Jordan Civil Registration

Online Collections

 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms at Findmypast; index & images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages at Findmypast; index & images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials at Findmypast; index & images ($)

Offices to Contact
National Archives in Amman and local government offices

Department of the National Library Number 9 Haroun Al Rasheed St 9 P.O.Box: 6070 Amman 11118 Amman, Jordan

Telephone: +962 6 566 2845 Telephone: 06-5662791 See Telephone: 065662871-065662854-065662845 Fax: 065662867 Email : [mailto:nl@nl.gov.jo nl@nl.gov.jo] Email of the Public Relations Department [mailto:PR@NL.GOV.JO PR@NL.GOV.JO] Director of Documents and Documentation Directorate: Nawal Al Jabour Email: nawal.aljboor@nl.gov.jo Ext: 2106

National Library in Amman

Location of marriage contracts: At Islamic law court [sharia] archives in various cities.

Historical Background
Time period: 1921-present. Early years only included Europeans. Registration of the general populous became compulsory in 1957.

Marriage contracts: These records are the only source prior to civil registration of specific marriage information and provide a marriage date. They also provide relationships.

Legal contracts of marriage are the closest thing in Islamic society to marriage records. In Islamic tradition marriage is considered a legal contract between two families and is not considered a religious sacrament. Islamic law courts [sharia] handled the majority of litigation, particularly in the domain of personal and family status including marriage and divorce.

Time period of marriage contracts: 1400-present.

Coverage and Compliance
Population coverage: Before 1957, 5%; after 1957, as high as 80%.

Population coverage for marriage contracts: As high as 75%; these records pertain to Muslim marriages only.

Birth Records

 * Child’s name
 * Birth date and place
 * Parents’ names, residence, and occupation
 * Witnesses’ ages, relationships, residences

Marriage Records

 * Names of Bride and groom
 * Ages
 * Residences
 * Occupations
 * Marriage date and place
 * Sometimes ages and/or birth dates and places
 * Parents' names, residences, occupations
 * Witnesses

Marriage contracts

 * Names of marriage candidates
 * Date of contract and
 * Date of marriage
 * Parents (at least the father) of marital partners
 * Details concerning dowry

Death Records

 * Name of deceased
 * Age
 * Death date and place
 * Occupation
 * Name of surviving spouse
 * Informant’s name and residence
 * Cause of death
 * Sometimes birth date and place
 * Parents’ names
 * Children’s names