Jordan’s House of Representatives has passed amendments to the country’s civil status registration legislation, making digital identity legally mandatory for access to public services and requiring all government bodies and private sector entities to recognize it as equivalent to the physical national ID card.
The amendments define digital ID as the electronic version of the national ID card, with full legal equivalence. Issuance is restricted to platforms approved by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship. The law takes effect once published in the official gazette.
The legislation also introduces a digital mail address system that requires all citizens over the age of 18 to declare a physical address through which they can be formally notified of administrative matters. The two provisions were passed together as part of the same civil status amendments package, following deliberations by Parliament’s Legal Committee.
Jordan’s existing digital ID infrastructure runs through the Sanad app, which the legislation now formally enshrines as the primary vehicle for citizen digital identity. Sanad uses iris biometrics supplied by IrisGuard and has been operational for providing digital government services for several years. Prior to the new law, Jordan’s Central Bank had already approved Sanad for identity verification in banking, giving the app a footprint across the financial sector before its formal legal recognition.
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship carries enforcement authority over which platforms are approved for ID issuance. Ministry officials have previously said activation of digital ID would remain voluntary for individual citizens even after legal recognition, but the new amendments require public and private sector bodies to accept the credential where it is presented.
Citizens who have not yet activated a Sanad identity will encounter digital verification options across government services once the law is gazetted. Banks, telecoms, and other regulated entities will need to update onboarding and verification workflows to accommodate the Sanad credential class alongside physical documents.
Jordan’s move aligns with a broader wave of Middle Eastern and North African governments codifying digital identity systems into law, with comparable legislation in progress or recently adopted in the Gulf Cooperation Council states and North Africa. The Jordanian cabinet had previously backed legal recognition for digital identity ahead of the parliamentary vote.
Sources: Jordan News Agency (Petra)
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
