Jordan citizenship by investment in 2026: 100 approvals and what they mean

Key points

• In 10 months of 2026, 100 people obtained citizenship through investment, 20% of the annual quota.
• From 2018 to July 2026, 681 investors obtained citizenship, about 80 a year on average.
• There is no donation to the state: the money goes into shares, a stake in a company or your own business and is held for three to five years.
• The lowest threshold is JOD 500,000, about $705,000, for a new productive project outside the capital.
• Passive options, a Central Bank deposit and treasury bonds, have been closed since 2 July 2025.

What the ministry reported

The figure comes from the Ministry of Interior report on its work in the first 10 months of 2026. It covers visas and residence permits, and a separate line states that 100 people obtained Jordanian citizenship through investment. The ministry did not disclose which options the investments went through or which countries the investors came from.

There is a second reference point. In July 2026 the Ministry of Investment reported first-half results: program investors put in JOD 72 million against JOD 37 million a year earlier, and 820 jobs were created against 230. Since 2018 the program has attracted about JOD 1.15 billion.

The growth came in a year when the rules became stricter. Since 2 July 2025 a passport cannot be obtained for a deposit or bonds, and on 15 July 2026 the government raised the share threshold from JOD 1 million to 1.5 million and extended the holding period to five years. Investors are therefore coming not for an easy document but for an investment in the real economy.

What this means for you. A hundred approvals in 10 months is neither a queue nor a rush. The quota is one-fifth used, so timing depends on the review of your case, not on the number of places.

What 100 approvals mean

The Jordanian program is small and selective. From 2018 to July 2026, 681 investors obtained citizenship, and 100 people did so in the first 10 months of 2026. That is less than one and a half annual quotas over the whole period. This points to a high entry threshold and strict checks rather than weak demand.

Every approval here stands for a real investment. The amount invested in the first half of 2026 almost doubled year on year, and the number of new jobs more than tripled. The state receives not a one-off payment but an operating business and salaries. That is why the program is reviewed every six months but not closed.

For comparisons with other countries we rely only on official figures. Jordan publishes approval data regularly, and this is one of its strengths: an investor can see how many people actually obtained status. Why some countries sell passports for the budget and others for jobs is covered in the article on why countries sell citizenship.

What this means for you. A small number of approvals with an open quota means the program selects investors by the quality of the investment. Prepare for a review of the business, not only of documents.

Which investment options apply in 2026

An updated list of options has applied since 15 July 2026. Amounts are in Jordanian dinars; one dinar is worth about $1.41. Thresholds outside Amman are lower because the government directs capital to the regions.

The list was updated by the government decision of 15 July 2026, and applications are now reviewed against it. The table sets out the seven options: amount, holding period and number of jobs for Jordanians.

The cheapest entry is a new productive project outside the capital for JOD 500,000. The investor first receives residence, then a temporary passport for three years, and full citizenship after it is verified that the project is operating and the jobs are in place. The share option is easier to manage: no jobs are required, but the amount is higher, and shares cannot be sold nor profits withdrawn for five years. Shares are bought through a single licensed broker within four months of approval, with no more than 10% of the amount in one company.

Productive options require a Jordanian company, staff registered with social security and audited accounts. This is work for years, and it is easier to set up in advance: company registration and accounting are part of our support. If you are buying a stake in someone else's business, check the partners and accounts first through due diligence.

What this means for you. The option you choose sets both the amount and the workload. Shares require more money, a productive project requires more management.

What entry costs in dollars and what to add to the threshold

The Jordanian dinar is pegged to the US dollar: the Central Bank of Jordan holds the rate at JOD 0.709 per dollar, so one dinar is worth about $1.41. So the dollar thresholds barely move from month to month. A new productive project outside the capital costs about $705,000, in Amman about $987,000, a stake in an existing project about $1.41 million, and shares on the exchange or an investment in Amra City about $2.12 million.

The threshold is the investment amount, not the full cost of the path. On top of it come company set-up costs, an annual audit, salaries and social security contributions for 10 or 20 Jordanian employees, and translation and legalisation of family documents. In the productive options the money stays in your business: it is an asset that earns income and can be sold once the holding period ends.

For an existing business the threshold is calculated differently. What counts is the investor's average share in fixed assets and non-current tangible assets according to audited accounts for the last three years: at least JOD 700,000 in Amman and at least JOD 350,000 outside the capital. Cash and inventory are current assets and are not included, so it is worth checking the asset structure with an auditor in advance. Bookkeeping and reporting for this review are handled by our accounting support.

What this means for you. Plan the budget in two layers: the investment threshold from the official list and the cost of running the business over the three to five years of holding.

Family, checks and timing

The application covers the spouse, children under 18, unmarried sons under 24, dependent daughters and dependent parents. With an investment of JOD 2 million or more, sons under 30 with their wives and children are added. The number of people in the application does not change the investment amount.

Every investor goes through security checks and confirmation of financial capacity. The money must have a clear origin, so source of funds evidence is prepared before filing. Documents from your country are translated and legalised, which is covered by our document services.

