Presence Instructions for Financing Companies No. (3 / 2026)

CENTRAL BANK OF JORDAN
Central Bank of Jordan

Reference No: 2014 / 3/28
Date: 15 / 8 / 1447 AH
Corresponding to: 3 / 3 / 2026 AD

Presence Instructions for Financing Companies No. (3 / 2026)

Issued based on the provisions of Articles (4/b) and (6/b) of the Central Bank of Jordan Law No. (23) of 1971 and its amendments, and Articles (14/d), (25), and (26) of the Financing Companies System No. (107) of 2021 and its amendments.

Article (1): These Instructions shall be known as the "Presence Instructions for Financing Companies" and shall apply to all financing companies licensed in the Kingdom. They shall come into force from the date of their approval.

Article (2): a. The words and expressions used in these Instructions shall have the meanings assigned to them below, unless the context indicates otherwise:

The System: The Financing Companies System No. (107) of 2021 and its amendments, or any legislation replacing it.
The Bank: The Central Bank of Jordan.
Branch: A form of the company's presence established to conduct part or all of the activities and services the company is licensed to perform, including mobile branches.
Marketing Site: A permanent or temporary form of the company's presence whose activities are limited to marketing the activities and services the company is licensed to perform.

b. The words and expressions used in these Instructions shall have the meanings assigned to them in the System, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Article (3): The company's domestic presence shall be either a branch or a marketing site for the activities and services it provides. Its foreign presence shall be in the form of a branch.

Article (4): The company must obtain the approval of its Board of Directors before opening, closing, or permanently relocating a branch or marketing site.

Article (5): a. A company wishing to open a branch within the Kingdom must submit a written application to the Bank, signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the General Manager of the Company, accompanied by the requirements and documents below, according to the details in Annex No. (1):

Data on the proposed branch and the expected date of commencing operations.
The economic feasibility study for the branch.
Any additional requirements or documents.

b. The following shall be taken into consideration when studying branch opening applications:

The company's compliance with the System and the instructions issued pursuant to it.
The financial strength of the company.
The existence of internal control and audit systems within the company.

c. In addition to what is stated in clauses (a) and (b) of this Article, and if the company wishes to open a mobile branch, it must comply with the following additional requirements at a minimum:

Providing the necessary security arrangements to protect the branch and ensure its safety, including those related to cash.
Providing a qualified and trained staff of no less than (3) employees.
Providing communication means between the mobile branch and both the company's headquarters and its nearest branch.

d. The company must commence operations from the branch within a maximum period of one year from the date of the Bank's approval.

e. If the company is unable to commence the branch's operations within the period specified in clause (d) of this Article, it may submit a written application to extend this period, including the reasons and justifications that prevented this. The application must be submitted at least two months before the expiration of the aforementioned period. The Central Bank may approve the extension once or more times, provided that the total duration does not exceed six months.

f. The approval to open the branch shall be deemed automatically revoked if the branch does not commence operations within the periods stated in clause (d) and any extension thereof under clause (e) of this Article. If the company still requires this branch, it must submit a new application.

g. The company must notify the Bank in writing of the date the branch commences operations at least (5) working days in advance and provide the Bank with Annex No. (A/2) reflecting the branch's data.

h. A branch shall not conduct its activities from more than one location, except for a mobile branch, which must comply with the geographical area it serves as approved by the Bank.

i. The company shall not conduct financing activities within its headquarters, except through a branch within a dedicated space and staff. Any financing requests or services received by the headquarters must be processed through the company's branches via electronic means (including, but not limited to, the company's website), as appropriate.

j. Licensed financing companies conducting financing activities through their headquarters must regularize their status in accordance with the provisions of these Instructions within a maximum period of one year from the date these Instructions come into force.

k. Meeting the requirements and any conditions stated in the preceding clauses (a), (b), and (c) is a basis for considering the company's application for branching and does not necessarily imply the Bank's approval for branching.

Article (6): a. A company wishing to permanently close any branch must obtain the Bank's approval by submitting a written application signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the General Manager of the Company, including the following:

Reasons and justifications for the closure.
The company's plan regarding this, including how to handle customer accounts, provide activities and services, and the closure date.
Any additional requirements or documents.

b. The company must complete the closure process within a maximum period of one year from the date of the Bank's approval. The approval to close the branch shall be deemed automatically revoked if the company does not comply with this period. If the company still requires the closure of this branch, it must submit a new application.

c. Upon completing the closure procedures, the company must notify the Central Bank thereof and provide it with Annex No. (A/2) updated to reflect this.

Article (7): a. A company wishing to temporarily close any branch for a period of one month or more must obtain the Bank's approval by submitting a written application signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the General Manager of the Company, including the following:

Reasons and justifications for this and the required closure period.
The company's plan regarding the closure process, including how to handle customer accounts and provide activities and services.
Any additional requirements or documents.

b. If the closure period is less than one month, the company is only required to notify the Bank in writing.

c. The company must complete the closure process within a maximum period of (3) months from the date of the Bank's approval. If the company requires a period exceeding this, it must submit a written application to extend this period, including the reasons and justifications that prevented the completion of the closure process. The application must be submitted at least two weeks before the expiration of this period. The Central Bank may approve the extension once or more times, provided that the total duration does not exceed (3) months.

d. The company must notify the Bank in writing of the date the branch resumes its activities.

