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Jordan Investment Board
Frequently Asked Questions
 

Am I allowed as a non-Jordanian investor to transfer the returns and revenues of my project outside Jordan?

Are companies exempted from income tax under the investment laws in Jordan?

Are saloon cars, micro or macro buses, and trucks exempted for investment projects?

Are the expenses on training, researches, development and tests deducted from the revenues of the project when computing the income tax?

Are the services offered by JIB free of charge?

Are there any restrictions on the ownership of the non-Jordanian investor in the Qualified Industrial Zones?

 

Are there incentives for export to USA for projects existing outside the Qualified Industrial Zones?

Are the revenues from Jordanian production exports exempted?

As I own an investment project in Jordan for along time, and since there is an unfair competition by imported similar products, is there a way to restrict this competition?

As an investor wishing to invest in Jordan, do I need to refer to ministries and government departments and authorities related to obtaining the license for my project?

Can I acquire land in Jordan as a non-Jordanian investor?

Can I as a non-Jordanian investor acquire a business project and practice various commercial services in Jordan?

Can I assign the exempted equipment and machinery to a financial institution operating in the field of financial lease?

Can I liquidate or sell my investment, share or stocks in Jordan?

Can an investor obtain an investor card from JIB?

Can the costs of local transportation be included as a part of the QIZ added value percentage, which is 35%?

Can the investor establish a factory anywhere in Jordan?

Can the proceeds of real estate organization levied on licensed projects be exempted through the One-Stop-Shop? 

Can we sell the machinery, equipment and tools in our projects to another person or company?

Do you have feasibility studies for investment projects?

Do you have information about the price of lands available in the industrial zones?

Does JIB provide credit facilities (loans to investment projects)?

Does qualifying a product in the Qualified Industrial Zones require that the production process is fully carried out in Jordan?

Does the Investment Promotion Law exempt construction equipment?

Does the One-Stop-Shop, on behalf of the investor, register and license a project in Aqaba Special Economic Zone?

Does the government lease, sell or authorize specific lands to investors?

How can I apply to benefit from exemptions and licensing services?

How can I get an annual residency if I am a non-Jordanian investor?

How can a project be qualified for export to USA through the Qualified Industrial Zones?

How can one get a copy of the laws and information on investment in Jordan?

How long does obtaining the visa take?

How long have the Qualified Industrial Zones been there?

How to recruit technicians for investment projects registered in Jordan?

I have an investment project benefiting from the Investment Promotion Law and I want to sell and transfer its title to another investor, what are the required procedures?

If I am a Jordanian investor, does the One-Stop-Shop register and license my project?

If I own an industrial project, what is the rate of customs and tax fees on raw material incorporated in the product?

In case of any obstacles or problems during investment in Jordan is JIB concerned with solving them?

Is Jordan a member in the World Trade Organization?

Is applying for investment in the Qualified Industrial Zones made in one place?

Is it possible to specify the types of taxes and fess levied on the profits and sales of companies registered in Jordan?

Is the Jordanian investor treated like the non-Jordanian in terms of establishing and operating investment projects?

 

Is the documentation of the Qualified Industrial Zones simple to enable the US customs to understand what is going on when the goods arrive at USA?

Is the machinery exempted from customs and tax fees? What about raw materials?

Is the privilege of the exemption from customs and tax fees for products manufactured in the Qualified Industrial Zones temporary or permanent?

Is the quota system imposed on Jordan's exports to the European Market?

Is there a possibility to approve the recruitment of non-Jordanian labor to all projects through JIB?

Is there coordination between the One-Stop-Shop and the authorities concerned with investment?

To what extent does JIB provide legal consultation?

We have an investment project, and we want to re-export part of machinery and equipment and import new ones. Can we do that?

What are the Qualified Industrial Zones in Jordan up to 2005 through the US market can be accessed?

 
 
 

Am I allowed as a non-Jordanian investor to transfer the returns and revenues of my project outside Jordan?

