Jordanian Nationality for Investors – Conditions and Procedures

Jordanian Nationality for Investors: Investment is considered one of the direct ways to obtain the nationality of the country in which the investment is made. An individual can apply for citizenship of that country if they comply with the laws, regulations, and instructions set forth. The country granting citizenship through investment enjoys several advantages, including a good reputation economically and its ability to assess risks for citizenship applicants by conducting a thorough study of their involvement in criminal activities such as money laundering or corruption. This process is carried out through strict procedures that require careful attention. In this article, we will learn about the principles of granting citizenship to investors in Jordan in terms of conditions and procedures.

Jordan enjoys a strategic location that attracts many foreign investors to invest in various economic sectors, commercial sectors, and particularly the real estate sector, which has contributed to revitalizing the economy in Jordan. Despite being surrounded by countries suffering from conflicts and disputes, Jordan maintains security and stability. Jordan offers many benefits to investors, including the opportunity to obtain citizenship under specific conditions that vary depending on the sector in which the investment is made.

First: Conditions for obtaining Jordanian citizenship through investment in the economic sector:

The economic sector includes the industrial sector in all its branches, agriculture in both its plant and animal aspects, communications, health, media, education, and the tourism sector excluding restaurants and cafes. Regarding the granting of citizenship through investment by depositing and purchasing treasury bonds at the Central Bank, it is done according to the following mechanism: Submitting a written application to the Ministry of Investment, including transferring/depositing a million US dollars or its equivalent in Jordanian dinars to the Ministry’s account at the Central Bank for a period of three years without interest. After that, the ministry contacts the relevant authorities to obtain security reviews. Then, the ministry issues letters to the relevant authorities for deposit and purchase of treasury bonds. The request is then referred to a technical committee to study and verify the submitted documents and present them to the committee’s rapporteur. The rapporteur prepares recommendations for granting citizenship, which are signed by the committee members and then submitted to the chairman of the Investment Committee to present to the Cabinet for approval. The required documents include a valid passport copy, financial disclosure, marriage contract or family book copy, proof of parents’ maintenance and proof of single status for those above eighteen issued by the Sharia court in Jordan, detailed personal information form, and a census card for West Bank and Gaza Strip residents if applicable.

Second: Conditions for obtaining Jordanian citizenship through investment in buying shares and/or stakes in small and medium-sized companies:

Regarding obtaining citizenship through buying shares and/or stakes in small and medium-sized companies, the procedures are as follows: Submitting a written application to the Ministry, the ministry contacts the relevant authorities to obtain security reviews, the investor purchases shares and/or stakes in Jordanian companies in economic sectors, and the value of these shares and/or stakes must be no less than one million five hundred thousand dollars. It is a condition that the shares are not disposed of for a period of at least three years, and the Companies Control Department and/or Securities Depository Center place a reservation mark on them. Then, the technical committee studies the commercial registry and the annual budgets, as well as the employment lists for the company being invested in, in order to provide recommendations to the relevant authority to proceed with the procedures. A transfer deed for the registered shares with the Companies Control Department and a commitment from the company that the proceeds will be used for company development are required. The rapporteur of the committee prepares and signs recommendations, which are then submitted to the chairman of the investors’ committee for presentation to the Cabinet. The same previous documents are required, along with the previous year’s budget for the company/companies in which the investment is desired, certified by the Association of Accountants Auditors. If the investor has male children aged over 18 and under 30 and wishes to grant them citizenship, the investment amount must be three million dollars.

Third: Obtaining Jordanian nationality through establishing and registering a new investment project in any sector of the productive economic sectors:

Regarding obtaining citizenship through establishing and registering a new investment project in any sector of the productive economic sectors, the following is required: If the project is in the capital (Amman), the project must be established and registered with a total paid-up capital of no less than one million dollars, provided that 20 real job opportunities for Jordanians are provided. If it is outside the capital, the total paid-up capital should not be less than seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, provided that 10 real job opportunities for Jordanians are provided. The investor is given a period of 4 months to effectively operate the project and complete the number of Jordanian employees, and a residency permit is granted during this period. Then, a temporary Jordanian passport is issued for 3 years, during which the investor is treated as a Jordanian except for fundamental rights. After 3 years, Jordanian citizenship is granted.

