Jordan borders open after Coronavirus
Jordan is open for tourism and has been since September 8th 2020. Queen Alia International Airport is operating with regular flight arrivals. Requirements have been constantly evolving along with the situation internationally. The government had initially established colour coded categories for each country. However current requirements are universal and all arrivals must fulfill the entry requirements listed below. Visitors will undergo temperature checks and a negative coronavirus PCR test is required prior to arrival. An additional test will be done in the arrival airport in Jordan. With two negative results no isolation nor quarantine is required, and your travels in Jordan can begin immediately.
Find the key details with links to the most in focus information:
Entry requirements – Test Locations – FAQ’s
COVID 19 Jordan Summary:
- Dates? Commercial flight have been operating since September 8th. Land borders reopened on October 29th.
- Which countries? Country category lists are not currently implemented as all arrivals can travel without quarantine with a negative PCR test result – full list here.
- Requirements? Entry requirements include a negative coronavirus PCR test from within 72 hours of flight to Jordan – full list of 5 requirements listed below
- Isolation or Quarantine? Visitors will only be required to isolate if they test positive, or a direct contact tests positive. Link for full requirements to self isolate.
- Which borders? Flights are arriving to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman and King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba. Land borders have been reopened and pre-registration is required for the specific border crossing. King Hussein Bridge is only possible to cross for residents of either Jordan or Palestine.
- Airlines and routes? Flights are gradually increasing as more country advisory groups reduce the discouragement of cross border movements.
- Testing locations? Several test laboratories have been established, predominantly in Amman.
- Local Transmission? Jordan is experiencing local transmissions but is taking practical measures to control the spread. The Ministry of Health provides a daily update.
Important recent updates:
- Arrivals can travel freely immediately on arrival
- Some land borders have been reopened with limited numbers able to pass each day
- Passengers are permitted to transit at Jordan airports, provided they have done a Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure and the transfer time does not exceed 10 hours
- 7pm-6am curfews have been implemented throughout March and April
- Potential for increased restrictions over holidays during Ramadan which runs from mid April to mid May
Jordan had a very low rates of coronavirus infection when the initial global pandemic escalated. The government enforced strict measures to prevent people entering the country throughout the height of the pandemic. All borders in the country remained closed from March 17 until September 8. Jordan has been gradually reopening along with the rest of the world, however as new information comes to light requirements for travel have been constantly evolving.
Current COVID situation in Jordan
Jordan has reopened the international airports in Amman and Aqaba. Land borders to both Israel and Saudi Arabia have also had the blanket closure lifted, however are individually assessed for their ability to effectively administer new covid controls. The government has categorised countries by risk and applied restrictions for travelling to Jordan accordingly. Visitors must show a negative coronavirus PCR result at check-in for their flight taken within 72 hours. Jordan intends to provide a safe environment and support the international approach to limit the spread of the virus.
Throughout the pandemic Jordan has combined a strong systemic response with extensive testing. Jordan has continued to perform testing on a portion of their population comparable to many European nations. In relative terms Jordan continues to effectively manage the virus despite its relative economic limitations. When adjusted for population, Jordan shows above average testing and below average incidence and death. This reflects the effective handling of the pandemic by the government.
See Ministry of Health live rate of transmission and recovery. This site includes situation updates and official government reporting on the coronavirus situation. The data reflects the transmission rates across Jordan and shows that the country has had significant lower rates of infection and mortality adjusted for its population.
Jordan has minimal restrictions in place:
- free movement around the entire country without restriction
- public and private transportation is fully operational (During March and April capacity of shared transport is limited to 50%)
- restaurants are open with normal working hours up until 24:00 (During April all businesses are required to close at 18:00 daily and there is a curfew from 19:00 to 06:00 daily and all day on Friday)
- social gatherings limited to 20 people
Opening of Jordan’s International Airport in Amman
Jordan’s Amman airport has been open since September 8th. We are looking forward to welcome tourists again! From January 20 all arrivals with a negative PCR test will be able to travel without restriction regardless of country of departure.
As this situation will continue to evolve please contact the consular representation of Jordan in your country to confirm the latest advise relevant to you.
Entry Requirements to Jordan
Follow these simple steps when you travel to Jordan
Requirements for all visitors:
- Have proof of valid travel insurance for Jordan.
- Provide results of a negative Covid-19 PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure. Children under 5 years are exempt.
