Jordan approves changes to grant investors citizenship, residency

The Jordanian government on Wednesday approved new regulations to grant Jordanian citizenship or residency to investors, based on recommendations from the special committee for investors.

The decision, made during a cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan, aims to stimulate investment and economic activity in the kingdom.

New Citizenship Regulations for Investors

The new regulations outline several avenues for investors to obtain Jordanian citizenship:

Stock Market Investment

Investors can gain citizenship by purchasing at least 1 million Jordanian dinars (JOD) in new shares of Jordanian companies.

These shares must be held for three years and cannot be encumbered, loaned, or borrowed. The purchase must occur within four months of the Investment Ministry's approval, with no more than 20% of the total investment concentrated in a single company's shares.

New Investment Projects

Citizenship is granted for establishing new investment projects in productive economic sectors. The paid-up capital must be at least 700,000 JOD within the capital governorate or 500,000 JOD outside it. These projects must create 20 jobs for Jordanians within the capital or 10 jobs outside, verifiable through Social Security Corporation records. Investors meeting these criteria will initially receive a temporary Jordanian passport for three years, with full citizenship recommended after sustained compliance.

Acquiring Shares in Existing Projects

Investors can secure citizenship by purchasing new shares in existing productive economic projects with a paid-up capital of at least 1 million JOD. The project's new fixed assets must be at least 500,000 JOD.

The investment requires a feasibility study, audited financial statements, and must create 20 new jobs for Jordanians (or as specified by Cabinet decision based on investment type).

These new shares must be held for three years. Like new projects, a temporary passport is issued for three years, followed by a citizenship recommendation upon compliance.

Existing Investments

For investors with existing projects, citizenship may be granted if their average share of the total fixed and tangible non-current assets (calculated from audited annual statements over the past three years) is at least 700,000 JOD within the capital, maintaining 90% of the required 20 Jordanian jobs per month for three years.

Outside the capital, the average share must be at least 350,000 JOD, maintaining 90% of the required 10 Jordanian jobs per month for three years.

Sector-Specific Investments

Citizenship is also available to investors in pharmaceutical, medical device, food logistics, storage, and large warehouse sectors. Companies must have an investment of at least 3 million JOD and employ at least 20 Jordanian workers in the capital (or 10 outside) registered with the Social Security Corporation for the last three years, specifically in pharmacist roles.

High Employment Generation

Investors who employ 150 Jordanian workers in the capital or 100 in other governorates, registered with the Social Security Corporation for at least one year and maintained for two consecutive years after obtaining citizenship, are eligible.

Family Inclusion

The investor's spouse, unmarried, widowed, or divorced daughters living under their care, and unmarried sons under 24 years old at the time of application are eligible. For investments exceeding 2 million JOD, male children under 30 years old, their spouses, and children are also eligible.

Five-Year Residency Through Real Estate

Investors or individuals can obtain or renew a five-year residency by purchasing real estate from a developer valued at no less than 200,000 JOD, as appraised by the Department of Lands and Survey.

The property must be retained for at least five years without disposal or encumbrance. Residency is issued upon recommendation from the special committee for investors by the Ministry of Interior. Renewal requires continued ownership of the same property or a new property of equivalent value.

Conditions and Limitations

Jordanian citizenship will not be granted to investors who acquire shares from another investor who previously obtained citizenship based on those same shares. These regulations will apply to a maximum of 500 investors annually, subject to security checks and financial solvency verification.

In the event of non-compliance with any conditions, Jordanian citizenship will be withdrawn, or residency canceled. These regulations will undergo review and evaluation every six months.