KRG UK REPRESENTATION

Welcome to the website of the Kurdistan Regional Government UK Representation.
Our Representation in London is your window to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
The UK Representation works to maintain strong ties in the UK in many areas – in government, parliament, diplomacy, trade, culture, and with the Kurdish community. We also provide consular services.

Government and Parliament
The Representative is the point of contact in the UK with British government departments.
We also have strong links with the UK parliament and with the devolved assemblies of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We regularly arrange visits and exchanges between British and Kurdistan Region parliamentarians; because, as an emerging democracy, we believe we have much to learn from the UK’s political system.
The KRG UK Representation closely follows political developments in the UK. We regularly organise and participate in meetings in parliament, and with think tanks and NGOs. We also attend the two main British political party’s annual conferences.

Diplomacy
We are an open, forward-looking government that believes in strong alliances with democratic nations and excellent relations with our neighbours. To this end, the KRG UK Representation is very active within London’s diplomatic corps, regularly meeting with ambassadors and officials from many countries.

Trade
The Kurdistan Region today is enjoying an unprecedented era of economic growth.
After decades of destruction, neglect and isolation, since 2003 we have been able to develop our economy in earnest. We believe that free trade and giving equal treatment to investors are the best ways to achieve this.
To promote commerce and investment, the UK Representation holds seminars and provides information on doing business with and travelling to the Kurdistan Region. We also provide practical support to trade missions from the UK, working closely with our partners the UKTI, the Middle East Association, Invest Northern Ireland and other trade bodies.
We do not issue Iraqi visas, but we can advise travellers on the visa requirements for the Kurdistan Region.

Education and culture
The UK Representation has close links with leading British universities through the KRG’s postgraduate and PhD funding scheme for Kurdistan’s civil servants, and through funding academic research into Kurdish Studies and relevant sociological studies. We encourage leading British institutions to have close links with our universities and colleges.
We also promote good relations and understanding between the people of the UK and Kurdistan Region through our culture. We support the main high-quality Kurdish cultural events held in the UK, such as film festivals, cultural festivals and exhibitions.

Community
The UK has a thriving Kurdish community. We maintain good ties with Kurdish community associations, representatives and individuals in different parts of the UK, regularly meeting them to hear their requests and concerns and to promote their work and activities. We encourage the Kurdish community to be active citizens in the UK with strong links to our homeland.

Consular Services
The UK Representation provides consular services to the public, including Power of Attorney documents, authentications of certain documents and certificates, and authentication of company registration documents.
We do not issue Iraqi visas and passports. Please contact the Iraqi Embassy if you require a visa or passport.

Working alongside and as part of Iraq
The UK Representation is part of the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations, which is headquartered in the Regional capital Erbil. The Department of Foreign Relations works closely with the Iraqi Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.