Jordan: special passports for foreign business men

Jordan announced yesterday it has started issuing passports especially for non Jordanian businessmen and investors in order to facilitate their moves in the country. The process is stipulated by the consent of the prime minister and providing a sum of money.

The director general of the passport and civilian department Aouni Yarfas said that "any non Jordanian, regardless to his nationality, can get this passport under the condition of the consent of the prime minister," noting that this department offered so far two passports of this kind.

According to that official, there are no special condition to offer this passport, only getting the consent of the cabinet and paying fees at a value of 15,000 Jordanian Dinars ( $ 21,000). This official explained that this passports allows its carrier "the privilege of permanent staying and free work and ownership and the freedom of movement with the exception of political rights which only the Jordanian citizen enjoys."

For her part, the spokeswoman for the Jordanian government Asmaa Khuder said that these passports are for facilitating travel and are not for giving citizenship." She explained that the Jordanian laws give the Cabinet the authority to approve offering a permanent passport or a temporary one in case there is an interest for Jordan to this effect.