The investor submits a written application to the ministry to obtain citizenship through an investment project in any of the economic sectors. The ministry contacts the relevant authorities to obtain the necessary security reviews. The request is then studied by the technical committee, which visits the project and prepares the necessary reports. The necessary commitments are provided to ensure the project’s operation for at least 3 years according to the decision. Then, the rapporteur of the committee prepares and signs recommendations, which are then submitted to the chairman of the investors’ committee for presentation to the Cabinet. In case there is a desire to bring in new partners for the project/projects to be established, new partners are not allowed to apply for citizenship unless they meet the employment and paid-up capital conditions or wait until citizenship is granted to the project’s founder. The required documents are the same as before, but they include a valid professional license/occupation permit in addition to a brief description and preliminary study of the project.

Fourth: Ownership of existing investments as a means to obtain Jordanian citizenship:

Regarding obtaining citizenship for existing investments, the following conditions must be met collectively: the investor’s average share of the total fixed assets, non-current assets, and tangible assets that can be calculated for the existing project according to the latest 3-year budget should be no less than one million US dollars, in addition to the availability of the employment condition mentioned in the previous paragraph. If the investor has two separate projects in the capital or any other governorate, the employment is combined for the purpose of calculating the employment based on the capital’s governorate. If the investment is outside the capital, the investor’s average share of the total fixed assets, non-current assets, and tangible assets that can be calculated for the existing project according to the latest 3-year budget should be no less than five hundred thousand US dollars, and the employment condition must be met during the past 3 years according to the Social Security Institution’s records. The employment is combined in case of two separate projects. If a partner is introduced or the company is transferred to a first-degree family branch, the new partner is granted Jordanian citizenship subject to the same conditions, provided they do not dispose of their share for 3 years. However, citizenship is not granted to anyone who owns shares from any other investor who has already obtained citizenship for those shares.

Once these conditions are met, citizenship is obtained by submitting a written application to the ministry, which contacts the relevant authorities to obtain the necessary security reviews. Then, the technical committee studies the application, verifies the documents and required conditions, and conducts a field visit. After that, the technical committee submits a report on the investor, detailing the investor’s share and the number of Jordanian employees according to the Social Security records and the company’s actual work situation. Then, the rapporteur of the committee prepares and signs recommendations, which are then submitted to the chairman of the investors’ committee for presentation to the Cabinet. The required documents are the same as before, but they include a recent commercial registry, a Social Security statement for the past 36 months indicating the number of Jordanian employees, and budgets for the past 3 years certified by the Association of Accountants Auditors.

Fifthly: Is it possible for the investor’s family to obtain citizenship?

Yes, it is possible for the investor’s family (spouse, unmarried daughters, widows, divorced women living under his care, and male children under 18 years of age, as well as his parents whom he supports) to obtain citizenship according to the following procedures:

The application is submitted to the Ministry of Investment, which forwards it to the Minister of Interior Affairs for security approvals. The committee’s secretary presents the application to the investors’ committee for approval recommendation, then addresses the Ministry of Interior Affairs to take the necessary actions. As for children between the ages of 18 and 30, the total investment volume of the establishment is calculated, which must exceed 3 million dollars.

Sixthly: Granting Jordanian citizenship to foreign investors through investment in commercial sectors:

• 6.1 Pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical materials and supplies, medical and surgical equipment, and supplies:

The investor or individual submits a written application to the ministry according to the following conditions: The investment size should not be less than one and a half million Jordanian dinars, and the assets and capital should not be less than one million Jordanian dinars. The investor must be a founder/partner with a share of no less than one million Jordanian dinars, and must have been with the company for at least 3 years. The workforce should not be less than 20 Jordanian nationals in the capital governorate, and 10 workers outside the capital governorate. After submitting the application, the ministry consults the relevant authorities to obtain the necessary security reviews, then a technical committee studies the request, verifies the required conditions and documents, and submits its recommendation to the committee’s secretary. The committee’s secretary then prepares a recommendation for granting citizenship and signs it according to the rules. The recommendation is then submitted to the head of the investors’ committee for the purpose of forwarding it to the cabinet.