 

Yes, it is permissible in any exchangeable currency according to the prevailing investment laws and regulations.

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Are companies exempted from income tax under the investment laws in Jordan?

 

Projects benefit from privileges and exemptions of the Jordanian Investment Promotion Law.  These are recommended by the region where the project is to be established at 25%, 50% or 75% of the original tax category provided for in Tax Law, which depends on the type of the economic activity.  However, the project should be within one of these sectors:  industry, hotels, hospitals, tourism and entertainment, conference and exhibitions centers, agriculture, marine transportation, railways, and mining projects for water, gas and oil products in pipelines.  The exemption period is for 10 years from the date of starting production or actual operation.  Investment projects established in industrial zones of the Jordanian industrial zones Corporation are also exempted from the income and social service taxes for two years at a rate of 100% from the date of starting production.

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Are saloon cars, micro or macro buses, and trucks exempted for investment projects?

 

Saloon cars, micro or macro buses, and trucks used in investment projects are not exempted from taxes and fees levied by the Jordanian legislations.

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Are the expenses on training, researches, development and tests deducted from the revenues of the project when computing the income tax?

 

Yes.

 

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Are the services offered by JIB free of charge?

 

All JIB services are free of charge.

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Are there any restrictions on the ownership of the non-Jordanian investor in the Qualified Industrial Zones?

 

 

No, there are no restrictions on ownership.  There is no need for a local partner. An entity can be 100% owned by a non-Jordanian.  The non-Jordanian investor can practice industrial activities without restriction on ownership as in the case of establishing industrial project anywhere in Jordan.

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Are there incentives for export to USA for projects existing outside the Qualified Industrial Zones?

 

Jordan is part of general preference program. This program allows for a number of different duty free products to access the US market even if they are produced outside the Qualified Industrial Zones.

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Are the revenues from Jordanian production exports exempted?

 

Yes, there is the Duty Free Zones Law which exempts companies founded in the duty free zones for export purposes. Also, foreign companies operating in Jordan are exempted from income tax when concluding a contract with the government for limited purposes.  In addition, projects established in industrial zones are exempted from income and social service taxes for two years at the rate of 100% in addition to the exemptions provided for by laws of Aqaba Special Economic Zone.

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As I own an investment project in Jordan for along time, and since there is an unfair competition by imported similar products, is there a way to restrict this competition?

 

Yes, in accordance with applicable laws including to the Unfair Competition Law and The National Product Protection Law.

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As an investor wishing to invest in Jordan, do I need to refer to ministries and government departments and authorities related to obtaining the license for my project?

 

The investor in Jordan is only required to refer to one party; that is the Jordan Investment Board (JIB).

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Can I acquire land in Jordan as a non-Jordanian investor?

 

It is permissible under a resolution from the Minister of Finance based on a recommendation from the Land and Surveying Department through the One-Stop-Shop as per the following:

 

1.        The investor owns a share in the entity (company or establishment) registered in Jordan, whereby he is allowed to own a land in his personal name for housing.

2.        A Jordanian company where a non-Jordanian investor owns shares or owns the whole company is allowed to acquire unlimited land for the purpose of using same in the project.

 

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Can I as a non-Jordanian investor acquire a business project and practice various commercial services in Jordan?

 

50% of the project can be acquired under the non-Jordanian  Inventors Regulation currently in force in Jordan.  The project can be fully (100%) owned if it is a huge investment, economic development project, which increases exports, technology transfer and employment of Jordanians.  By virtue of a resolution from the Jordanian Council of Ministers based on a recommendation from the Minister of Industry and Trade and a suggestion from the Investment Incentives Committee, 100% of the shares of a housing company can be owned

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Can I assign the exempted equipment and machinery to a financial institution operating in the field of financial lease?

 

Yes.  An application can be made to JIB to assign the equipment and machinery required for the project provided that:-

 

1.        They must be exempted from customs and tax fees.

2.        A financial lease contract must be concluded, showing the type, quantity and CIF value in Jordanian Dinars, provided that such value must be equal or less than the exemption.

