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Forex license in Jordan: JSC licence to deal at foreign exchanges.
A forex license in Jordan is a Jordan Securities Commission (JSC) licence to deal at foreign exchanges, currencies included, a business Law No. 1 of 2017 reserves to banks and JSC-licensed companies. In December 2025 the JSC kept new licences suspended until further notice for companies that never held one; we confirm with the JSC whether that still applies before any work starts. We map the routes from Amman.
Updated · Reviewed by the Prifinance team
Forex license in Jordan: open to existing licensees, suspended for newcomers.
Jordan regulates forex brokerage through Law No. 1 of 2017 Regulating Dealing at Foreign Stock Exchanges. Art. 2 defines a foreign stock exchange as any market outside the Kingdom, regulated or not, where securities, currencies, precious metals or other instruments trade, and Art. 3 reserves dealing and brokering there to banks and JSC-licensed financial services companies. Anyone else who does it, directly or indirectly, or advertises it by any means, faces at least one year in prison and a fine of JOD 5,000 to JOD 100,000. Such contracts are not binding, and an offending company's chairman, directors and general manager are jointly liable for repayment (Art. 4). Newcomers meet a second barrier. In December 2025 the JSC Board continued its suspension of new foreign-exchange licences for companies that never held one, until further notice; nothing on the JSC's circular and decision lists to October 2026 lifts it. We confirm with the JSC whether it still applies before any work starts.
The licence existing firms hold is built for agency business. A broker for others first holds the JSC's local brokerage licence, and the JSC's 2017 instructions route client orders through foreign brokers licensed in their own jurisdiction, with an omnibus account allowed in the licensee's name; they describe no model in which the licensee deals against its own clients. Leverage is the open question. The JSC's FAQ says Jordanian law strictly prohibits trading on margin or on credit at foreign exchanges, yet the JSC has issued decisions on financial leverage (2022, 2023) and, by circular of 24 December 2025, an additional guarantee for brokers dealing in CFDs. We confirm product terms against the JSC's current decisions. For a newcomer the realistic routes are a stake in or partnership with one of the 24 companies on the JSC's list of 8 June 2022, with any change of control subject to JSC approval, confirmed per case, or a Jordanian bank.
Law No. 1 of 2017 reserves dealing at foreign exchanges, currencies included, to banks and JSC licensees. New licences are suspended for companies that never held one; we check that first.
Licensees execute through licensed foreign brokers; the licence costs JOD 200,000 once, then JOD 5,000 a year. The JSC FAQ bars margin, yet leverage decisions exist. Tax: 28%.
What existing licensees hold, and what a newcomer can do instead.
The JSC licenses six activities at foreign exchanges: broker for others, dealer, introducing broker, investment management, investment trusteeship and financial advice (2017 instructions, Art. 3). The JSC's additional CFD guarantee of 24 December 2025 is addressed to brokers for others that deal in CFDs.
Existing licensees hold the broker-for-others licence; newcomers buy in, partner or license elsewhere.
The broker-for-others licence that existing firms hold
A JSC broker for others holds a local brokerage licence first and executes client orders at foreign exchanges through foreign brokers licensed in their home jurisdiction. The Fees Regulation charges JOD 200,000 once for the licence, or JOD 50,000 for a firm that was a local broker before the 2019 Regulation took effect, then JOD 5,000 for renewal and a JOD 1,000 trading fee each year.
A JSC broker for others holds a local brokerage licence first and executes client orders at foreign exchanges through foreign brokers licensed in their home jurisdiction. The Fees Regulation charges JOD 200,000 once for the licence, or JOD 50,000 for a firm that was a local broker before the 2019 Regulation took effect, then JOD 5,000 for renewal and a JOD 1,000 trading fee each year.
- ✓Client orders through licensed foreign brokers
- ✓Local brokerage licence first - JOD 100,000 fee
- ✓JOD 200,000 one-off licence fee
- ✓JOD 5,000 renewal + JOD 1,000 trading fee a year
- ✓Bank guarantee + additional CFD guarantee
- ✓Capital per the 2019 instructions, via the JSC
Buy in, partner, use a bank, or license elsewhere
A company that never held a JSC foreign-exchange licence cannot plan on a new one while the suspension stands. It can buy into one of the 24 licensees on the JSC's 2022 list, subject to JSC approval of the change of control, partner with one, or work with a Jordanian bank. A DFSA licence in Dubai, a CBB licence in Bahrain or an FSRA permission in Abu Dhabi serves clients elsewhere, but none of them may be used to market to clients in Jordan.
