Jordan Power of Attorney Attestation & Legalization

Powers of Attorney for Business and Property in Jordan

Jordan is a common base for U.S. companies serving the Levant and Iraq, and home to a large Jordanian-American diaspora with family property and business interests there. In both cases, someone in Amman usually needs authority to act: a lawyer, a local manager, a relative or a business partner. Jordanian ministries, courts, banks and the land registry will act on a U.S. power of attorney only once it has been authenticated in the U.S. and legalized by the Embassy of Jordan.

Company uses

A U.S. company registering a branch or a Jordanian company with the Companies Control Department, applying to the Ministry of Investment, opening bank accounts, registering products with the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) or appointing a commercial agent will usually grant a power of attorney to a Jordanian lawyer or representative. List each power clearly: registration, signing, banking, litigation, collecting documents. Jordanian authorities may question a document that is too general, and a board resolution approving the appointment is often requested with it.

Property and family matters

For Jordanian-Americans, the most common use is real estate: selling, buying, leasing or dividing land and apartments registered with the Department of Lands and Survey, or handling an inheritance. Property powers of attorney are scrutinized closely and may need to describe the property precisely, by plot and basin numbers, and to follow particular wording. Jordanian citizens in the U.S. can often sign such powers directly at the Embassy of Jordan or a consulate using official forms, which some property transactions prefer. Ask your lawyer in Jordan which route the transaction needs.

Drafting tips

Identify the grantor with full name and passport number, and the attorney with full name and Jordanian national number or passport. State the powers, whether the attorney may delegate, and any time limit. Bilingual English and Arabic documents are common and save time, otherwise a sworn translation is made in Jordan.

Legalization through the Jordan e-portal

Jordan is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille will not be accepted. The power of attorney is signed before a U.S. notary, authenticated by the Secretary of State and the U.S. Department of State, and then legalized by the Embassy of Jordan in Washington, D.C. Requests are registered and paid through the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-portal, an extra copy of each document must be included, and the embassy takes about five working days. In Jordan, the document is normally authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before use.