Jordan: three-stage Arab standard chain
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Al-Mamlaka Al-Urduniya Al-Hashimiya) has not signed the Hague Apostille Convention 1961. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan (Wizarat Al-Kharijiya wa Shu'un Al-Mughtaribin, Amman, 4th Circle Jabal Amman) operates the three-stage Tasdiq chain: source-country MFA + Embassy of Jordan + MOFA Amman Department of Authentication & Translation, before acceptance by Da'irat Al-Ahwal Al-Madaniya wa Al-Jawazat (Civil Status & Passports), MOL (Tasreeh Amal), Sharia Court (Mahkamat Shar'iya), Department of Lands and Survey (DLS — Da'irat Al-Aradi wa Al-Misaha), and MOHE.
Embassy of Jordan Bangkok at 47/1 Ratchadaphisek Road, Dindaeng, accepts submissions 09:00–13:00 Sun–Thu (longer hours than other Arab embassies). Fee THB 1,800–3,200/document, turnaround 5–8 working days. NYC's Amman partner handles MOFA Tasdiq + Arabic Sworn Translation + Sharia Court certification (where needed) end-to-end.
Popular documents + Sharia Court
Marriage: Personal Status Law 36/2010 requires marriage at Mahkamat Shar'iya (Muslim) or Mahkamat Tawa'if (Christian/Druze) for Jordanian Muslims. A Muslim man may marry a Kitabia woman; a non-Muslim man cannot marry a Muslim woman (Sharia art.279). Thai documents: Single Status + Birth Certificate, full chain + Arabic + Embassy + Sharia approval.
Work Permit: MOL issues Tasreeh Amal — requires Diploma + Police Clearance + Medical, full chain + Arabic. Fee JOD 150–500/year (~THB 6,500–22,000) depending on sector (Closed/Restricted/Open per annual MOL declaration).
Investment + JIC: Jordan Investment Commission handles FDI; Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZA) provides a one-stop shop — documents are submitted via the Aqaba MOFA branch, and tax is 0–5% (vs mainland 20%).
Property: Land Law 1953 + Foreign Ownership Regulation 2002 — foreigners may buy residential property in Amman/Aqaba/Dead Sea after Council of Ministers approval via DLS + POA, full chain + Arabic notarisation.
Steps + NYC pricing
(1) Thai→English + MFA Thailand THB 200/400 per page, 2–3 days.
(2) Embassy of Jordan Bangkok THB 1,800–3,200 per document, 5–8 days.
(3) DHL Bangkok→Amman AMM THB 3,200–4,800 per parcel, 4–6 days + customs 1–2 days.
(4) MOFA Amman Tasdiq JOD 5–20 per document (~THB 220–880) + partner THB 2,000, 3–5 days.
(5) Arabic Sworn Translation Amman JOD 15–50 per page (~THB 660–2,200) by Mutarjim Mahlif registered with MOJ Jordan.
(6) Sharia Court / Notary attestation JOD 10–30 per document (~THB 440–1,320) where required.
End-to-end 5-document set: THB 8,500–13,500, 16–24 working days.
Jordan-specific risks
1) ASEZA vs mainland: documents for use in Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZA) go through the ASEZA one-stop shop in Aqaba City directly — 30% faster + tax 0–5%. Documents for Amman/Irbid/Zarqa must go through MOFA Amman 4th Circle.
2) Sharia vs Civil: all Muslim family matters (marriage, divorce, inheritance, child custody) go through Sharia Court; non-Muslims go through Mahkamat Tawa'if per denomination (Greek Orthodox, Latin Catholic, Armenian, Druze). Picking the wrong court means redoing the entire chain.
3) Jordan Compact + Syrian refugees: since 2016, the Jordan Compact (EU + UK) allows work permits for Syrian refugees in specified sectors — NYC checks refugee status before accepting Tasreeh Amal work.
4) MOFA Amman opening hours: the 4th Circle office operates Sun–Thu 08:30–14:30 (Ramadan 09:00–13:00); closed Fri–Sat + Islamic holidays (Eid al-Fitr 3 days, Eid al-Adha 4 days, Mawlid, Isra wal Mi'raj) + national holidays (Independence Day 25 May, King Abdullah II Accession 7 Feb).
5) JOD pegged to USD: the Jordanian Dinar has been pegged to USD at 1:1.41 since 1995 — prices are stable. Partner accepts USD/EUR/JOD normally; no sanctions issues.