Gov't amends criteria for granting residency and citizenship to investors
In a major policy shift aimed at driving economic growth outside the capital, the government has overhauled its investor citizenship and residency programs, raising the financial bar for stock market investments while lowering thresholds for regional development projects.
The regulatory changes, approved by the Cabinet in a session held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, seek to transition the program away from short-term holdings and toward highly productive, job-creating ventures across the country's governorates.
Under the new framework, the Ministry of Investment will act as the sole administrative window for all investor files, consolidating oversight to eliminate bureaucratic red tape and elevate investor services.
To secure citizenship through the Amman Stock Exchange, foreign investors must now make a new purchase of shares in Jordanian companies valued at no less than 1.5 million dinars. To prevent market distortion, no more than 10 percent of the total investment can be concentrated in any single company. The shares must be acquired through a licensed brokerage firm within four months of receiving the Ministry of Investment's written approval and cannot be leveraged, mortgaged, or liquidated for at least five years, with investors barred from withdrawing any trading profits during this period.
Conversely, the government is aggressively lowering financial hurdles for investors willing to set up operations outside of Amman. Launching a new productive business now requires a minimum paid-up capital of 500,000 dinars in the provinces, compared to 700,000 dinars within Amman, provided the business generates local jobs registered with the Social Security Corporation.
Operating investors are granted temporary residency and a four-month grace period to finalize hiring after starting operations, followed by a temporary three-year passport before final citizenship is recommended after three years of verified compliance. For those buying new shares in existing projects, the minimum investment is 1 million dinars, requiring at least 500,000 dinars in new fixed and non-current assets, a clear expansion feasibility study, and audited financial statements. This route also carries a three-year share-holding restriction and a three-year temporary passport phase.
For existing, active investments, the government requires a minimum average share of 700,000 dinars in fixed and non-current assets over the last three years in Amman, which is cut in half to 350,000 dinars for regional projects. Both pathways require maintaining at least 90 percent of the mandatory Jordanian workforce registered with the Social Security Corporation monthly for three consecutive years. If a partner is introduced or ownership is transferred to a first-degree relative, the new owner can qualify under these same terms, provided the original investor's share remains frozen and restricted for three years.
The program also directly rewards large-scale employment, offering citizenship to any business owner who directly employs 150 Jordanians in Amman, or 100 in the provinces, provided they have been registered with the Social Security Corporation for at least a year prior and that this workforce volume is maintained for two consecutive years after obtaining citizenship.
Specialized sectors are also carved out under the new rules, allowing pharmacists who invest at least 3 million dinars in logistics, medical supplies, or pharmaceutical warehousing to qualify for the program, subject to meeting employment quotas. Similar regional incentives have been applied to the strategic 'Amrah' City project, which offers citizenship for a 1.5 million dinar investment across any economic activity, alongside fast-tracked temporary residency during the hiring phase.
The revised framework extends citizenship eligibility to the investor’s wife, dependent daughters, unmarried sons under the age of 24 at the time of application, and dependent parents. For investments exceeding 2 million dinars, the investor's sons up to the age of 30, along with their wives and children, are also eligible to receive citizenship. Since the program's inception in 2018, the government has granted citizenship to 681 international investors. Any breach of these strict investment or employment conditions will result in the immediate revocation of citizenship or residency.
For property buyers, the government has simplified five-year residency permits, which are renewable regardless of previous stay durations. Non-residents can secure this residency by purchasing real estate worth 200,000 dinars from a developer or housing company, 300,000 dinars from private sellers, or just 150,000 dinars for homes purchased outside of Amman. These properties must be held for five years without being sold or mortgaged, with values determined by the Department of Lands and Survey.
In a major policy shift aimed at driving economic growth outside the capital, the government has overhauled its investor citizenship and residency programs, raising the financial bar for stock market investments while lowering thresholds for regional development projects.
The regulatory changes, approved by the Cabinet in a session held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, seek to transition the program away from short-term holdings and toward highly productive, job-creating ventures across the country's governorates.
Under the new framework, the Ministry of Investment will act as the sole administrative window for all investor files, consolidating oversight to eliminate bureaucratic red tape and elevate investor services.
To secure citizenship through the Amman Stock Exchange, foreign investors must now make a new purchase of shares in Jordanian companies valued at no less than 1.5 million dinars. To prevent market distortion, no more than 10 percent of the total investment can be concentrated in any single company. The shares must be acquired through a licensed brokerage firm within four months of receiving the Ministry of Investment's written approval and cannot be leveraged, mortgaged, or liquidated for at least five years, with investors barred from withdrawing any trading profits during this period.
Conversely, the government is aggressively lowering financial hurdles for investors willing to set up operations outside of Amman. Launching a new productive business now requires a minimum paid-up capital of 500,000 dinars in the provinces, compared to 700,000 dinars within Amman, provided the business generates local jobs registered with the Social Security Corporation.
Operating investors are granted temporary residency and a four-month grace period to finalize hiring after starting operations, followed by a temporary three-year passport before final citizenship is recommended after three years of verified compliance. For those buying new shares in existing projects, the minimum investment is 1 million dinars, requiring at least 500,000 dinars in new fixed and non-current assets, a clear expansion feasibility study, and audited financial statements. This route also carries a three-year share-holding restriction and a three-year temporary passport phase.
