Jordan drops quarantine requirements

Tourism is an important industry for Jordan; in 2019 the kingdom welcomed more than 5 million visitors (photo courtesy Unsplash).

Jordan has relaxed its entry requirements for overseas visitors and dropped all quarantine regulations.

The kingdom initially reopened in September, 2020, with a quarantine-free waiver for international tourists from just 15 countries. It has now been decided that quarantine-free travel should be rolled out to nearly all arrivals, the main exception being for those travelling from the United Kingdom.

The country’s ‘traffic light’ system, whereby countries were divided into three lists according to the severity of their coronavirus levels, has now been dropped. Previously, arrivals from ‘yellow’ countries had to isolate for seven days and those from ‘red’ countries had to quarantine in a government-approved facility for seven days, followed by seven days in a hotel with an electronic tracking bracelet. This has now been phased out in favour of a quarantine-free arrival for all.

However, anyone who has been in the United Kingdom during the previous 14 days, including for transit through the UK, is prohibited from entering the country.

For those that are able to travel, certain regulations remain. Arrivals must take a PCR test no more than three days before departure and another one, at their own expense, on arrival. The arrival test costs around US$40 and must be paid in advance of travel. Children under five years are exempt.

Travellers must also complete a form online before departure and the 'Aman' app must be downloaded before arrival. Travellers must also have health insurance including cover for coronavirus treatment for the duration of their stay.

Where testing at Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport once involved a wait of several hours, arrivals will now be able to travel on to their accommodation and wait for results, which should be sent within 24 hours by SMS.

Most hotels in Jordan reopened in September and the majority of tourist destinations are also open, albeit with social distancing measures in place. Public swimming pools and gyms reopened this week and cafes and restaurants are operating at limited capacity. A curfew is in force from midnight to 6am. Cinemas, entertainment venues and children’s play areas are due to reopen in March.