3.        The contract must be registered with the Financial Lease Contract Registrar in the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

4.        The purpose of the Lessor should be practicing financial lease.

5.        An application is submitted to JIB for financial lease, indicating the type and enclosing the exemption letter for your project.

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Can I liquidate or sell my investment, share or stocks in Jordan?

 

Yes, provided that you have settled all liabilities incurred by you in connection with the project to third parties or the owner in accordance with applicable laws in Jordan.  It is also required to complete a special form at JIB

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Can an investor obtain an investor card from JIB?

 

An investor can obtain an investor card subject to two conditions:

 

·            The share of investor in a company should not be less than JD 100,000 of the registered capital.

·            The company should provide 100 job opportunities for Jordanians registered with the social security.

 

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Can the costs of local transportation be included as a part of the QIZ added value percentage, which is 35%?

 

Yes, the following transportation costs are part of the direct and indirect added value:

·            Drivers' wages, costs of trucks used to carry the raw material from the boarder to the factory.

·            Costs of international and local shipping to carry the materials to the Qualified Industrial Zone for use to manufacture a qualified product.

However, the cost of shipping or transporting a finished product after manufacturing may not be included in the added value..

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Can the investor establish a factory anywhere in Jordan?

 

Yes, the investor can establish a factory anywhere in Jordan.  Tax exemptions are granted to investors who establish factories in less developed areas.  Most companies opt to establish their factories and projects in one of the public or private industrial zones.  Government industrial zones grant a two-year additional exception from the income and social service taxes for projects established inside them. These zones have integrated infrastructure necessary for investment including hangers and constructions ready for immediate acquisition or investment.

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Can the proceeds of real estate organization levied on licensed projects be exempted through the One-Stop-Shop? 

 

The One-Stop-Shop at JIB has no authority to exempt any proceeds or fees imposed in accordance with applicable laws in Jordan.

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Can we sell the machinery, equipment and tools in our projects to another person or company?

 

If the project benefits from the Investment Promotion Law and subject to obtaining the approval of the Investment Incentives Committee, it is permissible to sell machinery, equipment and tools previously exempted for your project to any other investor benefiting from the Investment Promotion Law, Provided that they are used in the exempted project.  They can be also sold to any non-exempted person or project subject to paying the due fees and taxes thereon after having them duly inspected and valuated in accordance with the Jordanian customs laws and regulations.

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Do you have feasibility studies for investment projects?

 

JIB introduces and promotes available investment opportunities in Jordan.  It prepares preliminary studies for such investment opportunities by sectors of high competitiveness.

Currently, there are about 80 investment opportunities at the JIB. As well as some information on projects available for privatization and some investment opportunities in the private sector.

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Do you have information about the price of lands available in the industrial zones?

 

Yes, there is a detailed booklet at JIB containing the rates for lands in the industrial zones whether available for sale or lease.

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Does JIB provide credit facilities (loans to investment projects)?

 

JIB is not a financing institution like banks and approved financial firms in Jordan. JIB neither provide loans nor financial donation, in any form.  However, it helps investors with local, Arab and international financing organizations.

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Does qualifying a product in the Qualified Industrial Zones require that the production process is fully carried out in Jordan?

 

No. For example, cloth can be imported from a certain country and converted to garments in the Qualified Industrial Zone in Jordan.  This example applies to garments and textiles as long as the terms of the Uruguay Agreement No. 19 USC, Section 334 related to the Origin Regulations are met.

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Does the Investment Promotion Law exempt construction equipment?

 

Bulldozers, forklifts and other equipment as needed by the project are exempted.

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Does the One-Stop-Shop, on behalf of the investor, register and license a project in Aqaba Special Economic Zone?

 

The authority of Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZA) is the responsible party for the registration and licensing of investment projects in that Zone in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

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Does the government lease, sell or authorize specific lands to investors?

 

Yes, the government leases, sells or authorizes specific lands to investors through the State Owned Property Committee headed by the Minister of Finance on case by case basis.

