Financial institutions across Jordan must now recognize the Sanad mobile application’s digital identity credential as a legitimate form of customer identification, following a formal directive from the Central Bank of Jordan published on February 16, 2026.
The ruling grants the Sanad digital credential legal equivalence with physical identity documents for banking transactions, directly affecting how banks handle know-your-customer processes, account onboarding, and in-branch identity checks. Every bank operating within the kingdom is covered by the mandate.
The move effectively eliminates a key friction point for Sanad adoption in financial services. Previously, while the app functioned as a government-issued digital identity, its acceptance for banking purposes lacked formal regulatory backing. That gap has now been closed.
Jordan has been steadily expanding the use cases for its digital identity infrastructure. In January 2026, the Sanad app introduced instant remote activation of digital credentials, removing the need for in-person enrollment. The government also authorized digital ID cards for use in national elections, establishing a precedent for high-assurance identity verification scenarios beyond financial services.
Complementary programs have extended Jordan’s digital ID reach further. The “Identity Without Borders” initiative, a collaboration between IrisGuard and the Jordanian Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MODEE), launched in late 2024 to broaden access to digital identity services through federated channels.
With the Central Bank’s endorsement, Jordan joins a growing list of countries where government-issued mobile credentials carry the same legal weight as physical documents in regulated financial settings, a development that has implications for remote banking access and financial inclusion across the kingdom.
Sources: Central Bank of Jordan
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By the Mobile ID World Editorial Team
