Jordan Citizenship by Investment: Routes, Costs and the Three-Year Path

Jordan citizenship by investment grants Jordanian nationality to foreign investors who put capital into the Jordanian economy and create jobs for Jordanians. The programme was launched in 2018, overhauled by Cabinet decision on 2 July 2025 and amended again on 15 July 2026. It is run by the Ministry of Investment (MOIN), which recommends each file to the Council of Ministers, and by October 2026 the Ministry reported that 681 investors had received citizenship. Mirabello Consultancy treats it as an active, business-led route: the money stays working in a Jordanian company, and the citizenship follows the compliance.

The benefits of a Jordanian passport

Jordan allows dual nationality, so you keep your current citizenship; the prohibition was lifted in 1987 and no renunciation is required. Citizenship gives the right to live, work, own property and run a business in Jordan without permits, and it extends to your spouse, dependent daughters, unmarried sons under 24 and dependent parents. Jordan is a stable kingdom at the meeting point of the Gulf, the Levant and North Africa, which makes it a practical regional base for investors already active in the Middle East.

Be clear about mobility. The Jordanian passport gives visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 49 destinations (Wikipedia, Visa requirements for Jordanian citizens, checked October 2026) and does not include visa-free travel to the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom or the United States. If global travel freedom is the goal, a Caribbean passport such as St Kitts and Nevis or Grenada fits better. Jordan suits investors who want a second nationality with a real economic footing in the region.

Which investment routes lead to citizenship?

The current Cabinet criteria, published by the Ministry of Investment, list these citizenship routes. Every one of them is an active investment that creates or keeps Jordanian jobs; the earlier passive routes through a Central Bank deposit or treasury bonds no longer appear in the criteria.

• Existing project outside Amman: average fixed and non-current assets of at least JOD 350,000 (about US$493,000) over the previous three years of audited accounts, with at least 90% of the required Jordanian workforce registered with the Social Security Corporation every month for three years. This is the lowest threshold. Inside the Capital Governorate the figure is JOD 700,000 (about US$987,000).
• New project: a new company in a productive sector with at least JOD 500,000 paid-up capital outside Amman (about US$705,000) or JOD 700,000 in Amman, creating Jordanian jobs verified through social security records.
• New shares in an existing project: total paid-up capital of at least JOD 1,000,000, of which at least JOD 500,000 is newly acquired fixed assets, backed by a feasibility study, with the shares frozen for three years.
• Amman Stock Exchange: new shares in Jordanian companies worth at least JOD 1,500,000, held for five years, with no more than 10% of the amount in any one company.
• Sector routes: JOD 3,000,000 in pharmaceutical warehousing and medical supplies or in qualifying food logistics, and JOD 1,500,000 in any sector within the Amrah City project.
• Large-scale employment: no fixed capital threshold, but 150 Jordanian employees in the Capital Governorate or 100 elsewhere, registered at least a year before applying and kept for two years after citizenship.

The 2026 text does not restate the exact number of Jordanian jobs each project route requires; it refers to the regulations, and earlier criteria gave 20 jobs in the capital and 10 outside it. We confirm the current requirement for your sector with the Ministry before any capital is committed.

How does citizenship actually follow the investment?

Citizenship is not immediate on the project routes. On a new project, the investor receives residency during a four-month grace period to complete hiring, then a temporary Jordanian passport valid for three years. Final citizenship may be recommended after three years of verified compliance with the investment and the job conditions, and the criteria state that a breach of any condition leads to revocation of the citizenship or cancellation of the residency. On the existing-project route the three years of history are already behind you, which is why it is the most direct path for an established business owner in Jordan.

What does it cost, and how long does it take?

Jordan has no large non-refundable donation of the Caribbean kind. The cost is the qualifying investment itself, most of which remains capital working in your own company, plus professional and legal fees. MOIN has not published an official application fee or an official processing time. In practice the timeline has three stages: preparing the investment and the file, security clearance and the Cabinet decision on the recommendation, and then the three-year compliance period on project routes before final citizenship.

Who can be included in the application?

The qualifying investment covers the family unit: your spouse, dependent daughters, unmarried sons under 24 at the date of application and dependent parents. Where the investment exceeds JOD 2,000,000, sons under 30 are also included, together with their own spouses and children. Applicants must be at least 18, pass security clearance and show the legal source of the funds.

How is a Jordanian citizen taxed?

Citizenship does not by itself make you tax resident in Jordan. Residents pay progressive personal income tax from 5% to 30%, with a 1% national contribution on taxable income above JOD 200,000, and there is no wealth tax. Your home-country tax position needs independent advice before you invest.

Who is Jordan a good fit for, and who is it not?

Jordan fits entrepreneurs and family businesses who already operate in Jordan or want a regional base, who value dual nationality and who are prepared to manage a real company with Jordanian staff. It is a poor fit if you want a passive, document-only route, fast global travel freedom or a decision within a few months; compare Egypt, Turkey and the full citizenship-by-investment comparison. If residence rather than nationality is enough, the UAE Golden Visa is often the simpler answer. Read our Jordan citizenship guide for background, ask Mira, by Mirabello a first question, or book a confidential consultation with a Mirabello specialist.