Jerusalemites to receive new, improved document services

AMMAN — The Civil Status and Passport Department (CSPD), in coordination with the Jordan Post Company (JPC) and the Supreme Judge Department, on Monday launched six additional services to facilitate document issuance for Jerusalemites, starting from mid-July.

During a press conference, Acting CSPD Director-General Talal Al Fayez said that the new services for Jerusalem residents, aimed at alleviating the burdens of document issuance, are a result of His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives to ensure an easy and smooth document issuance process, support Jerusalemites’ resilience and protect the Arab identity of the holy city of Jerusalem.

With the new services, Jerusalem residents can now apply for the issuance and renewal of their passports at the Sharia Court without any age restrictions. 

Jordanian citizens holding a national number and civil status can also benefit from these services by applying to the Sharia Court in Jerusalem for issuance and registration of records of marriage, divorce, birth, or death. Jordanian citizens can also request the renewal of their family book through the Sharia Court in Jerusalem.

Moreover, Jordanian citizens who hold a national number and are married to Jerusalem ID holders can also apply for passport issuance and renewal for themselves and their children through the Sharia Court in Jerusalem. 

This also applies to holders of the temporary "West Bank" passports, who are married to Jerusalem ID holders, provided they carry a Palestinian ID and have it affixed to their temporary passport ("personal number").

Fayez noted the importance of authorising the Sharia Court in Jerusalem to accept applications for the issuance and renewal of passports, as the court constitutes an integral part of the Jordanian judicial system, and adheres to Jordanian legal procedures and administration.

Jerusalem residents have the option to submit their requests to the Sharia Court in Jerusalem or visit the CSPD in Amman, he said. 

The JPC, through its partners in Jerusalem, will transfer the documents and associated forms to the CSPD for verification. The documents will then be returned to the JPC for delivery to the Sharia Court in Jerusalem, Fayez said.

JPC Chairman of the Board of Directors Sami Daoud said that the relocation of Jerusalemites’ document issuances and other processes to Amman and their return to Jerusalem, in collaboration with the Palestinian Company for Distribution and Logistics (WASSEL), will be carried out with utmost speed, accuracy and confidentiality considering the sensitivity of the documents.

Wasef Al Bakri, the acting supreme judge of Jerusalem's Sharia Courts, emphasised the importance of these new government services for the residents of Jerusalem, adding that they are a significant step forward in the Hashemite Custodianship over the holy sites.