How Investors Can Obtain Jordanian Citizenship
Investor interest in Jordan as a stable jurisdiction in the Middle East continues to grow, yet the citizenship topic is often accompanied by mistaken expectations. Many expect to find a Golden Citizenship program, unaware that Jordanian legislation does not provide such a mechanism. Obtaining a Jordanian passport is only possible through the naturalization procedure after obtaining residence permit or permanent residence on investment grounds and fulfilling requirements for residence duration, good character, and financial solvency.
Our international law firm accompanies investors at all stages: from structuring investments and obtaining residency status to preparing naturalization documents and interacting with government authorities. We ensure compliance with Jordan’s national legislation, financial compliance requirements, and international standards.
Advantages of Jordanian Citizenship
Jordanian citizenship provides its holder with full legal status in a state with a stable legal system and strategic position in the Middle East:
- Jordanian Passport and International Mobility. The Jordanian passport allows travel to a number of countries without a visa or with simplified visa regime and facilitates obtaining long-term visas to European states, United Kingdom, Canada, and other jurisdictions compared to foreign resident status.
- Right to Permanent Residence Without Restrictions. A Jordanian citizen has an unconditional right to reside in the country without needing to renew permits, confirm residence grounds, or fulfill immigration requirements that apply to foreigners.
- Right to Employment and Business Conduct. Citizenship provides free access to the labor market and entrepreneurial activity without obtaining special permits. This simplifies creating and managing business, participating in local companies, and accessing government contracts.
- Citizenship Transmission to Children. Jordanian citizenship can be transmitted by descent. This allows ensuring legal status for children and creating a long-term legal connection of the family with the state regardless of their place of birth.
- Access to Healthcare System. Citizenship grants the right to use the state healthcare system and participate in national health programs, which is especially important for long-term residence in the country.
- Full Civil and Political Rights. Citizens can participate in elections, hold government positions, enjoy Jordan’s diplomatic protection abroad, and face no risk of status loss due to immigration legislation changes.
- Enhanced Legal Stability. Unlike residents, citizens do not depend on investment obligations, permit validity periods, or immigration policy changes, which ensures a high level of legal protection.
Investment Immigration to Jordan: Legal Context
Jordanian legislation permits obtaining residency status for foreign investors investing in:
- Creating or participating in business on the country’s territory
- Projects in industry, services, and trade sectors
- Real estate properties (in legally established forms and volumes)
Such investments allow obtaining long-term residence permits, which can be renewed when grounds are maintained, and in some cases – serve as a basis for obtaining permanent residence. Resident status grants the right to legally reside in the country, conduct business activities, and enjoy basic socio-economic rights provided for foreigners.
Jordanian citizenship is regulated by a separate legal regime and is granted exclusively through naturalization procedure or other legally established grounds (descent, marriage, special merits, etc.). Even with significant investments and long-term residence, government authorities evaluate the applicant according to a combination of criteria:
- Actual residence in the country
- Good character and absence of threats to national security
- Lawfulness of income sources
- Degree of integration into society
- Compliance with immigration and tax legislation
Investments are considered merely as an economic factor and residence basis, but not as an independent legal path to a passport.
In certain cases, investors who have resided long-term in Jordan and comply with legislative requirements may claim permanent residence. Permanent residence provides more stable legal status compared to temporary permit, however:
- It is not equivalent to citizenship
- It does not provide political rights
- It does not exempt from the need to undergo a separate naturalization procedure
Requirements for Obtaining Permanent Residence in Jordan Through Investment
Jordan’s official regulations do not establish clear minimum thresholds for obtaining permanent residence through investment, however case review practice and investment activity in the country form realistic benchmarks:
- Investment in Business or Commercial Projects. Contributions to creating and developing enterprises, creating jobs, and sustainable economic activity. Authorities positively consider projects with capital from approximately USD 500,000–1,000,000 and higher, especially if connected to industry, agribusiness, or export-oriented activity.
- Participation in Regional Development Strategy and Special Economic Projects. Investments in government-approved development programs or infrastructure projects – amounts may start from USD 500,000–750,000, depending on project scale and economic effect.
- Investment in Commercial Real Estate. Acquisition and/or development of commercial real estate properties (offices, warehouses, hotels) with economic justification. Benchmark for total value of such investments in reviewed cases – from USD 400,000–800,000 (or equivalent in other currency) and higher.
