• This law is called the (Civil Status Law) and its provisions concern the following:

  • A- Regulating the civil status of every Saudi citizen, and recording all civil events related to this status that occur in his life in the designated register.

  • B- Recording the civil events that occur to foreigners within the Kingdom in the designated register.

• The following terms - wherever they appear in this Law and its Executive Regulations - shall have the meanings recorded for each of them:

  • A- The Directorate:

    • It is the General Directorate of Civil Status responsible for civil status affairs.

  • B- Civil Status Department:

    • It is the branch of the Directorate in the region assigned within its jurisdiction to register the civil status cases of the residents of the region.

  • C- Civil Status Office:

    • It is the entity responsible for registering civil status events in the events register, and it is affiliated with one of the Civil Status Departments.

  • D- The Authority:

    • It is the Central Civil Status Authority formed in accordance with the provisions of Article (86) of this Law.

  • E- The Local Committee:

    • It is the Civil Status Committee formed in each Civil Status Department or Office, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (A) of Article (82) of this Law.

  • F- The Subcommittee:

    • It is the Civil Status Committee formed in each region, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (B) of Article (82) of this Law.

  • G- The Central Civil Registry:

    • It is the general register in which the civil status cases of all Saudis are recorded.

  • H- The Events Register:

    • It is the register in which civil status events are recorded.

  • I- The Event:

    • It is the occurrence of birth, marriage, divorce, loss or recovery of nationality, or death, and every incident that this Law or its Executive Regulations require to be registered, as well as all that stems from the aforementioned: emergencies, accidents, and what necessitates an amendment in their registration.

  • J- Civil Status:

    • It is everything that describes the civil life of the citizen by the occurrence of one of the previous events.

  • K- The Personal Identification Card:

    • It is the national identity document issued by the Civil Status for Saudis in accordance with the provisions of this Law, in its tangible or digital form.

The Civil Status Departments and Offices shall register cases and civil events and issue identity cards and family registers in accordance with the provisions of this Law and its Executive Regulations.

Civil Status Departments are assisted in performing their responsibilities by Civil Status Offices established by a decision of the Minister of Interior as needed, and the decision appoints the Civil Status Department to which each office belongs.

His Majesty's Representations are responsible for the Civil Status Offices abroad concerning the registration of civil events for Saudis residing within their jurisdiction abroad. However, any registration of a civil event for a Saudi national conducted in a foreign country in accordance with its laws shall be considered valid provided that the event does not conflict with the Kingdom's regulations. It is required that the event be registered within one hundred and eighty days from the date of occurrence in the Civil Events Register and the Civil Status Register based on the registration carried out abroad.

A central civil registry shall be established pursuant to this law, in which the civil status of every Saudi citizen shall be recorded, whether residing inside or outside the Kingdom. This registry shall be organized, classified, and registered in accordance with regulations approved by the Minister of Interior.

Civil status offices are considered records for registering the civil events of Saudis, and separate independent records for foreigners in which the civil events that occur to them within the Kingdom are recorded.

The records of vital events for Saudis and foreigners must include a register for recording births, a register for recording deaths, and a register for recording marriage and divorce. Other registers of vital events for Saudis and foreigners may be added by a decision of the Minister of Interior.