- The Kurdistan Region has its own Labour Law No. 71 of 1987, published on the KRG services portal.
- Duhok has a Labour Directorate (Gre Basi, Jara Street) and Zakho a Directorate of Labour and Vocational Training, both under the KRG Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
- Companies and foreign branches register with the General Directorate of Companies Registration at the KRG Ministry of Trade and Industry, which has a Companies Directorate in Duhok (Mazi Street).
The points below are procedures and documents as the KRG publishes them on its official portals.
1) Labour law and foreign work permits in Duhok
- Applicable law: Labour Law No. 71 of 1987, published on the KRG services portal. We do not summarise its substantive rules here; we check each file against the text in force when we work on it.
- Foreign worker permit: filed with the governorate Labour Directorate: Duhok (Gre Basi, Jara Street) or the Zakho Directorate of Labour and Vocational Training. Hours 8:00 AM–2:30 PM. Per the official service page:
- The recruitment company applies to the Labour Directorate, the foreign-labour committee visits the workplace, and the file is reviewed and sent to the Ministry, then to the Ministry of Interior for the visa.
- Time: 10 days. Fees: free, per the service page.
- The full list of conditions and documents is on our Erbil page.
- For work permits in federal Iraq see Work permits; for federal labour law see Labour law.
2) Company and foreign-branch registration in Duhok
Authority: General Directorate of Companies Registration, KRG Ministry of Trade and Industry. Duhok Companies Directorate: Mazi Street. Hours 08:00–15:00.
Online portal steps (KRG Business Registration System):
- Trade-name check: the portal lets you confirm a trade name is not taken and register it online, which previously required a visit to the Chamber of Commerce.
- Unique Personal Number (UPN): a 13-digit identifier assigned to each individual residing in the Region and used across KRG digital services. It is obtained in person at a Digital Identity Registration station; foreigners bring their passport and residency card. The national-company service page asks for the passport and UPN if the authorised manager is a foreign national.
- Beneficial-owner pledge: to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, every company fills in the beneficial-owner form and pledge in two copies with a live signature and submits them to the legal department of the Companies Registration Directorate in the Region's governorates; the beneficial-owner record is kept at the company's headquarters.
National company (official service page): online registration, the incorporation contract by email, the authorised bank, then checking of original documents at the directorate and collection of the certificate. Time: 3–10 days. A lawyer holding a power of attorney may handle it.
Foreign company branch (official service page): the company must have been registered in its home country for over a year; the branch manager must reside in the Region and the branch needs an official mailing address there; foreign documents must be certified. Time: 3–6 days. Details and government fees (Decision No. 119 of 2017) are on our Erbil page.
For registration in Baghdad (federal Companies Registration Department) see Company registration.
3) Social security and tax compliance
- The KRG foreign work-permit service page lists a social-security clearance among the documents.
- We do not state Region-specific social-security or tax rules here, because we have not verified them from an official KRG text. For federal rules see Social security registration and Tax registration and clearance.
4) Real estate in Duhok
For clients in Duhok, we review title documents, leases and property-management arrangements before signature. We do not state Region-specific property rules here, because we have no official KRG source for them. We match each file to the text in force and the competent authority. For federal rules, see Real estate & property.
How we work with Duhok clients
We serve clients in Duhok and Zakho from our Baghdad office: review of contracts and documents before filing, preparation of company, branch and work-permit files, and follow-up with the competent authorities. The firm has a team of 15 lawyers.
Links: Kurdistan Region · Erbil · Sulaymaniyah · Labour law · Company registration · Work permits (federal) · Social security · Tax · Real estate & property
FAQ
How do you serve clients in Duhok and Zakho?
We serve Duhok and Zakho clients from our Baghdad office (Al-Yarmouk): document review, file preparation and follow-up with the competent authorities.
Where is the Companies Directorate in Duhok?
On Mazi Street; it is part of the General Directorate of Companies Registration at the KRG Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Can I check a trade name before registering a company?
Yes. The KRG Business Registration System lets you search a trade name and confirm it is not taken.
What is needed if the company's manager is a foreign national?
The service page asks for the manager's passport and Unique Personal Number (UPN); the UPN is obtained in person with a passport and residency card.
About the author
Othman Al-Juboori: Iraqi lawyer, expert in Iraqi labour law, Member of the Iraqi Bar Association, and founder and Managing Director of Al-Taswia Legal Services Company. The firm has a team of 15 lawyers working from its Baghdad office. Author page
Sources last checked: 16 October 2026.
General information, not legal advice.