For productive options the path to full citizenship takes at least three years, the validity of the temporary passport. Throughout this time the investment and the headcount must be maintained. Jordan allows dual citizenship, so there is no need to give up your current passport.

Jordanian residence: a quick first step

Citizenship is not the only status Jordan offers investors. The Ministry of Investment issues an annual residence permit within 14 working days to those who carry out economic activity in a sector listed in the Investment Environment Law or hold a senior management role in a Jordanian company, such as chairman, board member or general manager. Applications go through the ministry's e-services portal; for the commercial sector, through the Ministry of Interior website.

The family receives residence too: the spouse, sons under 30, unmarried daughters of any age and parents. For the productive options this is the usual first stage: the investor registers a company, obtains residence, hires staff and only then receives a temporary passport. This way the family can live in Amman while the business builds up the required headcount.

A separate path is a five-year residence permit through property. It gives the right to live in Jordan but not a path to citizenship. The threshold is JOD 200,000 for one property bought from a developer, JOD 300,000 for a property bought from another seller, or JOD 150,000 for one or more properties outside the capital, according to the valuation of the Department of Lands and Survey. The property cannot be sold or mortgaged for five years, and on renewal you must own the same property or another of equal value. Before buying, it is worth carrying out property due diligence.

What this means for you. If you need a status for living and doing business in Jordan rather than a passport, residence through business or property costs less and is issued faster.

Who Jordan suits

Jordan is not chosen for visa-free travel. It is taken by entrepreneurs who have or plan a business in the Middle East and by those who want to keep their money in an asset rather than give it away as a donation. Jordan is on the list of US treaty countries, so its citizens can apply for the E-2 investor visa. How this visa works is explained in the article on the E-2 visa through a second citizenship.

If you need a fast passport with wide visa-free access and minimal involvement, other programs are a better fit. Where Jordan stands among programs by amount, timing and travel freedom is shown in the piece on the 2026 citizenship program ranking.

If your business in Jordan is already operating

Those who already do business in Jordan have options that need no new investment. An existing business in Amman qualifies if the investor's average share in fixed assets over three years of audited accounts is at least JOD 700,000 and the company employed on average at least 20 Jordanians. Outside the capital the figures are JOD 350,000 and 10 employees. Headcount is checked against Social Security Corporation records: in every month of the three years at least 90% of the required number must be employed.

If the investor has two businesses, one in Amman and another in a different governorate, the workforce can be combined, and the capital criteria then apply. Large employers have a separate option with no amount threshold: 150 Jordanians in Amman or 100 outside the capital, each registered with social security for at least a year, with the required headcount maintained for two years in a row. The application includes a written undertaking to keep up the employment.

A new option in 2026 is for businesses that are one or two years old. Such a business does not yet count as existing, because it lacks three years of accounts, but it is no longer new either. The investor can receive a temporary passport for the remaining period up to three years if the investment and headcount conditions for the governorate are met. This path is optional: you can wait for three years and apply directly for full citizenship. Staffing and reporting after registration are covered by post-registration company support.

What this means for you. An operating business in Jordan can become the basis for citizenship without new investment. Start by reconciling the accounts and social security records for three years.

How the application works and how long it takes

Applications for citizenship and residence through investment are filed electronically on the Ministry of Investment portal. A technical committee reviews the application, and the security services check the investor and family members. For the productive options the path forms a chain: the company and the investment, residence, a temporary passport for three years, verification of compliance and a recommendation for full citizenship.

The quota does not hold back the flow. In 10 months of 2026, 100 applications were approved against a limit of 500 a year, so 20% of the places are taken. Timing depends on how complete the documents are, the source of funds review and how quickly the business starts.

The Amra City option has its own sequence. The investor gets four months from the start of operations to hire 20 Jordanian employees and lives on temporary residence until then. Next comes a temporary passport for three years, and citizenship follows if the conditions are met throughout that time.

Documents are prepared before filing. You need the passports of all family members, marriage and birth certificates with translations, and proof of the investment and of the source of funds. Bank statements and an account of how the capital was earned are best kept in one banking dossier: a Jordanian bank will ask for the same file when you open an account.

What this means for you. There is no queue for places. The sooner the documents on money and family are ready, the shorter the path from application to temporary passport.

Common mistakes

• "I can put the money on deposit." The Central Bank deposit and bonds have been closed since 2 July 2025.
• "The quota is large, so approval will be quick." The quota is not the constraint; timing depends on the review and the business launch.
• "I will buy shares and sell them straight away." Shares cannot be sold, pledged or lent for five years.
• "Jobs can be shown on paper." Jordanian employees must be registered with social security, and this is checked.
• "The terms will not change." The criteria are reviewed every six months. Lock in the terms on your filing date.

How this piece was prepared

The number of approvals comes from the statement of Jordan's Ministry of Interior of 11 October 2026. Data on investment and jobs comes from the Ministry of Investment report for the first half of 2026. The options and thresholds were checked against the official Ministry of Investment page on citizenship through investment and the Council of Ministers decisions of 2 July 2025 and 15 July 2026. The criteria are reviewed every six months, so a check on the current date is needed before filing. It is not a legal opinion on your case.