Updated
JO-CIP
Citizenship by investment
The state takes no donation: the money goes into a Jordanian company, an operating project or a share portfolio on the Amman Stock Exchange, and it stays your asset. Seven routes, thresholds revised on 15 July 2026.
01 / About the program
Jordan has granted citizenship to investors since 2018. This is not a passport for a donation: the state accepts no contribution and instead requires money to be invested into the Jordanian economy and held for three to five years. A new framework took effect on 2 July 2025 and closed the passive routes — the Central Bank deposit and treasury bonds. On 15 July 2026 the Council of Ministers revised the thresholds and added new grounds. Since 2018 around 685 investors have obtained citizenship, the program has attracted about JOD 1.15 billion and created more than 21,000 jobs.
The money is not written off. You buy shares, a stake in a company or build a production facility — it remains your asset, and once the holding period ends you can dispose of it. The flip side: the asset carries market risk and the state guarantees no return.
Shares on the Amman Stock Exchange, a new industrial project, a stake in an operating project, an existing business, pharmaceuticals and food logistics, headcount of Jordanian employees, and a separate route inside the Amrah City project. The threshold depends on the ground and on whether the investment sits in Amman or another governorate.
On the productive routes the investor receives residency and then a temporary passport valid for three years. Full citizenship is recommended after three years of verified compliance — the investment and the jobs have to stay in place throughout.
The program is capped at 500 investors a year, and the criteria themselves are reviewed by the government every six months. We therefore fix the conditions as of the filing date and keep the route under control until the status is issued.
02 / What you get
The state does not take the money. Shares, the stake and the fixed assets belong to you and can be sold once the holding period ends. That is the fundamental difference from the Caribbean programs, where the contribution is non-refundable.
Jordan is on the US treaty country list, so its nationals may apply for the E-2 treaty investor visa and the E-1 treaty trader visa. Citizenship gives the right to apply — the decision is made by the US consulate.
A Jordanian company with a citizen among its owners moves more easily into regional tenders and contracts, opens accounts and hires staff. The program is built around a real business rather than around a document.
The ban on holding a second nationality was lifted in 1987. You are not required to give up your current passport. Check separately how the law of your current country of citizenship treats a second nationality.
The spouse, children under 18, unmarried sons under 24, dependent daughters and dependent parents are included with the investor. From an investment of JOD 2 million the application also covers sons up to 30 together with their wives and children.
Citizenship is granted indefinitely; the passport itself is issued for five years and renewed as usual. As long as the investment conditions hold, the status is secure — if they are breached, citizenship can be revoked.
Preliminary assessment
Tell us who is applying with you. On the call we pick the route that fits your capital and sector, cost the full project and say honestly whether you qualify.
Who is applying for citizenship?
about a minuteno calls, no obligationsconfidential
03 / Why people apply
Jordan is almost never chosen for visa-free travel — it loses to the Caribbean there. It is chosen by people who already have, or plan, a business in the region: here the passport comes attached to a working investment rather than instead of one.
A Caribbean contribution is gone for good. Here the same amount stays in an asset: a stake in a company, shares, equipment and buildings. For an investor who counts money, this is the main argument for Jordan.
For nationals of many countries the E-2 route is closed because their state is not on the treaty list. Jordan is on it — and that is the most common reason the program is bought. We handle both the underlying business and the filing.
Manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceutical warehousing, medical supplies. The program rewards investment outside Amman: in other governorates the threshold is almost a third lower and the employment requirements are softer.
A separate route for those who have been operating in the country for years: citizenship is granted on the value of fixed assets over the past three years and on the share of Jordanians on the payroll. No new money may be required at all.
Spouse, children, dependent daughters and parents are included with the investor. A large investment widens the circle: from JOD 2 million adult sons with families of their own also qualify.
A second document and a working asset in the same jurisdiction. For families that already keep part of their capital in the Middle East this is calmer than a passport of a country where they have neither business nor account.
04 / Applicants
The investor and the family file together. The number of people does not change the investment, but the amount decides who can be included at all: the extended circle opens from JOD 2,000,000. Open a row to see the conditions.
05 / Cost
The program has no single price: the amount depends on the route and on whether the investment sits in Amman or in another governorate. Pick a scenario and the calculator shows the threshold, the holding period, the employment requirements and who the application covers at that amount.
