Last checked against the official sources: 29 August 2026
Iraq is the only country in the region that splits applications between two German missions inside its own borders: the Baghdad embassy for central Iraq and the Consulate General in Erbil for the north. Choosing the wrong one is not an administrative detail but a formal refusal and a lost fee. And before all of that comes a bigger question: what status does your relative in Germany hold?
Where to file
- Central Iraq
- The German Embassy in Baghdad — Al-Mansour district, Mahalla 609, Zuqaq 3, House 53.
- Northern Iraq
- The Consulate General in Erbil, with its own page and contact form.
- Baghdad consular section
- +964 790 110 87 93 — the embassy’s general number is different: +964 790 192 2526.
- Passport and visa collection
- No appointment — Sunday to Thursday between 13:30 and 15:00. The exemption covers collection only, not filing.
- Erbil’s additional role
- The Consulate General in Erbil is also one of three designated places to receive applications from residents of Syria.
- Status in Germany
- Subsidiary protection ⇒ reunification suspended until 24 July 2027. Refugee status ⇒ the route is open under the usual rules.
Central or northern Iraq? The rule that settles it
The Baghdad embassy defines its administrative and consular district as central Iraq, and the German mission in Iraq maintains a separate Consulate General in Erbil with its own page. What decides it is not your nationality or your language but your habitual residence.
And this is not a matter of preference: filing with a mission that is not competent means a formal refusal that never reaches the merits, and the loss of both the fee and the appointment. Confirm competence in writing before registering, not after.
Steps for a reunification file from Iraq
- Get the BAMF decision from your relative firstThe status recorded in it — subsidiary protection or refugee recognition — decides whether your route is open at all or suspended until 24 July 2027.
- Let your residence decide the missionCentral Iraq ⇒ Baghdad. The north ⇒ the Consulate General in Erbil. Do not register with both, and do not pick “the nearest” but the competent one.
- Register an appointment for every family memberReunification requires a separate registration for each applicant, children included. A family of four needs four registrations.
- Start the translation and language certificate immediatelyThey are the two longest items and neither depends on the mission. The level required on the spouse route is being able to communicate in German “at least in a simple manner”, which missions apply in practice as the A1 equivalent with a certificate from a recognised institute.
- Separate collection from filingThe appointment exemption in Baghdad covers collecting passports and visas in an afternoon window. Filing an application has its own arrangements and booking system.
- Read the “before you call” page before callingThe embassy publishes a page to that effect, and many common questions are answered there in writing — saving you attempts on a number that differs from the general one.
⚠️ What most guidance omits: if your relative in Germany holds subsidiary protection, booking an appointment today serves no purpose — reunification with that group is suspended by law until 24 July 2027. The only open path is a hardship report by email to info.fap.hardship@iom.int stating the reasons. If they hold refugee status, the suspension does not concern you at all.
Official sources
German Embassy Baghdad — address and jurisdiction · Notice on the suspension of reunification with beneficiaries of subsidiary protection · Section 30 AufenthG
Please note: this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Reunification cases are assessed individually — consult a lawyer specialising in immigration law or a migration advice centre before any decision concerning your family.
Frequently asked questions
Where do Iraqis file a reunification application?
By habitual residence: central Iraq at the German Embassy in Baghdad, the north at the Consulate General in Erbil. Filing with a mission that is not competent means a formal refusal and a lost fee.
Has reunification for Iraqis stopped?
The statutory suspension does not depend on nationality but on the status of the person living in Germany. If they hold subsidiary protection, reunification is suspended until 24 July 2027; if they are a recognised refugee, the route is open.
Do I need an appointment to collect a visa in Baghdad?
No. The embassy states that passports and visas may be collected without an appointment, Sunday to Thursday between half past one and three. The exemption covers collection only, not filing.
Is one appointment enough for the family?
No. Reunification requires a separate registration and appointment for every applicant, children included.
What language level is required of the arriving spouse?
Section 30 requires being able to communicate in German “at least in a simple manner” and names no level. Missions apply it in practice as the A1 equivalent with a certificate from a recognised institute, and the certificates accepted differ between missions.
What is the Baghdad consular section’s number?
+964 790 110 87 93, which differs from the embassy’s general number +964 790 192 2526. Use the one that matches your business.