Jordan makes digital ID mandatory for access to public services

Lawmakers in Jordan have greenlighted amendments to the country’s civil status registration legislation which institutionalizes digital ID and makes it mandatory for access to public services.

Amendments to the law were approved by a majority of members of the House of Representatives on April 13, after deliberations by Parliament’s Legal Committee, Jordan News reports.

There are three key aspects in the law and one of them is the formal adoption of digital ID which will be required for access to a wide variety of services from government and the private sector. The law will take effect once it has been gazetted.

Digital ID is described in the law as the electronic version of a citizen’s national ID card, and it shall be mandatorily recognized by all government structures as well as private sector entities. Its issuance shall be done only through platforms approved by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, the law states.

Another aspect included in the legislation is the introduction of a digital mail address system which requires all citizens above the age of 18 to declare their physical addresses through which they shall be informed of all administrative issues and correspondences concerning them.

Fines for missing documents are also part of the major changes to the law. Fees required to obtain replacement IDs or family books for first, second and subsequent losses, have respectively, been fixed at 10, 15 and 30 Jordanian diners, (US$14, US$21, and US$42).

According to the government, the changes to the civil registration law are part of an ongoing push to strengthen the country’s digital transformation.
Authorities believe that by formally making digital ID mandatory for public service access, the shift to a fully digital ecosystem will be expedited and bring greater convenience to citizens. The digital ID, they say, will also allow citizens to complete digital transaction in a more secure and trusted online environment, while also bringing efficiency to the way the country’s public administration runs.

Already, Jordanians have been accessing public services through the Sanad digital government application, which uses iris biometrics from IrisGuard. As of November last year, officials said 80 percent of public services could be accessed through the platform.

The country is also said to be making progress in its digital transformation drive, especially in the healthcare sector, within the framework of the Jordan People-Centered Digital Government Program for Results which is financed by the World Bank.

Article Topics

digital government  |  digital ID  |  government services  |  Jordan  |  legislation  |  national ID