Shares on the Amman Stock Exchange · portfolio investment
1,500,000 JOD
≈ $2,116,000
Holding period 5 years
Jobs: Not required
New industrial project · building a business
from500,000 JOD
≈ $705,000
Holding period 3 years
Jobs: Jordanians registered with social security
Stake in an operating project · entering a working business
1,000,000 JOD
≈ $1,410,000
Holding period 3 years
Jobs: New jobs for Jordanians
Route
The amounts are the official investment thresholds under the Council of Ministers criteria as amended on 15 July 2026. Company incorporation, audit, translation, legalisation and legal support are costed separately for the specific project. The dinar is pegged by the Central Bank of Jordan at 1 JOD = 1.41 USD, so dollar figures are indicative. This calculation is not a decision of a government authority: the outcome depends on nationality, source of funds, sector and the results of due diligence.
06 / Comparison
Jordan is not compared with the Caribbean on speed but with programs where the money stays with the investor. Here are the key parameters side by side; the full comparison of all programs sits on a separate page.
| Jordan | Turkey | Egypt | St Kitts and Nevis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry threshold | from JOD 500,000 ≈ $705,000 | $400,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 |
| What happens to the money | Stays your asset | Stays your asset | Investment is refundable | Contribution is non-refundable |
| Time to passport | Temporary passport, full status in 3 years | 3-6 months | 6-12 months | from 4 months |
| Business and jobs required | Yes, on most routes | No | No | No |
| Visa-free Schengen | No | No | No | Yes |
| Eligible for US E-2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
The amounts are minimum thresholds for a single applicant, excluding fees and support costs. Timelines come from program practice as at the date this page was updated.
Full program comparison →09 / How it works
We look at the capital, the sector and whether you are ready to run an operating business. Everything follows from that: the exchange route needs no jobs but freezes the money for five years, the industrial route is cheaper to enter but requires hiring.
We check the source of funds, business reputation and sanctions risk before filing. If we see a material risk of refusal, we say so plainly and offer an alternative.
We prepare the pack: translations, notarisation, legalisation, and a feasibility study with audited statements where they are required. In parallel we build the investment structure.
Company incorporation and payment of capital, purchase of the stake, or a brokerage account and the share purchase. On the exchange route the purchase must be completed within 4 months of approval.
The Ministry of Investment is the single window for investor files and the decision is coordinated with the Ministry of Interior. Temporary residency is issued, followed by a temporary passport valid for three years.
After three years of verified compliance the status converts into full citizenship. Throughout that period we keep the reporting, the jobs and the holding periods under control — a breach of conditions costs the status.
10 / Travel
To be blunt: the Jordanian passport is not bought for travel. On freedom of movement it is noticeably weaker than the Caribbean ones, and the value comes not from the document alone but from the pairing of citizenship with a working asset. Destinations fall into four entry regimes. We do not publish a total number of visa-free countries: the lists change, and a figure without a verification date is misleading.
Most of these destinations are Arab states and selected countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. For regional business that set is usually enough.
Entry is possible once an eVisa or electronic authorisation is issued online — as a rule a few days before the trip.
The permit is issued at the airport or at the border. Passport validity and supporting document requirements are set by the receiving country.
The European Union and Schengen, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan — the visa is obtained before the trip. If free entry to Europe is the priority, the Jordanian program does not solve that.
Grounds: Jordan is listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 — Jordanian nationals require a visa to enter the Schengen area. Eligibility for US E-1 and E-2 visas follows from Jordan being a treaty country on the US Department of State list. Entry rules are set by the receiving states and may change at any time.
11 / Our role
We have been working since 2004 and have taken more than 8,000 families through the process. Jordan is a program about an investment rather than a document, so what matters most here is supporting the project itself, not filing papers.
Seven grounds with different thresholds, terms and hiring requirements. We cost all of them for your case and say honestly which one is cheaper for you in money and in effort.
Preliminary screening happens before the first expense. If we see a risk of refusal or a mismatch with the requirements, we say so directly and offer another program.
Incorporation, bank account, social security and hiring, reporting, audit. On the Jordanian routes the status rests on compliance for three years — the work cannot be abandoned during that time.
The government reviews the criteria every six months, most recently on 15 July 2026. We fix the conditions as at the filing date and see changes coming in advance.
12 / Team
Your Jordan application is handled not by a salesperson but by a standing team: the program lawyer, a compliance specialist and a family coordinator. You know everyone by name from day one.