Each project is evaluated individually considering:
- Job creation potential
- Impact on local economy
- Business sustainability
- Investor’s experience and financial history
The investor must documentarily confirm the legal origin of capital used for investments. This includes:
- Bank statements and fund movement through official channels
- Tax declarations and income reports
- Documents on corporate structures if funds obtained through companies
- When necessary – independent audit conclusions
Permanent residence in Jordan entails specific legal obligations for the investor:
- Maintaining investments throughout the established time
- Active economic activity conduct (if the basis was business creation/development)
- Compliance with immigration and financial obligations
- Absence of serious law violations that may affect status
Failure to fulfill obligations may lead to status review or cancellation.
Our company provides complete investment immigration support to Jordan: analysis of permissible investment forms, legal project assessment, document package preparation, interaction with immigration and investment authorities. We help investors correctly confirm fund origin, minimize compliance risks, and build a sustainable permanent residence acquisition strategy considering individual circumstances and economic objectives.
Who Can Participate in Jordan’s Investment Program
Investment immigration to Jordan is not available to every applicant and requires preliminary assessment of compliance with established requirements. Government authorities consider not only the size and form of investments but also the personal, financial, and legal status of the investor:
- Legal Age and Full Civil Capacity. The applicant must be over 18 years old and possess legal capacity to conclude investment and immigration transactions.
- Lawful Origin of Funds. The investor must confirm that capital was obtained legally, providing bank, tax, and when necessary corporate documents.
- Financial Solvency. Besides the investment amount, the applicant’s ability to support themselves and family members during residence in Jordan without seeking government social programs is assessed.
- Absence of Criminal Record. A certificate of no criminal record from country of citizenship and/or permanent residence is required. Special attention is paid to economic crimes and violations related to money laundering.
- Absence of Threat to National Security. The applicant undergoes verification by Jordan’s competent authorities, including business reputation analysis and international sanctions lists.
- Reality and Economic Justification of Investment Project. Investments must be actually implementable and correspond to the country’s economic interests, not be formal in nature.
- Compliance with Immigration Legislation. The investor must be ready to fulfill requirements for registration, residence permit renewal, and notifying authorities of changes in status or investment structure.
Jordanian immigration legislation permits obtaining residency status not only for the main investor but also for family members. The application may include spouse and minor children, and in certain cases – financially dependent adult children or parents. Each family member requires confirmation of relationship, absence of criminal record, and compliance with basic immigration formalities. However, family members’ residence right is derivative of the investor’s status and is preserved subject to validity of their residence permit or permanent residence.
Documents for Obtaining Jordan’s Permanent Residence and Citizenship
Procedures for obtaining Jordan’s permanent residence and citizenship are formalized and require preparation of an extensive document package.
Documents for Obtaining Permanent Residence in Jordan
To process permanent residence, the investor typically needs to prepare:
- Valid foreign passport
- Copies of all passport pages with visas and border crossing marks
- Application in established form
- Valid temporary or long-term residence permit
- Confirmation of residence address in Jordan (rental agreement or property certificate)
- Certificate of no criminal record from country of citizenship and country of previous residence
- Medical certificate
- Photographs in established format
- Documents confirming investment activity (see separate section below)
- Confirmation of financial solvency for residing in the country
Documents for Naturalization and Obtaining Citizenship
When submitting a citizenship application through naturalization, additionally requested are:
- Confirmation of lawful and continuous residence in Jordan for the established period
- Documents on permanent residence availability
- Confirmation of Arabic language knowledge (certificate, test, or interview)
- Information about employment or business in Jordan
- Certificates of absence of immigration regime violations
- Confirmation of tax discipline (if tax obligations exist)
- Autobiography and questionnaire in established form
Documents for Confirming Investments and Income
Within investment immigration, special attention is paid to the financial part of the dossier. Usually required are:
- Purchase agreements for company shares or real estate
- Company registration documents in Jordan
- Accounting and financial reporting of the enterprise
- Confirmation of actual fund transfer through the banking system
- Bank statements
- Documents on capital origin (contracts, dividends, asset sales, etc.)
- Tax declarations for previous periods
- When necessary – audit conclusions
Documents for Confirming Marital Status
If the applicant includes family members in the process, additionally provided are:
- Marriage certificate
- Children’s birth certificates
- Documents confirming financial dependence of adult family members (when necessary)
- Copies of family members’ passports
- Certificates of no criminal record for adult relatives
- Medical certificates
All documents issued outside Jordan are subject to legalization or apostille and official translation.
