Indian Embassy in Baghdad to close visa & consular counters on 14 April for Ambedkar Jayanti

The Embassy of India in Baghdad has issued a public advisory stating that it will remain closed on Tuesday, 14 April 2026 to mark the birth anniversary of Dr B. R. Ambedkar. All visa issuance, passport renewals and other consular services are suspended for the day, with normal operations set to resume on 15 April. Iraq hosts an estimated 7,000 Indian expatriate workers, primarily in the oil, construction and healthcare sectors. The one-day closure could delay urgent travel‐document requests, but the mission has activated an emergency contact number for genuinely life-or-death situations. Applicants with existing appointments have been automatically rescheduled, the embassy said. Mobility managers moving personnel into Iraq this week should adjust timelines or route urgent submissions through India’s Consulate in Erbil, which remains open. Travellers already in Iraq are advised to carry photocopies of passports and valid visas, as document replacement will not be possible on 14 April. The announcement is a reminder that Indian public-holiday closures apply to missions worldwide and can briefly interrupt the issuance of fresh visas and attestations that underpin overseas assignments. Companies should maintain calendar alerts for such closures when planning start dates and rotation schedules.