• 6.2 Automobile showrooms, heavy machinery, and accessories:

The investor or individual submits a written application to the ministry according to the following conditions: The investment size should not be less than one and a half million Jordanian dinars, and the assets and capital should not be less than 750,000 Jordanian dinars. The investor must be a founder/partner with a share of no less than one million Jordanian dinars, and must have been with the company for at least 3 years. The workforce should not be less than 20 Jordanian nationals in the capital governorate, and 10 workers outside the capital governorate. After submitting the application, the ministry consults the relevant authorities to obtain the necessary security reviews, then a technical committee studies the request, verifies the required conditions and documents, and submits its recommendation to the committee’s secretary. The committee’s secretary then prepares a recommendation for granting citizenship and signs it according to the rules. The recommendation is then submitted to the head of the investors’ committee for the purpose of forwarding it to the cabinet.

• 6.3 Food logistics services (warehousing and major stores):

The investor or individual submits a written application to the ministry according to the following conditions: The investment size should not be less than one and a half million Jordanian dinars, and the assets and capital should not be less than 750,000 Jordanian dinars. The investor must be a founder/partner with a share of no less than one million Jordanian dinars, and must have been with the company for at least 3 years. The workforce should not be less than 40 Jordanian nationals in the capital governorate, and 20 workers outside the capital governorate. After submitting the application, the ministry consults the relevant authorities to obtain the necessary security reviews, then a technical committee studies the request, verifies the required conditions and documents, and submits its recommendation to the committee’s secretary. The committee’s secretary then prepares a recommendation for granting citizenship and signs it according to the rules. The recommendation is then submitted to the head of the investors’ committee for the purpose of forwarding it to the cabinet.

• 6.4 Maritime navigation and transport sector:

The investor or individual submits a written application to the ministry according to the following conditions: The investment size should not be less than 3 million Jordanian dinars, and the assets size should not be less than 2.5 million Jordanian dinars. The investor must be a founder/partner with a share of no less than one and a half million Jordanian dinars, and must have been with the company for at least 3 years. The workforce should not be less than 20 Jordanian nationals in the capital governorate, and 10 workers outside the capital governorate. After submitting the application, the ministry consults the relevant authorities to obtain the necessary security reviews, then a technical committee studies the request, verifies the required conditions and documents, and submits its recommendation to the committee’s secretary. The committee’s secretary then prepares a recommendation for granting citizenship and signs it according to the rules. The recommendation is then submitted to the head of the investors’ committee for the purpose of forwarding it to the cabinet.

• 6.5 Housing sector for established companies:

The investor or individual submits a written application to the ministry according to the following conditions: The investment size should not be less than 3 million Jordanian dinars, and the assets size should not be less than 2.5 million Jordanian dinars. The investor must be a founder/partner with a share of no less than 2 million Jordanian dinars, and must have been with the company for at least 3 years. The workforce should not be less than 20 Jordanian nationals in the capital governorate, and 10 workers outside the capital governorate. After submitting the application, the ministry consults the relevant authorities to obtain the necessary security reviews, then a technical committee studies the request, verifies the required conditions and documents, and submits its recommendation to the committee’s secretary. The committee’s secretary then prepares a recommendation for granting citizenship and signs it according to the rules. The recommendation is then submitted to the head of the investors’ committee for the purpose of forwarding it to the cabinet.

• 6.6 Tourist restaurant sector:

The investor or individual submits a written application to the ministry according to the following conditions: The investment size should not be less than one million Jordanian dinars, the investor must be a founder/partner with a share of no less than 750,000 Jordanian dinars, and must have been with the company for at least 3 years. The workforce should not be less than 30 Jordanian nationals in the capital governorate, and 20 workers outside the capital governorate. After submitting the application, the ministry consults the relevant authorities to obtain the necessary security reviews, then a technical committee studies the request, verifies the required conditions and documents, and submits its recommendation to the committee’s secretary. The committee’s secretary then prepares a recommendation for granting citizenship and signs it according to the rules. The recommendation is then submitted to the head of the investors’ committee for the purpose of forwarding it to the cabinet.

In conclusion, investing in Jordan has many benefits for both the investor and the state itself. The investor can obtain Jordanian citizenship through investment, based on the mentioned conditions. It is preferable to handle such matters through a lawyer, and we at Legal Jordanian Network are proud of our specialized team in this field, which is among the most proficient in the legal domain. We prioritize speed and accuracy in our work, consider the interests of our clients, and have extensive experience. To ensure that you, as an investor, obtain all your rights and understand all the obligations that fall on your shoulders, it is essential to collaborate with a skilled team. For more information about us, visit our website and contact us.