Article (8): a. A company wishing to permanently relocate any branch from one location to another must obtain the Bank's approval by submitting a written application signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the General Manager of the Company. The application must include the reasons and justifications for the relocation and the company's detailed plan regarding this, including the expected time period for the relocation process.

b. The company must begin the branch relocation procedures and complete them within a maximum period of one year from the date of the Bank's approval. The approval to relocate the branch shall be deemed automatically revoked if the company does not comply with this period. If the company still requires the relocation of this branch, it must submit a new application.

c. Upon completing the relocation procedures, the company must notify the Central Bank thereof and provide it with Annex No. (A/2) updated to reflect this.

d. No branch shall conduct its activities at both the old and new locations simultaneously.

e. The provisions of this Article apply if the relocation is within the same area where the old branch is located. Otherwise, the company must submit an application in accordance with the procedures to close the branch and open a new branch in accordance with the provisions of these Instructions.

Article (9): a. A company wishing to temporarily relocate any branch from one location to another for a period of one month or more must obtain the Bank's approval by submitting a written application signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the General Manager of the Company. The application must include the reasons and justifications for the relocation. If the relocation period is less than one month, the company is only required to notify the Bank in writing.

b. The company must provide the Bank in writing with the date of commencing work at the new branch location and the related information, including the manager's name, address, and phone numbers.

c. The company must notify the Bank in writing of the date the branch resumes its activities at the old location.

Article (10): In the event of any emergency situations beyond the company's control that require it to temporarily close any of its branches for a period of (10) working days or less, the company must notify the Bank thereof within (48) hours of the closure, stating the reasons and justifications for the closure, the expected date of resuming the branch's activities, and any measures taken by the company regarding this, as appropriate.

Article (11): After obtaining the Bank's approval to permanently or temporarily close and/or relocate any branch, the company must announce this and notify customers. The announcement must be in a prominent place at the headquarters and the branch to be closed and/or relocated, and through any other means, including SMS messages, the company's website, and the company's social media accounts. In the case of temporary closure and/or relocation, the company must also notify customers of the date the branch resumes its activities at the old location, through any of the aforementioned means.

Article (12): a. The company must notify the Bank if it wishes to market its activities and services through a permanent marketing site or a temporary marketing site for a period of one month or more. The company must provide the Bank with the address of the marketing site and the date of commencing and ceasing work there, as applicable.

b. The activities of a marketing site are limited to marketing activities and services without conducting any other activities conducted by branches. This must be announced in a clear place.

Article (13): Financing companies are responsible for regularizing the status of their existing marketing offices by changing the form of presence to a branch or marketing site and submitting an application in accordance with the provisions of Articles (5) and (12), as appropriate, within one year from the date these Instructions come into force.

Article (14): The provisions of these Instructions related to the relocation (permanent/temporary) of branches shall apply to the company's headquarters.

Article (15): a. A company wishing to open a branch outside the Kingdom must submit a written application to the Bank, signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, supported by the following:

The company's Board of Directors' approval for this.
An economic feasibility study for the branching, including estimated budgets for the financial status of the branch for the first three years.
Identification of the country where branching is intended and the expected date of commencing work.
Any additional requirements or documents.

b. When studying the application to open the foreign branch, the following will be considered:

The company's compliance with the System and the instructions issued pursuant to it.
The financial strength of the company.
The nature of the requirements and conditions required by the supervisory authority in the host country, if any.

c. A company wishing to open a branch outside the Kingdom must meet the following requirements and conditions at a minimum:

The company must have conducted financing activities in the Kingdom for a period of no less than (3) years.
The company must possess the financial solvency and strength to conduct activities outside the Kingdom and must have achieved profits during the last three years.
The company must have a policy governing its relationship with foreign branches, including internal audit.

Obtain approval from the supervisory authority in the host country, if any, for this branching.
Provide the Bank with an official letter from the supervisory authority in the host country, if any, stating its willingness to cooperate with the Bank in supervisory matters and information exchange, including the Bank's right or the right of any entity it appoints to inspect the operations of these branches.

d. The company must provide the Bank with the date the branch commences operations and information related to the branch's name, address, and phone number.

e. The provisions related to the permanent and temporary closure of domestic branches shall apply to foreign branches, as appropriate.

Article (16): The company must provide the Bank, no later than the end of January of each year, with a statistic indicating the number of branches and marketing sites as of the end of each year, according to the forms prepared for this purpose [Annexes No. (A/2), (B/2), (C/2)] of these Instructions.

Article (17): The Licensing and Presence Instructions for Microfinance Companies No. (62/2016) dated 2016/4/10 and Circular No. (28/2/6602) dated 2020/6/14 issued pursuant to it are hereby repealed.

Governor
Dr. Adel Al-Sharkas

Annex No. (1)
Requirements and Documents for Opening a Branch within the Kingdom

First: Data on the Proposed Branch, Including the Following:

Proposed Branch Name:
Information related to the branch address/the geographical area to be served by the mobile branch, including: Governorate name, District name, Area name, Street name, Building number, Floor number.

Second: Economic Feasibility Study, Including the Following:

Estimated budget for the branch for the first three years, including: (Estimated annual total loan/financing portfolio, number of targeted customers, total revenues and expenses, expected profits/losses).
Activities and services to be provided through the branch.
Number of employees who will work in the branch.
Number of inhabitants in the area to be served by the branch.
Number of the company's branches to date and how many are in the Governorate where presence is intended.
Number of branches of other banks and financing companies serving the same area intended for presence (estimated).

Third: Expected Date for the Branch to Commence Operations.

(This Annex is an integral part of the Presence Instructions for Financing Companies No. (3 / 2026) dated 2026/2/3, and the company's application will not be accepted without it).

Annex No. (2/A)
Company's Domestic Presence
As of Date - - 20