Holders of a US, UK, EU or Canadian passport are eligible for visa on arrival for 40 JOD (56 USD), or the Jordan Pass, which can be purchased online here for 70 JOD (99 USD). It is a very easy process that should only take a few minutes. If you hold a passport from outside these countries, please check online or with your embassy to see if you qualify for a visa on arrival or Jordan Pass. If you are not eligible, please check online or contact your embassy to see how to obtain a visa.
The tourist visa and the Jordan Pass are both good for three months from your arrival date. Within the first two weeks, though, holders of the tourist visa must ensure that they determine their residency in Jordan. This can be completed when you cross the border, such as at the airport. If you do not complete this at the border, don’t worry. It is a short, painless errand that we will coordinate for you at Sijal. Each time you travel outside the country, the visa process starts over anew (i.e. you will have to purchase another tourist visa for 40 JOD), so do let us know if you are planning on traveling outside the country, so we can ensure that your visa is in order.
We can also do a further three-month extension (for a total of 6 months, i.e. your visa is valid for a total of 6 months from the date of arrival) for students who have not traveled out of Jordan. This is another short errand that we will coordinate. Students from the US, UK, or EU are only required to complete a form. Students from some other countries may be required to do a medical check-up including a blood test as part of the visa extension process. There is a clinic close by in Jabal Lweibdeh and the test costs up to 85 JOD. We will provide you with instructions for the timelines and process when you are here.
In general, we recommend that people who are looking to travel around Jordan purchase the Jordan Pass, as not only do you not have to determine your residency, but you also receive free entry to tourist sites in Jordan for the first month of your stay. Multiple entry visas purchased from outside of Jordan still require determination of residency and the three-month extension, and ultimately you still have to leave the country every six months. They do not save you much effort. You would need to travel in and out of Jordan more than 6 times for them to be financially worth your while.
Unfortunately, we are unable to help obtain residency permits for students who intend to stay longer than 6 months. Students holding all types of visas should plan to take a trip out of Jordan at least once every 6 months, so as to restart the visa-clock and follow the 6-month extension process as outlined above. There are many low-cost destinations nearby.