Jordan Certificate of Status Attestation

Proof of Corporate Status for Jordanian Registries

Any Jordanian authority dealing with a U.S. company will, sooner or later, ask for proof that the company exists and is active at home. The standard answer is a certificate of status from the Secretary of State of the state where the company was formed. Jordanian offices accept it once it has been authenticated in the U.S. and legalized by the Embassy of Jordan.

Registering in Jordan

Jordan’s Companies Control Department registers foreign companies that want a presence in the Kingdom. Jordanian practice distinguishes between foreign companies that will carry on business in Jordan and those that set up offices without trading locally, such as regional headquarters, and the documents required differ accordingly. In both cases, the U.S. parent’s certificate of status is a standard part of the file, together with its formation documents, a board resolution and a power of attorney for the local representative.

Other uses

The Ministry of Investment and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority may ask investors for proof of status. The Jordan Food and Drug Administration may want legal status documents when registering a foreign manufacturer or its local agent. Government tender committees confirm that bidders are active companies, and Jordanian banks ask for status documents when opening accounts or issuing guarantees for foreign entities.

Titles, dates and names

States call this document by different names: certificate of status, good standing, existence or fact. Jordanian offices treat them as equivalent proof, but they expect a recent issue date, typically within the last few months, and the company name must match every other document in the file exactly, including suffixes such as “Inc.” or “LLC”. If an earlier name appears in Jordanian records, include the amendment showing the change.

Legalization

A certificate of status is an official record, so a notary is not needed. It is authenticated by the Secretary of State that issued it, with that office’s authentication certificate attached, and then by the U.S. Department of State, before the Embassy of Jordan legalizes it. Jordan is not part of the apostille system. We lodge the request on the Jordanian Foreign Ministry platform, pay the charge there and add the spare copy the embassy keeps on file; the embassy needs about five working days.