Date of entry into force: 01 August 1978

Article 1

For the purpose of this Law the following expressions shall have the meanings shown there-against:

1. Minister - The Minister of Interior.

2. The Charged - The Iraqi or Arab Citizen who is dwelling inside Iraq or the foreigner who is residing therein and has completed eighteen years of age.

3. The place of domicile and residence - The place in which the charged is ordinarily domiciling or residing.

4. Form of domicile and residence - The form of information concerning residence of the charged, is address, the other statements concerning him or his family members who are residing with him permanently or temporarily, also the form of information concerning the change of place of residence under samples defined by the Minister.

5. Bureau of Information - The bureau related to the police center of the place of residence of the charged that undertake keeping and coordinating the forms of domicile or residence deposited to him and to mark the change of place of the charged persons and to notify the bureau of information at the police center with the new place of residence under the provisions of this Law.

Article 2

1. Every charged person who is domiciling or residing in Iraq must fill in the form of domicile or the form of residence deposited to him under the provisions of this Law and to record all the information and statements set out therein supported by his signature during the period defined by the Minister.

2.

A. Every Iraqi comes to Iraq and he has must recourse the bureau of information in the district of his domicile for filling the form within a period of ten days from the date of his entry to Iraq.

B. Every Arab or foreigner comes to Iraq must recourse to the bureau of information in the district of his domicile to fill the form of residence during (48) hours from the date of his entry to Iraq.

C. The managers of hotels and owners of houses or apartments or owners of any other place in which the Arab or foreigner is domiciling shall recourse, on behalf of the Arab of foreigner the bureau of information in the district for delivering the form to the bureau.

D. Those who are mentioned in para (C) of this Article must inform the bureau of information about the departure of the Arab or foreigner within (24) hours from the time of his departure.

3. The father of the family shall be responsible for submission the information required in the form about all the members of his family who residing with him minors and adults. The form presented by the father of the family shall be considered as notice of submission of the form by each individual of them.

Article 3

Statements recorded in the forms of domicile and residence may not be circulated outside the bureaus of information except in accordance with instructions issued by the Minister.

Article 4

1. The Minister shall define the date of enforcement of the Law by notification to be published in the Official Gazette for each district in coordination with the Ministers of Defence and of planning.

2. A body shall be formed in which the Ministries of Defence and planning shall be represented. It shall undertake the preparation of the necessary forms and instructions, the manner of work and shall, submit its recommendations to the Minister.

Article 5

If the charged person wishes to change his permanent place of domicile or residence separately or with the members of his family or some of them, he must recourse the bureaus of information in the old and new place of his domicile or residence.

Article 6

The charged person must notify the bureau of information of the place of his domicile by written notice when nay Arab or foreigner residing permanently or temporarily with him within a period not exceeding (24) hours for filling the form of residence in accordance with the model prepared for this purpose and to notify also of their departure within (24) hours for marking that in the form concerned.

Article 7

1. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs shall undertake the execution of provisions of this Law and the Instructions issued in respect thereof on the Officials of all diplomatic missions.

2. A bureau of information shall be established in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs special for this purpose.

Article 8

1. The father of family shall be responsible for notifying the bureau of information for events of marriage, birth, death and divorce within ten days from the date of recording of these events.

2. Those who are subject to the provisions of Military Service Law be responsible for notification of their stations to the bureau of information in the district of their domicile in accordance with the provisions of this Law and the instructions issued accordingly.

Article 9

1. Without abuse to the punishments imposed by the other Laws a punishment shall be imposed with:

A. Fine not exceeding one hundred Dinars and not less than fifty Dinars or with imprisonment for a period not exceeding thirty days and not less than fifteen days on any person who has delayed without reasonable excuse to present the forms or information provided for in this Law during a period of ten days. The punishment shall be imprisonment for a period not less than thirty days and not exceeding six months if the period of delay exceeding ten days. The police Officer who is appointed by the Minister shall be authorized with the jurisdiction of imposing the fine provided for in this para; the convicted with fine in accordance with the provisions of this para may object against the decision of judgement at the criminal judge within thirty days from the date of the decision. The criminal judge may certify, cancel the decision or abate the punishment.

B. Imprisonment for a period not less than six months and not exceeding one year to whoever submit false information for the intention of misleading. The punishment shall be imprisonment for a period not less than one year and not exceeding five years if the information concerning an Arab or foreign person.

2. Any Official who abuse the protection of secrecy of the information which he obtained under the provisions of this Law or has disclosed them in other than the fields where Law allow their disclosure shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years and with a fine not exceeding two hundred Dinars or with one of these two punishments.

Article 10

Any legal text contrary to the provisions of this Law shall not be valid.

Article 11

The Minister may issue the necessary instructions and notification for execution of this Law.

Article 12

This Law shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into force as from 1.8.1978.

Comments:
This law has been repealed, the current law in effect is Iraq: National Card Law No. (3) of 2016. This was the official text, as published in the Official Gazette No. 49 dated 6 December 1978. This Law was also published in Arabic in the Alwaqiya Aliraqiya No. 2657 dated 5 June 1978.
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