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How can I apply to benefit from exemptions and licensing services?

 

A CD containing a program for all applications in connection with all tax and customs exemptions and licenses can be obtained from Investor Service Office at JIB premises.

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How can I get an annual residency if I am a non-Jordanian investor?

 

You may obtain annual residency through the One-Stop-Shop if you are an investor in one of these sectors: industry, hotels, hospitals, tourism and entertainment, conference and exhibitions centers, agriculture, marine transportation, railways, and mining projects for water, gas and oil products in pipelines.  The designated application should be electronically and manually completed.  JIB has recently launched the service of e-visas available at its website:   www.jordaninvestment.com

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How can a project be qualified for export to USA through the Qualified Industrial Zones?

 

There are 3 ways:

 

1.        A minimum of 35% of the production inputs as follows:

1.1      11.7% from within the qualified industrial zone.

1.2      8% Israeli input or (7%) for high technology industries,.

1.3      The remaining 15.3% can be input from production of Jordan, Israel, USA, Palestinian territories or any other qualified industrial zone.

2.        Jordanian and Israeli factory contributes by 20% of total production costs, which include production materials, wages, salaries, designs, researches and development.

Combining the above two cases

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How can one get a copy of the laws and information on investment in Jordan?

 

There is a folder containing the laws, regulations, rules and information related to investment available at the Promotion Department or at the website of JIB .

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How long does obtaining the visa take?

 

It takes from one day to 3 weeks as per the type of investment.

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How long have the Qualified Industrial Zones been there?

 

The Qualified Industrial Zones were established by the end of 1997 after Doha Summit in Qatar.

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How to recruit technicians for investment projects registered in Jordan?

 

Submit to the One-Stop-Shop an official application with all information related to investment project including the area and machinery needed by the project and the reasons for requesting the labors, the number of such labor, and practice license in the case of existing projects.

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I have an investment project benefiting from the Investment Promotion Law and I want to sell and transfer its title to another investor, what are the required procedures?

 

You may do so after notifying the Investment Promotion Committee explaining the reasons for the transfer.  The project will continue to benefit from the exemptions, facilities and guarantees until the end of that period, subject to the new investor continuing the operation of the project and replacing the previous investor in rights and obligations incurred by the project under the Investment Promotion Law.

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If I am a Jordanian investor, does the One-Stop-Shop register and license my project?

 

Your project will be registered and licensed if it is in one of these sectors: industry, agriculture, hotels, hospitals, tourism and entertainment, conference and exhibitions centers, and IT projects regardless of the nationality of the investor.

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If I own an industrial project, what is the rate of customs and tax fees on raw material incorporated in the product?

 

Raw and intermediate materials used to produce a new product for export purposes are 100% exempted from customs and tax fees as well as from the general sales tax.   For example, strings imported for ready wear manufacturers for export to US markets are 100% exempted from customs and tax fees, and the general sales tax.

 

Raw and intermediate materials used to produce a new product to be sold in the Jordanian markets pay fees and taxes as follows:

 

1.        Customs and tax fees at a rate ranging from zero to 30% as maximum according to the Customs Tariff Law.

2.        General sales tax at the rate of 16% payable at the customs post upon importation only.

 

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In case of any obstacles or problems during investment in Jordan is JIB concerned with solving them?

 

The One-Stop-Shop is concerned with facilitating the operations of companies in Jordan and solving problems that may face investment projects.

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Is Jordan a member in the World Trade Organization?

 

Yes, since March 2000.

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Is applying for investment in the Qualified Industrial Zones made in one place?

 

The Qualified Industrial Zones are located in industrial zones which provide the infrastructure utilities and incentives needed by the new project to succeed in Jordan.   Applying for a location in one of the industrial zones is a separate procedure from the application for qualifying a product to the Qualified Industrial Zone exemption.  However, JIB staff may facilitate the procedures for both cases by helping the investors to negotiate with the industrial zones and the Joint Qualified Industrial Zones Committee to qualify their projects.