Andres FerreiraHead of Investment AdvisoryProgram strategy and complex cases
Nikos PappasBanking Relations SpecialistLegal handling of the application, documents and compliance
Yan NovakWealth Structuring AdvisorTax, investment structure and residency
Darya MelnikSenior Investment Migration AdvisorFamily coordination and contact at every stage15 / Materials
During the engagement you receive a set of professional materials prepared by our team. They explain the routes, the thresholds, the documents, the stages and what happens to the investment once the status is granted.
Main materialPresentation
The deck covers the essentials: requirements, amounts, family members, documents and how the process runs.
Inside:
PDF · free · current as of August 2026
A short check: who passes screening, which nationalities are restricted and what due diligence looks at.
The list of documents for the applicant and every family member, with notes on translation, notarisation and apostille.
We calculate the full estimate for your family: contribution, government fees, due diligence and our work.
All materials are regularly updated by our team and used when supporting BRIDGES clients.
16 / News
The Council of Ministers approved new criteria for granting citizenship and residency to investors. The Amman Stock Exchange threshold was raised from JOD 1,000,000 to JOD 1,500,000, a headcount route and the separate Amrah City site were added, and the property threshold for residency outside Amman was cut from JOD 200,000 to JOD 150,000.
According to the Ministry of Investment, investors put JOD 72 million into the country in the first half of 2026 against JOD 37 million a year earlier, and created 820 jobs against 230. Since 2018 the program has attracted JOD 1.15 billion and around 685 investors have obtained status.
A new framework for granting citizenship and residency to investors took effect. The passive routes — the interest-free deposit with the Central Bank of Jordan and treasury bonds — were closed in favour of active investment. The quota was set at 500 investors a year and the criteria are reviewed every six months.
Worth having
The short document we give clients before the start: seven routes with thresholds and holding periods, employment requirements, who the application covers and the stages — in one list, with no filler.
Inside the document
We will send it after a short form - no call or obligation.
17 / Questions
There is no contribution in this program at all. You make an investment: shares, a stake in a company or a production facility. The asset stays yours and once the holding period ends — three to five years — you can dispose of it. The state guarantees no return: market risk on shares and on the business sits with the investor.
No. The interest-free deposit with the Central Bank of Jordan and the purchase of treasury bonds were closed by the framework that took effect on 2 July 2025. The program now runs on active investment: business, a stake in a company, shares on the exchange or job creation. Offers mentioning a deposit that are still online are out of date.
On the productive routes the investor first receives residency, then a temporary passport valid for three years. Full citizenship is recommended after three years of verified compliance — the investment and the jobs must be maintained throughout.
The criteria set no requirement to live in the country permanently. But the routes are built around a working business: a company, Jordanian staff registered with social security and reporting are all required. The project cannot be left unmanaged — the state monitors compliance.
Not on every route. Buying shares on the Amman Stock Exchange requires no jobs — in exchange the threshold is higher, JOD 1,500,000, and the holding period is five years. On the industrial routes hiring Jordanians is mandatory, and one route is built purely on headcount: 150 employees in Amman or 100 in other governorates.
This is deliberate policy: the government is steering capital into the regions. A new project in the capital requires JOD 700,000 of paid-up capital, in other governorates JOD 500,000. For an existing investor the gap is even wider: JOD 700,000 against JOD 350,000 of average fixed asset value.
The spouse, children under 18, unmarried sons under 24, dependent daughters and dependent parents. If the investment exceeds JOD 2,000,000, the application additionally covers sons up to 30 together with their wives and children. The number of people does not change the investment amount.
Yes. Jordan lifted the ban on a second nationality in 1987 and does not require you to renounce your current passport. Check separately how the law of your current country of citizenship treats a second nationality.
No. Under the nationality law a naturalised citizen may not hold political or diplomatic posts or a range of public offices for ten years, and may not stand for municipal councils or trade union bodies during the first five years. This does not affect business, travel or owning property.
Yes, if the conditions are breached. The criteria expressly provide for revocation of citizenship or cancellation of residency where the investment or employment requirements are not met. That is why we stay with the project for all three years rather than parting ways once the documents are issued.
Jordan is on the US Department of State treaty country list, and its nationals may apply for the E-2 treaty investor visa and the E-1 treaty trader visa. Citizenship gives the right to apply but does not guarantee issuance: the decision is made by the US consulate and a genuine investment into a US business is required.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.
