Retiring in Jordan: Right of Residence, Taxation of a French Pension and Access to Healthcare

A French citizen obtains a visa online from the Ministry of the Interior, at Queen Alia airport or at the land borders (JOD 40 for a single entry), or free of charge with the Jordan Pass for a stay of at least three nights. A first extension of two months is requested from the local police, a second of three months from the foreigners’ department: a tourist stay reaches six months at most, and any stay of more than 14 days requires registering with the police within the first 14 days, under penalty of a JOD 200 fine (France Diplomatie, updated 15/09/2026). These permits suit a scouting stay; the official sources consulted describe no visa dedicated to retirees.

To settle long term, the official Jordanian news agency describes, on 15/07/2026, renewable five-year residence permits, granted with no prior-stay condition to the buyer of a property worth JOD 200,000 from a developer or a company, JOD 300,000 from a private seller, or JOD 150,000 outside Amman, provided the property is kept five years without being sold or mortgaged. The permit covers the spouse, dependent daughters and unmarried sons under 24; a breach of the conditions leads to revocation. The Ministry of the Interior publishes the other residence permits and their conditions, to be consulted before any purchase decision.

The page on living in Jordan describes the settling-in formalities and schooling, and the guide to retiring abroad brings together the steps on the French side.

The France-Jordan treaty, signed in Amman on 28 May 1984 and in force since 1 April 1985, distinguishes several kinds of pension. Under its article 18, pensions and similar remuneration paid to a resident in respect of past employment are taxable only in the state of residence; pensions and other sums paid under the social security legislation of a state are taxable only in that state, that is, in France for a pension of the general scheme. Its article 19 reserves to the paying state the pensions of the public service, unless the recipient is a resident of the other state and holds its nationality. The classification of a supplementary scheme is checked against the text and the administrative doctrine (BOFiP, the French tax doctrine database); tax residence (article 4: domicile, residence, place of management or similar criterion) and income tax are checked on impots.gouv.fr.

To avoid double taxation, Jordan exempts income taxable in France under the treaty, and France exempts income taxable in Jordan, with the effective rate retained, subject to a tax credit for certain categories (article 23). On the Jordanian side, the Income and Sales Tax Department (ISTD) provides for residents, in its tax return (tax period 2019, version consulted online), a personal exemption of up to JOD 10,000 a year and exemptions for dependants; the scale and the rules applying to foreign-source income are read on the ISTD website before any decision.

• Social levies: with no tax residence in France, the pensioner pays neither CSG nor CRDS (French social levies); CLEISS mentions a health contribution of 3.2% on basic pensions and 4.2% on supplementary pensions (7.1% for former self-employed workers).
• French-source income: rents from a property that stayed in France follow the rules applicable to non-residents, to be read on impots.gouv.fr.

Form S1 applies in the European Union; France has no social security agreement with Jordan (the country is not on the CLEISS list). For a country with no agreement, CLEISS indicates three routes: the local scheme, voluntary membership of the CFE or private insurance. Jordanian law does not require health insurance for the ordinary employee (International Labour Organization), so a retiree with no employer relies on the CFE or on international insurance.

The CFE retirees’ plan is for retirees of a French social security scheme with no professional activity, from €147 a month depending on the country, age and household composition. It requires no medical questionnaire, applies a waiting period of 3 months before age 45 and 6 months from age 45 in case of late enrolment (after the first three months of expatriation), and reimburses on scales specific to the country of care. A retiree who has contributed at least 15 years in France is covered during temporary stays in France; their spouse takes out insurance before travelling. See the guide to retirees’ health insurance abroad, the page on retirement insurance abroad and the page on healthcare reimbursement in Jordan.

The Jordanian dinar is pegged to the dollar: the Central Bank of Jordan shows 708 to 710 fils per US dollar and about 790 to 800 fils per euro on 05/10/2026, which is around €1.25 per JOD 1. A French pension, paid in euros, sees its purchasing power move with the euro-dollar rate. Current inflation appears in the “Economic indicators” block of this page. The official sources consulted publish no rent grid: the housing budget is built from local listings, the chosen city and the length of the lease.

For a retiree, the health item weighs more than in France since French social security does not cover care on the spot: the contribution to the CFE or to international insurance has to go into the annual budget. The guide to budgeting for health abroad helps you estimate it. For a purchase, the thresholds of JOD 150,000 to 300,000 correspond to about €190,000 to €380,000 at the day’s rate.

Amman, the capital, hosts the administrations and the French embassy. The purchase threshold there is higher than elsewhere: JOD 150,000 is enough outside Amman, against JOD 200,000 to 300,000 in the capital. Aqaba, on the Red Sea, falls within a special economic zone; France Diplomatie recommends particular vigilance there.

France Diplomatie strongly advises against the Azraq and Mafraq regions, in the north-east of the country, because of the possible fall of debris from intercepted projectiles. This notice (updated 10/09/2026) should be read before choosing a place, and proximity to a hospital remains a major criterion of choice for a pensioner.

• Before departure: inform your pension funds of the new address, take out the CFE within three months of expatriation to avoid the waiting period, check the validity of your passport (at least six months) and find out about medicines (prescription with the generic name, original packaging).
• On arrival: registration with the police within 14 days, application for the residence permit with the Jordanian authorities, enrolment on the register of French nationals living abroad with the embassy in Amman.
• Every year: declare your income according to your tax residence, check the validity of your permit and of your health cover; the guide to receiving your pension abroad details these points.

Expavy compares retiree health cover options based on your age, your family situation and your planned length of stay, via the Jordan page.