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Is it possible to specify the types of taxes and fess levied on the profits and sales of companies registered in Jordan?

 

In Jordan, there are two types of taxes; the income and social service tax and the general sales tax.  The general sales tax is imposed on all sales and services which are imported and locally purchased. The income tax is imposed on the company or establishment by its type.  For example, the limited liability company and the general shared company are subject to a fixed rate by the activity practiced, while individual companies are subject to their members as per the tax slot under the Income Tax Law.

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Is the Jordanian investor treated like the non-Jordanian in terms of establishing and operating investment projects?

 

 

Yes.  Jordanian and non-Jordanian investors receive the same treatment in terms of rights and obligations in accordance with applicable laws in Jordan.

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Is the documentation of the Qualified Industrial Zones simple to enable the US customs to understand what is going on when the goods arrive at USA?

 

As the Qualified Industrial Zones are the outcome of an official agreement between the governments of Jordan, Israel, and the USA, therefore, the US customs staff is familiar with this agreement.

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Is the machinery exempted from customs and tax fees? What about raw materials?

 

Yes in industry, agriculture, hotels, hospitals, marine transportation, railways, conference and exhibition centers, entertainment and leisure, Machinery and supplies are exempted from customs and tax fees.  As to input of raw materials, they are mostly exempted from customs and tax fees in accordance with the Customs Tariff Law.

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Is the privilege of the exemption from customs and tax fees for products manufactured in the Qualified Industrial Zones temporary or permanent?

 

It is a relative privilege.

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Is the quota system imposed on Jordan's exports to the European Market?

 

No quota system is currently imposed on Jordan's exports to the European Community except some restrictions on specific agricultural products. Jordan, as a developing country, enjoys a special treatment in terms of its exports to the European Community. The Trade Agreement between Jordan and Europe which was recently endorsed guarantees the free movement of goods between Jordan and the European Community.

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Is there a possibility to approve the recruitment of non-Jordanian labor to all projects through JIB?

 

JIB carries out the procedures of obtaining the approval for the recruitment of non-Jordanian labor through the One-Stop-Shop for investment projects benefiting from the Investment Promotion Law.  In special cases, JIB may assist huge investment projects with positive impact on the Jordanian economy.

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Is there coordination between the One-Stop-Shop and the authorities concerned with investment?

 

The One-Stop-Shop has representatives from all parties concerned.  It closely cooperates and coordinates with them through specific procedures provided for in the applicable laws and regulations. The One-Stop-Shop has also a strategy to manage internal and external relations whereby the relationship with concerned parties and the forms of cooperation and coordination with them are determined.

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To what extent does JIB provide legal consultation?

 

Legal information and consultations related to investment in accordance with applicable laws in Jordan can be obtained by an official letter, a verbal request or an e-mail message.

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We have an investment project, and we want to re-export part of machinery and equipment and import new ones. Can we do that?

 

Subject to the approval of the Investment Incentives Committee, you may re-export part of the machinery and equipment and obtain exemption for the new items subject to the approval of the Investment Incentives Committee.

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What are the Qualified Industrial Zones in Jordan up to 2005 through the US market can be accessed?

 

1.        Al-Hassan Indusrial Zone/ Irbid/ North Jordan (public sector).

2.        Al-Hussain Bin Abdullah II industrial Zone/ Al-Karak/ South Jordan (public sector).

3.        Al-Dhulail Industrial Complex/ Zarqa/ Middle Jordan.

4.        Industries Complex Zone/ the capital.

5.        Jordan Valley Project/ North Jordan – South of Sheikh Hussain Bridge.

6.        Ciber City Coplex/ North Jordan / Irbid.

7.        Al-Qastal Industrial Zone/ South of Amman.

8.        Al-Mashta Industrial Complex / Al-Qunaitra – Amman.

9.        Aqaba Qualified Industrial Zone / South Jordan / public sector.

10.    The Hashemite University/Zarqa.

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