Visas and residency in Jordan: what students need to know
The rules changed in 2026, and most guides online are still describing the old system. This page reflects what the Residency and Borders Department at Queen Alia International Airport confirmed to us directly.
You used to receive 30 days on arrival and had to register at a police station within two weeks. That is no longer how it works. You now receive 90 days at the airport, and you do not need to visit a security centre until you want to go beyond them.
Arriving: what happens at the airport
For most nationalities the visa is issued on arrival at Queen Alia International Airport. There is nothing to arrange in advance and nothing to do in your first weeks.
Keep the entry stamp and the visa itself somewhere safe. You will need a photograph of both if you extend later, and reconstructing them afterwards is far harder than photographing them on the day you land.
If your course is shorter than three months, this is the whole of your paperwork. You will not deal with immigration again before you fly home.
Staying longer: extending to six months
If you want to stay beyond your first 90 days, you go to a security centre and extend. Do it before your three months expire, not after — an expired visa turns a routine appointment into a fine.
What to bring
Students staying in host-family accommodation, or in housing we arrange, should speak to us before the appointment — the address paperwork works differently and we can tell you what to bring.
Which security centre is yours
You cannot use whichever one is nearest. Each district of Amman is served by a specific centre, and going to the wrong one means going home again.
— where our school is
If you live somewhere not listed here, ask us — we will find out which centre covers your address before you make the trip.
After six months
Six months is the limit on this route. To stay longer you leave Jordan and come back: either home, or to a neighbouring country for a short trip. On re-entry you pay the entry fee again and receive a fresh 90 days, and the cycle starts over.
Students on long programmes usually plan a trip around this — a week somewhere else, then back to Amman with a new stamp. It is worth putting the date in your calendar the moment you extend, rather than discovering it later.
Before you rely on this page
Everything above reflects what the Residency and Borders Department confirmed to us in September 2026, and it is what our own students are doing right now. But immigration rules change, requirements vary by nationality, and an officer can ask for a document that is not on this list.
Treat this as a well-informed starting point, not a legal guarantee. The authority is the Jordanian Ministry of Interior — check the current position at moi.gov.jo before you travel, and ask us if something does not match what you are being told.
We write the enrolment letter for you
Every student who extends their stay needs a letter from their school. We prepare them as a matter of course — tell us your appointment date and it will be ready. If you are still deciding how long to come for, we are happy to talk it through.