Jordan (JO)
Jordan is a stable, welcoming Hashemite Kingdom at the crossroads of the Middle East — home to Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the legendary Wadi Rum desert, and the mineral-rich Dead Sea.
Capital: Amman
Region: Middle East
Language: Arabic
Currency: JOD (JD)
Cost of living: Very affordable (index 39)
Emergency: 911
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Citizenship & Permanent Residency
Long-term settlement options in Jordan.
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Permanent Residency
Name
Long-Term Residence / Permanent Residency
Eligibility
Jordan does not have a formal permanent residency (PR) category comparable to European systems. Long-term residents can renew their Iqama annually indefinitely, but this does not confer PR status or a right to remain. Special categories exist: investors (property JD 200,000+), spouses of Jordanian nationals, and Palestinian-origin individuals with registration documents.
Duration
Annual renewal (renewable indefinitely with continued eligibility)
Requirements
- ✓Valid employment (employer-sponsored) or qualifying investment
- ✓Annual medical fitness certificate
- ✓Clean criminal record
- ✓Active insurance coverage
- ✓Timely Iqama renewal before expiry
Jordan lacks a pathway to permanent residency in the European sense. Most expats remain on renewable 1-year Iqama tied to their employment. Investors with qualifying property (JD 200,000+ in approved developments) receive a 5-year renewable residence permit — the closest equivalent to long-term residency for non-Jordanians.
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Citizenship
Name
Jordanian Citizenship (Jinsiyyah Urduniyyah)
Eligibility
Jordanian citizenship is not routinely granted to foreign nationals. It is primarily available by descent (born to a Jordanian father), through marriage to a Jordanian man (for women, after a waiting period), or by exceptional royal decree. Naturalisation for regular expats is extraordinarily rare and not an administrative pathway.
Duration
Permanent
Requirements
- ✓Birth to a Jordanian father (primary path — citizenship passes through paternity)
- ✓Marriage to a Jordanian man (women may apply after 3 years of marriage, subject to discretion)
- ✓Exceptional service to Jordan (awarded by royal decree — extremely rare)
- ✓Some Palestinian Arabs with historical ties to Jordan have been granted citizenship under specific legal frameworks
Jordanian citizenship law (Nationality Law No. 6 of 1954) is patrilineal — citizenship passes from father to child. A Jordanian mother cannot automatically pass citizenship to her child (though the child receives special residency rights). Children born to Jordanian fathers abroad are citizens from birth. Jordan does NOT have a general naturalisation pathway for long-term residents. However, a reformed Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme (see additionalPaths) was launched in July 2025 for qualifying business investors. Dual citizenship is not formally recognised — Jordanians acquiring foreign nationality technically lose their Jordanian citizenship, though this is inconsistently enforced.
Other Routes to Residency & Citizenship
Investor Residence (5-Year Renewable)
Eligibility
Foreign nationals who purchase qualifying property in Jordan (minimum JD 200,000 in approved residential developments) receive a 5-year renewable residence permit — the most substantial long-term residency available.
Duration / Outcome
5 years (renewable)
Requirements
- ✓Registered title deed (Kushan) in your name for qualifying property (JD 200,000+ in approved developments)
- ✓Valid passport
- ✓Medical fitness certificate
- ✓Police clearance from home country
- ✓Health insurance coverage
- ✓No criminal record
Apply through the Department of Residency and Borders Affairs (DRBA) with property ownership documentation. The Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) at invest.jo can guide qualifying investments. This investor residence does NOT lead to citizenship.
Marriage-Based Residence (for Spouses of Jordanian Nationals)
Eligibility
Foreign spouses of Jordanian citizens.
Duration / Outcome
1 year initially, renewable
Requirements
- ✓Valid marriage certificate (apostilled + Arabic translation)
- ✓Jordanian spouse's ID (Bitaqat al-Huwiyya) or passport
- ✓Medical fitness certificate
- ✓Application at DRBA
Foreign wives of Jordanian men can apply for Jordanian citizenship after 3 years of marriage (subject to discretionary approval). Foreign husbands of Jordanian women cannot apply for citizenship through marriage but receive facilitated residency. Children of Jordanian fathers are automatically citizens; children of Jordanian mothers with non-Jordanian fathers are not — they receive special residency status.
Citizenship by Investment (CBI — Reformed July 2025)
Eligibility
Jordan overhauled its CBI programme effective 2 July 2025, eliminating all passive investment routes (bank deposits, treasury bonds, passive real estate) and introducing eight business-focused pathways requiring active investment and job creation. Key routes: (1) Stock market investment — JD 1,000,000 in new shares of Jordanian companies via licensed brokerages, held 3 years without mortgaging; (2) Business investment — JD 1,000,000 in new shares with at least JD 500,000 in fixed/non-current assets plus 20 new jobs for Jordanians, held 3 years; (3) Employment-based — employ at least 150 Jordanians in Amman or 100 outside Amman (no minimum capital required); (4) Retroactive eligibility for existing investors — average JD 700,000 in fixed assets over 3 years and 20 employees/month (JD 350,000 / 10 employees outside Amman). Annual cap: 500 cases.
Duration / Outcome
Permanent Jordanian citizenship once granted
Requirements
- ✓Meet one of the qualifying investment routes (July 2025 reform)
- ✓Security clearance from Jordanian authorities
- ✓Financial adequacy confirmation
- ✓Clean criminal record
- ✓Investment must be maintained for the required holding period (typically 3 years)
- ✓Application through the Ministry of Investment
- ✓Renunciation of prior citizenship is generally required
- ✓Annual cap: 500 citizenship grants per year across all pathways
Citizenship may be extended to the investor's spouse, unmarried or widowed/divorced daughters in the investor's care, unmarried sons under 24, and dependent parents. For investments exceeding JD 2,000,000, sons under 30 (and their spouses and children) may also receive citizenship. Shares must be purchased within 4 months of receiving Ministry of Investment approval. The reformed programme (effective 2 July 2025) is reviewed every 6 months — verify current thresholds and eligible routes at the Ministry of Investment (investment.gov.jo) before applying. The previous passive routes (bank deposits, treasury bonds, passive real estate) were permanently eliminated in the July 2025 reform.
Family Dependant Residence
Eligibility
Spouses and children of expats with valid Jordanian Iqama.
Duration / Outcome
1 year (tied to primary holder's Iqama)
Requirements
- ✓Sponsor holds a valid Jordanian Iqama with permission to bring dependants
- ✓Marriage certificate (apostilled + translated for spouses)
- ✓Birth certificates (apostilled + translated for children)
- ✓Medical fitness certificate
- ✓Health insurance for all dependants
- ✓Passport photos
Dependants' residence permits are tied to the primary work permit holder. If the primary holder loses their job or leaves Jordan, all dependant permits become void.
🌍 Dual Citizenship
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Dual citizenship is not allowed — Jordan does not formally recognise dual citizenship for Jordanian nationals. Jordanians who naturalise in another country are technically required to surrender their Jordanian citizenship (Nationality Law No. 6 of 1954), although enforcement is inconsistent. In practice, many Jordanians hold dual citizenship without formal government enforcement. For expats: obtaining Jordanian citizenship (a very rare event) would typically require renouncing your previous citizenship. Consult a Jordanian lawyer before pursuing this.
Citizenship & Permanent Residency
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