For existing, active investments, the government requires a minimum average share of 700,000 dinars in fixed and non-current assets over the last three years in Amman, which is cut in half to 350,000 dinars for regional projects. Both pathways require maintaining at least 90 percent of the mandatory Jordanian workforce registered with the Social Security Corporation monthly for three consecutive years. If a partner is introduced or ownership is transferred to a first-degree relative, the new owner can qualify under these same terms, provided the original investor's share remains frozen and restricted for three years.
The program also directly rewards large-scale employment, offering citizenship to any business owner who directly employs 150 Jordanians in Amman, or 100 in the provinces, provided they have been registered with the Social Security Corporation for at least a year prior and that this workforce volume is maintained for two consecutive years after obtaining citizenship.
Specialized sectors are also carved out under the new rules, allowing pharmacists who invest at least 3 million dinars in logistics, medical supplies, or pharmaceutical warehousing to qualify for the program, subject to meeting employment quotas. Similar regional incentives have been applied to the strategic 'Amrah' City project, which offers citizenship for a 1.5 million dinar investment across any economic activity, alongside fast-tracked temporary residency during the hiring phase.
The revised framework extends citizenship eligibility to the investor’s wife, dependent daughters, unmarried sons under the age of 24 at the time of application, and dependent parents. For investments exceeding 2 million dinars, the investor's sons up to the age of 30, along with their wives and children, are also eligible to receive citizenship. Since the program's inception in 2018, the government has granted citizenship to 681 international investors. Any breach of these strict investment or employment conditions will result in the immediate revocation of citizenship or residency.
For property buyers, the government has simplified five-year residency permits, which are renewable regardless of previous stay durations. Non-residents can secure this residency by purchasing real estate worth 200,000 dinars from a developer or housing company, 300,000 dinars from private sellers, or just 150,000 dinars for homes purchased outside of Amman. These properties must be held for five years without being sold or mortgaged, with values determined by the Department of Lands and Survey.
In a major policy shift aimed at driving economic growth outside the capital, the government has overhauled its investor citizenship and residency programs, raising the financial bar for stock market investments while lowering thresholds for regional development projects.
The regulatory changes, approved by the Cabinet in a session held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, seek to transition the program away from short-term holdings and toward highly productive, job-creating ventures across the country's governorates.
Under the new framework, the Ministry of Investment will act as the sole administrative window for all investor files, consolidating oversight to eliminate bureaucratic red tape and elevate investor services.
To secure citizenship through the Amman Stock Exchange, foreign investors must now make a new purchase of shares in Jordanian companies valued at no less than 1.5 million dinars. To prevent market distortion, no more than 10 percent of the total investment can be concentrated in any single company. The shares must be acquired through a licensed brokerage firm within four months of receiving the Ministry of Investment's written approval and cannot be leveraged, mortgaged, or liquidated for at least five years, with investors barred from withdrawing any trading profits during this period.
Conversely, the government is aggressively lowering financial hurdles for investors willing to set up operations outside of Amman. Launching a new productive business now requires a minimum paid-up capital of 500,000 dinars in the provinces, compared to 700,000 dinars within Amman, provided the business generates local jobs registered with the Social Security Corporation.
Operating investors are granted temporary residency and a four-month grace period to finalize hiring after starting operations, followed by a temporary three-year passport before final citizenship is recommended after three years of verified compliance. For those buying new shares in existing projects, the minimum investment is 1 million dinars, requiring at least 500,000 dinars in new fixed and non-current assets, a clear expansion feasibility study, and audited financial statements. This route also carries a three-year share-holding restriction and a three-year temporary passport phase.
For existing, active investments, the government requires a minimum average share of 700,000 dinars in fixed and non-current assets over the last three years in Amman, which is cut in half to 350,000 dinars for regional projects. Both pathways require maintaining at least 90 percent of the mandatory Jordanian workforce registered with the Social Security Corporation monthly for three consecutive years. If a partner is introduced or ownership is transferred to a first-degree relative, the new owner can qualify under these same terms, provided the original investor's share remains frozen and restricted for three years.
The program also directly rewards large-scale employment, offering citizenship to any business owner who directly employs 150 Jordanians in Amman, or 100 in the provinces, provided they have been registered with the Social Security Corporation for at least a year prior and that this workforce volume is maintained for two consecutive years after obtaining citizenship.
Specialized sectors are also carved out under the new rules, allowing pharmacists who invest at least 3 million dinars in logistics, medical supplies, or pharmaceutical warehousing to qualify for the program, subject to meeting employment quotas. Similar regional incentives have been applied to the strategic 'Amrah' City project, which offers citizenship for a 1.5 million dinar investment across any economic activity, alongside fast-tracked temporary residency during the hiring phase.
The revised framework extends citizenship eligibility to the investor’s wife, dependent daughters, unmarried sons under the age of 24 at the time of application, and dependent parents. For investments exceeding 2 million dinars, the investor's sons up to the age of 30, along with their wives and children, are also eligible to receive citizenship. Since the program's inception in 2018, the government has granted citizenship to 681 international investors. Any breach of these strict investment or employment conditions will result in the immediate revocation of citizenship or residency.
For property buyers, the government has simplified five-year residency permits, which are renewable regardless of previous stay durations. Non-residents can secure this residency by purchasing real estate worth 200,000 dinars from a developer or housing company, 300,000 dinars from private sellers, or just 150,000 dinars for homes purchased outside of Amman. These properties must be held for five years without being sold or mortgaged, with values determined by the Department of Lands and Survey.
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Gov't amends criteria for granting residency and citizenship to investors
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