Stages of Obtaining Jordanian Citizenship Through Investment
Investments in Jordan can serve as grounds for long-term residence, but do not providean automatic right to obtain citizenship. A passport is only possible through the naturalization procedure after fulfilling all legislative requirements.
Stage 1. Legal Assessment and Investment Model Selection
The process begins with analyzing the applicant’s objectives and selecting a permissible investment form: business project, company participation, commercial real estate, or other official mechanisms. Parallel verification of fund sources and compliance risks is conducted. At this stage, a realistic strategy is formed considering procedure duration and residence requirements. Errors in investment structure may complicate obtaining residency status subsequently.
Stage 2. Investment Realization and Asset Registration
Next, actual capital investment is executed with legal registration of rights to business or property. The investment must be genuine, registered in state registries, and economically justified. Authorities assess not only the investment amount but also the project’s nature, sustainability, and compliance with investment legislation.
Stage 3. Obtaining Long-Term Residence Permit
After investment realization, the investor submits an application for residency status on investment grounds. Personal data, absence of criminal record, capital legality, and compliance with immigration requirements are verified.
Stage 4. Obtaining Permanent Residence and Forming Immigration History
With long-term lawful residence and condition compliance, the investor may claim permanent residence. At this stage, residence history, absence of violations, and investment project preservation acquire special significance. Government authorities may conduct repeat verifications.
Stage 5. Preparation for Naturalization
Before applying for citizenship, the applicant must confirm compliance with legislative requirements: residence duration, good character, financial stability, and integration. Certificate updates, tax and immigration history verification, and national security criteria compliance analysis are conducted. Dossier preparation at this stage has decisive significance for case outcome.
Stage 6. Citizenship Application Submission and Case Review
The application is submitted to Jordan’s competent authorities and reviewed individually. Verification is comprehensive in nature and may include additional document and clarification requests. Review timeframes are not fixed and depend on case complexity. Even with formal requirement compliance, the decision remains evaluative.
Alternative Methods of Obtaining Jordanian Citizenship
Obtaining Jordanian citizenship is possible not only through investment immigration and residence-based naturalization but also through other legal grounds directly provided by national legislation.
How to Increase Chances of Obtaining Jordanian Citizenship Without Refusal
Key factors that positively influence application consideration include:
- Lawful and confirmed long-term residence in the country
- Absence of criminal record and immigration regime violations
- Legal origin of funds and transparent financial history
- Tax obligation compliance (if applicable)
- Absence of sanctions and reputational risks
No less important is correct dossier preparation, as authorities pay attention to all document consistency and actual residence history in the country.
To minimize risks, it is recommended to:
- Conduct legal audit of immigration status and investment structure in advance
- Prepare confirmations of income sources and residence
- Eliminate possible document inconsistencies
- Build submission strategy considering legislative timeframes and requirements
This approach allows substantially reducing refusal probability and procedure delays.
Our company accompanies clients at all stages of obtaining Jordanian citizenship: from preliminary legal assessment to preparing complete document package and interacting with government authorities. We help build lawful and sustainable strategy considering the applicant’s individual circumstances and national legislation requirements. Contact us to receive professional consultation and minimize legal risks when applying for Jordanian citizenship.
FAQ
No. Jordan has no program for direct citizenship acquisition in exchange for investment. Investments in the country’s economy can serve as grounds for obtaining residence permit or permanent residence, however citizenship is granted exclusively through naturalization procedure in accordance with national legislation.
The exact period is not established as a standard and is determined individually within the naturalization procedure. Long-term lawful and continuous residence in the country, confirmed by residency status and immigration requirement compliance, is considered. The more stable and prolonged the residence period, the higher the probability of positive decision.
No. Permanent residence obtained on investment grounds ensures the right of permanent residence in Jordan but does not provide automatic or guaranteed right to obtain citizenship. It is viewed as intermediate status that can be used in subsequent naturalization application.
Legislation provides for assessment of applicant integration, including ability to communicate in Arabic. Language knowledge may be verified within interview or dossier assessment, although there is no formalized language examination analogous to European standards.
Each family member undergoes the procedure separately and must comply with legislative requirements. Investor or resident status may extend to spouses and children within residence permits, however citizenship is not automatically granted to all family members simultaneously and is subject to individual assessment.