Jordan Overhauls CIP, Introduces New Investment Options

Jordan’s revamped citizenship program now accepts existing investors retroactively based on current business operations.

Jordan has replaced its earlier three-category citizenship by investment program structure with a more diversified multi-pathway framework consisting of eight distinct investment routes that caps annual approvals at 500 investors while lowering some entry barriers and tightening compliance requirements. The Cabinet approved the new framework on July 2, 2025, fundamentally restructuring how foreign investors can obtain Jordanian nationality through economic contribution.

The previous system offered three main categories: One million dollars in treasury bonds, $1.5 million in company shares, or $750,000 in business investment outside its capital of Amman. The new framework introduces specialized routes including stock market investment, employment-based qualification, a separate residency-by-investment program not tied to citizenship eligibility, and sector-specific opportunities in pharmaceuticals and logistics.

Jordan has eliminated the passive bank deposit and treasury bond options entirely from the new framework. Fahed Alshoumari, Senior Internal Auditor at Reach Immigration, praised this decision, explaining that removing “passive investment options” reflects Jordan’s “clear understanding of the low demand for such an option and the need to remove it.”

Investment thresholds now range from 350,000 Jordanian dinars ($493,000) for existing projects outside Amman to three million dinars for specialized sectors. The stock market pathway requires one million dinars in Jordanian equities but imposes a three-year lockup on profits and withdrawals, while limiting concentration to 20% in any single company.

Alshoumari expressed skepticism about the stock market route, noting that while it demonstrates “the intention of the Investment ministry to boost local financial markets,” the option “raises concerns about risk and control” since capital remains locked for three years “with no access to profits or principal during that time” in a market that remains “modest and volatile.” He added that this option “offers no guarantees or protections against losses” and “limits the influence of the investor in companies’ performance.”

The employment route represents the most novel addition, granting citizenship to investors who hire 150 Jordanians in Amman or 100 outside the capital without requiring a specific investment amount. All pathways mandate job creation for Jordanian nationals, reflecting the government’s emphasis on employment generation over passive investment.

However, Alshoumari questioned whether the employment-only pathway includes adequate safeguards, noting that regulations don’t mention “strict monitoring criteria” and could raise “quality versus quantity concerns” with potential for “mass lay-offs later on that could have a reverse effect on the ministry’s main goal.”

The new framework marks a major policy shift by substantially expanding eligibility to include existing investors who can now qualify retroactively based on their current business operations and employment of Jordanian workers, without requiring new capital injection. This fundamental change from requiring fresh investment to recognizing existing economic contribution could potentially qualify thousands of foreign business owners already operating in Jordan.

Minister of Investment Muthanna Gharaibeh noted that 561 investors have obtained Jordanian citizenship since 2018, predominantly Syrian and Iraqi nationals. Jordan has approved 30 additional citizenship applications in the five months since February, when the total stood at 531 investors. The new rules extend family inclusion to male children up to age 30 for investments exceeding two million dinars, expanding from the previous 24-year limit for standard investments.

Tariq Hijazi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab Businessmen’s Union, described the changes as “positive overall” but questioned the 500-investor annual limit given Jordan’s need for broader economic stimulus. He praised the inclusion of existing investors and the emphasis on genuine economic activity rather than passive investment.

The framework introduces stricter oversight mechanisms across multiple government agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Securities Commission, and the Social Security Corporation. Officials can revoke citizenship for non-compliance, and all pathways require security clearance and financial verification before processing begins.

The real estate option provides five-year residency permits for property purchases worth 200,000 dinars, marking Jordan’s first formal real estate residency program. This pathway targets investors seeking residency without full citizenship, expanding the program’s appeal to a broader investor base.

The new rules specify that purchases must come from developers rather than existing owners, which Alshoumari noted shows the Ministry’s focus on “moving newly built properties and boosting the real estate development sector.” He observed that resale properties “were allowed and now they’re not,” highlighting the government’s intent to stimulate new construction.

Jordan’s CIP historically attracted regional investors seeking stability rather than visa-free travel, as Jordanian citizenship provides access to only 50 destinations without visas. The new framework maintains this regional focus while creating more structured pathways for different investor profiles and investment capacities.

The 500-investor annual ceiling appears ambitious given the program’s historical performance, as Jordan has processed only 561 citizenship applications since launching the program in February 2018. The current framework maintains this 500-investor yearly limit, suggesting the government expects substantially increased demand under the new pathways despite averaging fewer than 100 approvals per year historically.

Alshoumari concluded that Jordan’s approach represents progress, noting that the Ministry of Investment is “clearly moving in the right direction” through its decision to “review the regulations and its outcomes every six months.” He praised Jordan for identifying “actual investor demand, addressing several past shortcomings, and introducing tighter regulations to prevent abuse,” describing the country as “shaping a model that reflects its own specific needs through trial and error.”