refer the applicant to:

• (1) a medical laboratory for a blood test to detect any test transmittable diseases (free of charge and only for first-time arrivals. There is no need for the test in case of renewal of residency permits) and
• (2) Local neighbourhood Assayesh, who will request a valid address of the applicant. The local Mukhtar will issue a letter confirming the address of the applicant.

The Residency Department issues a one-year renewable residency permit after obtaining both the results of the blood test and Assayesh clearance.

If you are an asylum-seeker: You are required to bring a sponsorship letter from a Kurdish political party. The issuing residency permit will be valid for 6 months.

Refugees and asylum-seekers holding a valid PC-MoI card do not need to separately obtain a resident permit.

Refugees and asylum-seekers holding a valid resident permit from the central and southern governorates of Iraq are free to move within the governates of centre and south only. Attempting to travel to KRI without proper clearance may subject refugees and asylum-seekers to risks of arrest, detention, and deportation.