Article 6 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
المادة 6 من نظام الأحوال المدنية
The article establishes a central civil register in which the civil status of every Saudi citizen, inside or outside the Kingdom, is recorded, under an arrangement approved by the Minister of Interior.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
ينشأ بمقتضى هذا النظام سجل مدني مركزي تثبت فيه الحالة المدنية لكل مواطن سعودي سواء كان مقيما داخل المملكة أو خارجها، ويتم تنظيم هذا السجل وتصنيفه والقيد فيه وفق تنظيم يعتمده وزير الداخلية.
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 6 explained in plain English
This article establishes the central civil register, the general register in which the civil status of Saudi citizens is recorded. Its main points:
- Comprehensiveness: the register records the civil status of every Saudi citizen, whether residing inside or outside the Kingdom; residing abroad does not take the citizen out of the register.
- Organization: the organization of the register, its classification and the entries in it are carried out under an arrangement approved by the Minister of Interior; the article does not detail the method of classification or entry.
Civil status, as Article 1 explains in the law's purposes, includes everything connected with the citizen's civil events that occur in his life. This provision is linked to Article 5, which requires an event that occurred to a Saudi abroad to be recorded in the events register and the civil register within 180 days of its occurrence, and to Article 7, which provides for preparing event registers in the civil status offices for Saudis and separate registers for foreigners.
It follows that the central civil register is specific to Saudis, while foreigners' events are recorded in their separate registers.
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 6 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
Does the central civil register include Saudis residing outside the Kingdom?
Yes. The article provides that the civil status of every Saudi citizen is recorded in it, whether residing inside the Kingdom or outside it.
Who determines how the civil register is organized and entries are made?
The register's organization, classification and entries are carried out under an arrangement approved by the Minister of Interior.
Are foreigners recorded in the central civil register?
The article limits the central civil register to Saudi citizens; foreigners' events are recorded in separate registers, as Article 7 provides.
More articles on Civil Register and Event Registers
- Article 1
The article names the law the Civil Status Law and explains that it is concerned with regulating the civil status of Saudi citizens and recording civil events of foreigners inside the Kingdom.
يسمى هذا النظام ( نظام الأحوال المدنية ) وتعنى أحكامه بما يلي: أ - ضبط الحالة المدنية لكل مواطن سعودي، وتسجيل كل ما يتصل بهذه الحالة من الواقعات المدنية التي تط
- Article 2Amended by M/198
The article defines the terms of the Civil Status Law, including event, civil status, registers and committees, and the personal ID card in both its physical and digital forms.
تدل المصطلحات التالية - حيثما وردت في هذا النظام ولائحته التنفيذية - على المعاني المدونة لكل منها: أ - المديرية : هي المديرية العامة للأحوال المدنية المسئولة عن
- Article 3
The article makes the civil status departments and offices the bodies that register civil statuses and events and issue personal ID cards and family record books under the law and its regulations.
تقوم إدارات ومكاتب الأحوال المدنية بتسجيل الحالات والواقعات المدنية وإصدار البطاقات الشخصية ودفاتر العائلة وفق أحكام هذا النظام ولائحته التنفيذية.
- Article 4
The article provides for establishing civil status offices by decision of the Minister of Interior as needed to assist the departments, with the decision determining the department to which each office is attached.
يعاون إدارات الأحوال المدنية في أداء مسئولياتها مكاتب للأحوال المدنية تنشأ بقرار من وزير الداخلية حسب مقتضى الحاجة، ويعين القرار إدارة الأحوال المدنية التي يتبع
- Article 5
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.
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
- Article 7
The article requires event registers to be prepared in the civil status offices to record Saudis' events, and other separate registers for foreigners' events inside the Kingdom.
تعد بمكاتب الأحوال المدنية سجلات لتسجيل الواقعات المدنية للسعوديين وسجلات أخرى مستقلة للأجانب تدون فيها الواقعات المدنية التي تحصل لهم داخل المملكة.
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.