On this page
Iraqi documents we translate for asylum
| Document | Issued by | Usual language | More detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iraqi National Identity Card (INID, Unified National Card) | Iraqi Ministry of Interior | Arabic and Kurdish | Iraqi ID card translation |
| Civil Status ID (CSID), no longer valid | Iraqi civil status offices | Arabic, some in Kurdish | Iraqi ID card translation |
| Iraqi Nationality Certificate (INC), no longer valid | Iraqi Ministry of Interior | Arabic | ID card translation for asylum |
| Family Book (civil status registry) extracts | Civil status directorates | Arabic | Birth certificate translation for asylum |
| Birth, marriage and death certificates | Civil status offices, courts | Arabic or Kurdish | Marriage certificate translation for family reunion |
| Police reports, arrest warrants, court papers | Iraqi or Kurdistan Region police and courts | Arabic or Kurdish | Court document translation for asylum |
| Threat letters and party documents | Armed groups, parties, individuals | Arabic or Kurdish | Threat letter translation for asylum |
Many Iraqi Kurdish documents are bilingual, with Kurdish and Arabic on the same page. We translate both parts and note where the two versions differ.
How Iraqi documents are issued
From CSID to INID
For many years the main Iraqi identity documents were the Civil Status ID (CSID) and the Iraqi Nationality Certificate (INC). That has now changed. The Home Office's July 2026 country bulletin quotes the Iraqi Ministry of Interior's announcement that "As of 1 April 2024", it ended the use of the Civil Status Identity Card. The CSID and INC "are no longer valid and cannot be used". They have been replaced by the INID (Home Office country bulletin, Iraq, July 2026 (opens in a new tab)).
The same bulletin says that since October 2024, Iraqis in the UK can enrol for an INID at the Iraqi Embassy in London, which records iris scans and fingerprints. We translate INID cards front and back, including the card number and every printed field.
The Family Book
Iraqi civil status records are kept in what is known as the Family Book. Each family's entry has a volume and page reference, which also appeared on the old CSID. This reference links a person to their family's record (Home Office CPIN on Iraq, via ecoi.net (opens in a new tab)). We copy volume, page and registry office details exactly, because caseworkers use them to check identity and family links.
Other civil and court documents
Birth, marriage and death certificates come from civil status offices, and some marriages are recorded through courts. Documents from the Kurdistan Region are issued by regional offices and often carry Kurdish headings. We translate office names in full, so the reader can see whether a document is federal or regional.
Languages used on Iraqi documents
Federal Iraqi documents are mainly in Arabic. Our Arabic asylum document translation page explains how our translators handle Iraqi Arabic, handwriting and legal wording.
Documents from the Kurdistan Region often use Kurdish. Sorani is written in an Arabic-based script. Badini, the Kurmanji dialect spoken in the Duhok area, is often written in Arabic script in Iraq, although Kurmanji elsewhere uses the Latin alphabet. Our Kurdish asylum document translation page covers each dialect in detail.
Dates and names on Iraqi documents
Dates
Iraqi civil documents use Gregorian dates. Religious or court papers may also show an Islamic (Hijri) date, which we translate as written with no change. Numbers may appear in Eastern Arabic numerals, which we convert to Western numerals. We write months in words in English, so there is no confusion between day-month and month-day order.
Names
Iraqi names usually follow the pattern of your own name, your father's name and your grandfather's name, sometimes with a tribal or family name. English spellings vary, such as Hussein and Husain, or Abdullah and Abdulla. Kurdish names may also be spelled differently in the Arabic and Kurdish parts of the same card. We use the spelling on your passport or Home Office papers everywhere, and note any difference in the original.
Iraq document translation for asylum: price and delivery
An INID or CSID is normally one page. Family Book extracts and court papers vary in length, so we quote after seeing them.
- Certified translation: from £18 per page (ID cards and single certificates from £15 per document)
- Standard delivery: 1 working day for ID cards and certificates, 2–3 working days for longer documents
- Urgent delivery: same day or within 24 hours, from £10 extra per document
Prices shown are starting prices and include VAT. We confirm your exact price in a written quote before any work starts.
For a close deadline, see our urgent asylum document translation service. All fees are on our translation prices page.
What you receive
Your translation comes as a certified PDF. It carries a signed statement that it is a "true and accurate translation of the original document", the date, and the translator's full name and contact details, as GOV.UK guidance asks. It is signed by a qualified translator, and we are members of the ITI, CIOL and ATC.
Certified translation
Iraqi National Identity Card (INID)
- Full name
- redacted
- Father's name
- redacted
- Grandfather's name
- redacted
- Mother's name
- redacted
- Date of birth
- redacted
- Card number
- redacted
- Issuing authority
- Ministry of Interior
- Date of expiry
- redacted
- [Photograph]
- [Translator's note: Arabic and Kurdish text on the card are both translated; differences are noted.]
- [Illegible]
Translator's statement
I confirm that this is a true and accurate translation of the original document.
Date
DD/MM/YYYY
Translator
Full name
Signature
Your documents are kept confidential under UK GDPR and deleted after delivery. We do not give legal advice. A solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) can advise on your case.
Frequently asked questions
Which Iraqi documents help an asylum claim?
Your solicitor decides what to submit. Iraqi claimants often send an INID, an old CSID or INC, Family Book extracts and birth or marriage certificates to show identity and family links. People at risk may add police reports, warrants, court papers or threat letters. The Home Office or the tribunal decides how much weight each document gets. We provide a complete and accurate certified translation.
Is my old CSID still useful as evidence?
A CSID is no longer valid as an identity document in Iraq since 1 April 2024. It may still show your name, family details and Family Book reference. Whether it helps your case is a question for your solicitor. If you have one, we can translate it in full, so your solicitor can decide how to use it. We never describe an expired card as valid.
Do you offer Iraq documents translation UK-wide?
Yes. We work online, so you can send documents from anywhere in the UK. You can translate Iraqi documents for Home Office claims, appeals and further submissions in the same certified format.
Upload your Iraqi documents for a free certified translation quote. We reply with a fixed price and delivery date within 1 hour, 8am–10pm UK time, 7 days a week.
Last reviewed 1 October 2026. This page explains our translation service and is not legal advice.