- Complete an declaration and make a payment for a Covid-19 PCR test upon arrival, within 24 hours of departure. The cost is JOD28, and it is different form for arrivals in Amman Queen Alia Airport and Aqaba King Hussein Airport. After registering and making the payment on this platform, you will receive a receipt and a QR code in your email. This QR code will be shown at the check in counter at your airport of departure.
- Download the AMAN app (apple/android) before boarding. This is the government supported contact tracing and coronavirus safety app.
- At arrival in the airport, travellers will undergo thermal screening and a COVID-19 PCR test, which has already been paid for (see point 3). Children up to 5 years are exempt.
Estimates vary but in general it takes about 10-30 minutes to have all passengers on the flight tested. After conducting the test you are free to continue on with your travels. The test results will be texted to the mobile phone number you have stated.
Extra Covid-19 safety measures
The airport has made the necessary arrangement to welcome travelers back. 11 units for virus testing as well as 22 labs have been set up. The capacity is for 250 tests per hour, to ensure a quick turnaround. After taking the test, travelers can leave the airport and start to enjoy their travels. The test results arrive via text message within 3-6 hours.
All arrivals will follow the same procedure, with mandatory health screening and PCR test on arrival.
Where can I download the Coronavirus app for Jordan?
Links for the app below for Android and iTunes. Airlines will check each passenger on check in so please ensure that you have the application downloaded prior to departure.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jo.gov.moh.aman&hl=en
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aman-aman-jo-jordan-covid-19/id1511595289
Jordan Coronavirus Developments Timeline
2020
March 2 – First Coronavirus case recorded in Jordan
March 14 – Announcement that borders will close in 3 days
March 17 – All external borders closed
March 22 – Jordan implements curfews and nationwide lockdown
April 19 – Southern states reopen after 10 days of no new cases
April 29 – Lockdowns lifted nationwide on weekdays
May 4 – Jordan has 1 week with no new local transmissions
May 6 – Saudi truck driver introduced new outbreak
May 8 – Jordan operates flights to repatriate students from abroad
July 21 – King Hussein announces Jordan borders will reopen to international tourism in August
July 23 – Jordan announces list of countries eligible to enter without quarantine
August 4 – Border reopening postponed
September 2 – Border opening announced for September 8th
September 3 – Lists of Green, Orange and Red countries released
September 8 – First commercial flight arrives after reopening
September 15 – First low cost airline due to arrive
September 22 – End of institutional quarantine
September 27 – Jordan ends the use of tracking bracelets
October 21 – Country category lists expanded to include all countries
October 29 – Land borders reopened
December 6 – All visitors to quarantine for 7 days and country categories suspended
2021
January 20 – All arrivals can enter the country without restriction if in possession of a negative PCR test
March 10 – 7pm curfew reintroduced
April 6 – Announcement that vaccination will be accepted in place of negative PCR
How Arabian Nights limits the spread of Covid 19
The year of 2020 is not as anyone could have imagined. At Arabian Nights we had spent the winter building our new luxury ensuite rooms. We anticipated welcoming new guests at the end of February. However, as we all know, Covid-19 started spreading rapidly in Europe and many travel plans required rescheduling from early March.
With both confidence of the governments response to the pandemic and the restrictions in place, we are reopening for visitors. We will be operating as before with accommodation, meals and activities.
As we are a traditional Bedouin camp, many of the facilities are shared spaces and guests should be mindful of this when travelling to Wadi Rum. We are proud of the facilities we offer and feel that we are amongst the best offerings in Jordan. Additionally, we prioritise a cultural exchange for our visitors and we feel this is an equally important part of our offering. Given the low incidence of virus transmission in Jordan and the strict measures in place for those entering the country, we feel that we can safely operate with confidence.
We have luxury tents which have private bathrooms and are safely distanced from the rest of the camp for visitors who desire to take extra precautions. We remain aware of the ongoing concern related to Covid-19 transmission. As such we ensure all areas are thoroughly clean and are conscious of interaction with guests. We are also providing alcohol disinfectant and encourage all guests to regularly use it to minimise any chances of transmission.
Prepare for your visit!
With high interest in Jordan as a travel destination, when to visit is normally a major consideration for visitors. Due to limited flights operating, it provides a great opportunity for visitors who want to avoid the usual crowds. Flights to Amman are the only current access point for visitors.
If you feel there is other relevant information that is not accurately reflected on this page please contact us and we will update it accordingly.