Article 5 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
المادة 5 من نظام الأحوال المدنية
The article makes the Kingdom's representations responsible for registering Saudis' events abroad and recognizes a foreign state's registration if it does not conflict with the Kingdom's laws, with a duty to enter it within 180 days.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تتولى ممثليات جلالة الملك مسئولية مكاتب الأحوال المدنية في الخارج فيما يتعلق بتسجيل الواقعات المدنية للسعوديين المقيمين في دائرة اختصاصها في الخارج، ومع هذا فكل تسجيل لواقعة مدنية لأحد السعوديين يتم في دولة أجنبية وفقا لنظامها - يعتبر صحيحا - بشرط عدم تعارض الواقعة مع أنظمة المملكة، على أنه يجب خلال مائة وثمانين يوما من تاريخ حدوث الواقعة تسجيلها في سجل الواقعات والسجل المدني بموجب التسجيل الذي تم في الخارج.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 5 explained in plain English
This article addresses the position of Saudi citizens residing outside the Kingdom when a civil event occurs to them, such as birth, marriage or death, and includes the following:
- The competent body abroad: the Kingdom's representations assume the responsibility of the civil status offices abroad with regard to registering the civil events of Saudis residing in their area of jurisdiction.
- Recognition of foreign registration: every registration of a civil event of a Saudi made in a foreign state in accordance with its law is considered valid, provided that the event does not conflict with the Kingdom's laws.
- The duty to transfer to the Saudi registers: within 180 days of the date the event occurs, it must be recorded in the events register and the civil register on the basis of the registration made abroad.
The validity of the foreign registration does not remove the need to transfer it to the Saudi registers within the set period. Article 4 adds that civil status offices inside the Kingdom are established by decision of the Minister of Interior, whereas the representations perform this role abroad. Article 6 provides that the civil status of every Saudi citizen is recorded in the central civil register, whether he resides inside or outside the Kingdom.
The article does not state what follows if the 180 days are exceeded, nor the criterion for an event's conflicting with the Kingdom's laws; anyone with a particular case would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in civil status and personal status matters.
Practical example
Khaled, a Saudi citizen studying in Canada, registered his son's birth with the Canadian authorities under their law. This registration is considered valid as long as the event does not conflict with the Kingdom's laws, but within 180 days of the date of birth he must record it in the Saudi events register and civil register on the basis of the Canadian registration.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 5 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
Is registering a baby in a foreign country valid?
Yes. A registration made under the law of the foreign state is considered valid, provided the event does not conflict with the Kingdom's laws.
What is the period for recording an event that occurred abroad in the Saudi registers?
It must be recorded in the events register and the civil register within 180 days of the date the event occurred.
Who registers the events of Saudis residing abroad?
The Kingdom's representations assume the responsibility of the civil status offices abroad to register the events of Saudis residing in their area of jurisdiction.
More articles on Registering Civil Events
- Article 16Amended by M/198
The Article requires the biometric features of Saudis who have reached the age of six to be recorded when entries are amended or civil statuses and events are registered, and leaves the rules to the Implementing Regulations.
عند تعديل القيود أو تسجيل الحالات والواقعات المدنية، تُسجّل الخصائص الحيوية لمن بلغ سن (السادسة) من السعوديين. وتحدد اللائحة التنفيذية الضوابط اللازمة لما ورد ف
- Article 17
The Article requires every citizen holding a family record book to go to the civil status office with the information and documents needed to register himself and his family, and every citizen to report future events within the legal period.
يجب على كل مواطن يحمل حفيظة نفوس أن يتقدم إلى إحدى دوائر الأحوال المدنية بجميع المعلومات والوثائق اللازمة لتسجيله وأفراد أسرته، وعلى كل مواطن التبليغ عن جميع ال
- Article 18
The Article requires registrars to record every civil event as soon as it is reported, with the date of the entry, and the entry must include the reporter's name, surname, age, residence, capacity and the date of the report.
يجب على كتاب السجلات قيد كل واقعة مدنية عند التبليغ عنها مباشرة مع تحديد تاريخ القيد يوم حصوله، ويجب أن يتضمن القيد اسم المبلغ ولقبه وسنه ومحل إقامته وصفته في ا
- Article 19Amended (1422 AH)
The Article sets the procedure when a registrar refuses to record a civil event: he refers the matter within 7 days, the head decides within 30 days, and the interested person may file a grievance with the sub-committee.
إذا رفض كاتب السجل المنوط به القيد – قيد أية واقعة مدنية - وجب عليه خلال سبعة أيام رفع الأمر إلى الإدارة التي يتبعها بمذكرة مسببة. وعلى مدير الإدارة أن يبدي رأي
- Article 20Amended (1422 AH)
The Article regulates recording a civil event reported late: before its first year ends the registrar records it after verification; after a year it is recorded only by decision of the local committee.
عند التبليغ عن واقعة مدنية بعد فوات المدة المحددة وقبل نهاية السنة الأولى لحدوثها، فعلى كاتب السجل أن يتثبت من صحة وقوعها في التاريخ المبلغ عنه، وله في هذا السب
- Article 21
The Article requires the reporter to be given a copy of the entry for the event on the prescribed form, the registrar and the reporter to sign the entry and its copy, and a refusal to sign to be recorded in the presence of two witnesses.
بعد قيد الواقعة يعطى المبلغ صورة من قيدها على النموذج المعد لذلك ويجب أن يوقع على القيد وصورته كل من كاتب السجل المنوط به القيد والمبلغ فإن امتنع المبلغ عن التو
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.