Jordan’s Sanad mobile identity app now has full legal equivalence to the physical national ID card after amendments to the Civil Status Law of 2026 were published in the Official Gazette. The change means digital IDs issued through approved platforms can be used as legally valid identification in transactions covered by Jordanian law.
The law requires public bodies and private sector entities to recognize the digital identity card when it is presented. That extends Sanad acceptance beyond government portals to areas such as banking, telecom services, and other formal transactions. Activation remains voluntary for citizens, but institutions on the receiving side must accept the credential.
Sanad uses iris biometric technology supplied by IrisGuard and provides access to more than 500 online public services. Jordan’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship says more than 2.6 million citizens have activated digital IDs through the app, including more than 600,000 new activations since the beginning of 2026.
The legal update turns Sanad from a convenient government-services app into a phone-based identity credential with statutory force. The app had already been moving in that direction. Jordan’s banking sector now accepts the app for customer identification after the Central Bank of Jordan recognized Sanad for banking ID checks, and a January update added in-app digital ID activation using iris biometrics.
The current change follows earlier parliamentary action that made Sanad acceptance mandatory for institutions. The Official Gazette publication completes the legal step that gives the app the same standing as the physical card.
The amended law also introduces address-registration requirements for Jordanians aged 18 and older, covering residential and digital mailing addresses used for formal notifications. For mobile users, the central change is that a credential stored in the Sanad app can now function as a legal ID across more everyday interactions.
Sources: Jordan Times, Petra
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By the Mobile ID World Editorial Team
