From the outside, getting into Jordan may seem complicated: the rules are changing weekly, and there are few tourists in the country to give first-hand accounts of their experience. When I accepted a position in Amman two weeks ago, I, too, was overwhelmed and uneasy about the procedures and timeline. But rest assured, the process can be seamless. Here’s how to avoid my mistakes and make travel as easy as possible.

Before booking any tickets, fill out the travel declaration form online. It will say that non-restricted nationalities can book tickets before filling out the form, but to err on the side of caution, fill out the form first. You can optionally upload a PCR test taken within five days, but you do not have to. I recommend waiting to conduct your PCR test until after you are approved. The form will also ask you to verify that you have travel insurance that covers the coronavirus (not required for Jordanian nationals). You must also download the Aman application. After submitting, you will be redirected to a screen that either says your submission is awaiting approval, or that you have been immediately approved, wherein you will be redirected to a screen to pay 40JD for the PCR test that will be conducted upon arrival in Jordan. Once you complete the payment, you will recieve a QR code to your email. For reference, I have an American passport and was approved immediately. My fiance, who holds a Lebanese passport, had to await approval. While there is no standard waiting time, airport operators told me it can take up to three weeks before some applications are approved.

Experiences at the departing airport will differ, but in Beirut, the ticketing agent at the check-in counter asked us to show not only our QR codes, but also proof of medical insurance and a negative PCR test. If you submitted a negative PCR test on your travel declaration form that is older than five days from the date of your departure, you must take another PCR that was taken within five days. Print both your medical insurance and negative result, and ensure the PCR test was taken by a reputable handler. Our paperwork was checked twice: once at the check-in desk, and once at the gate. Lebanon is a red country, so I didn’t need proof of how long I had been in the country, but if you’re coming from a green or yellow country, you’re meant to show proof that you have been in that country for at least fourteen days.

Upon arriving in Amman, all passengers were directed to an empty gate- not passport control- wherein roughly ten individual kiosks were set up to test for COVID-19. From behind the kiosk, the PCR test was conducted and passengers were then instructed to wait in the gate until the results came back. The rules for this have since changed, and passengers now go directly to passport control. Presently, passengers coming from green and yellow countries must home-quarantine for seven days, and passengers from red countries must home-quarantine for 14. Those coming from green and yellow countries must pay for a PCR test on the seventh day, and those from red countries must pay for a PCR test both on the seventh and fourteenth day of the quarantine.

While the coronavirus has brought Jordan and many countries to a new era of travel, rest assured that the process, while tedious, is not overly complicated. If you face any issues, the customer care phone number, available on visitjordan.gov.jo, was particularly helpful to me. Happy travels!