Buy into or partner with one of the 24 licensees on the June 2022 list, work with a bank, or license in the Gulf for clients outside Jordan.
- ✓Stake in a JSC licensee - JSC approval
- ✓Partnership with an existing licensee
- ✓Bank route - Central Bank of Jordan rules
- ✓Dubai DFSA - US$500,000 or US$2 million
- ✓Bahrain CBB - BD 1,000,000, regulated controller
- ✓No marketing to Jordan from abroad
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. Fees follow Regulation No. 117 of 2019, which Regulation No. 100 of 2025 amended again; we confirm the current amounts, and the minimum capital of the JSC's 2019 instructions, with the JSC before quoting.
What a JSC licence protects, and what stands in a newcomer's way.
Jordanian law gives licensed firms a protected market, and for now the JSC keeps newcomers out of it.
Only banks and JSC licensees may deal at foreign exchanges or broker there for others, and only they may advertise doing so. Breaking that rule carries at least one year in prison, and the contracts it produces are not binding.At least one year in prison.
The JSC's circular of 24 December 2025 opened additional foreign-exchange licences, the introducing-broker licence excepted, to companies that already hold one. A licensee can widen its activities while the suspension keeps newcomers out.Additional licences for existing licensees.
Client money is segregated and stays outside the firm's estate on insolvency. The JSC also holds the bank guarantees each licensee provides and, in the words of its FAQ, can use them to restore investors' rights.Usable to restore investors' rights.
Regulation No. 117 of 2019 prices each foreign-exchange activity once: JOD 200,000 for brokering for others, JOD 2,000 for a dealer, an introducing broker or investment trusteeship, JOD 5,000 for investment management and JOD 1,000 for financial advice. Each accredited person adds JOD 25 a year.JOD 200,000 once, JOD 25 per person.
The JSC does not license trading platforms as such. A licensed company needs the JSC's technical and regulatory approval before it puts a platform in front of clients, and the JSC accredits the people who work in the firm.JSC technical and regulatory sign-off.
The JSC's FAQ, updated on 19 October 2026, says the client must put the full cash value of a deal in the account before a purchase, while JSC decisions of 2022 and 2023 deal with financial leverage. A retail CFD book is checked against those decisions before launch.Margin barred per FAQ; leverage decisions exist.
How Jordan differs from other routes.
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain each print their entry terms. The DFSA in Dubai sets US$500,000 for Category 3A and US$2 million for Category 2, and the FSRA in Abu Dhabi uses the same tiers but is not minded to approve retail start-ups. Bahrain's CBB asks BD 1,000,000 and a regulated controller of a market maker, and decides within 60 days of a complete file. None of those licences may be used to solicit clients in Jordan.
| Feature | Jordan | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Market-maker capital | No market-maker category · broker capital per the 2019 instructions, via the JSC | US$2 million DFSA and FSRA Category 2 · BD 1,000,000 CBB |
| Decision period | 60 days (2017 instructions) · not running for newcomers | 60 days by law CBB · none in FSMR (ADGM) |
| Retail leverage | Margin barred per JSC FAQ · leverage decisions 2022-2023 | No cap in CBB Volume 4 · 30:1 to 2:1 ADGM |
| Corporate tax | 28% · 24% + 4% contribution | 9% UAE · none for a stand-alone Bahraini broker |
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
Jordan | JSC licence to deal at foreign exchanges | 28% · 24% + 4% contribution | New licences suspended for newcomers |
UAE · DIFC | DFSA Cat 3A/2 | 9% · 0% qualifying | US$500k-2M, common law |
Bahrain | CBB Category 1 investment firm | No CIT if stand-alone · 2027 draft announced | BD 1M capital, regulated controller |
Abu Dhabi · ADGM | FSRA permission (FSP) · Category 2 or 3A | 9% CIT above AED 375,000 | USD 500k-2M, retail needs a track record |
Jordan
UAE · DIFC
Bahrain
Abu Dhabi · ADGMForex licences in neighbouring jurisdictions
All 79 forex licence jurisdictions →
How to start a forex brokerage: license, capital and steps →
Forex license requirements in Jordan: what the JSC checks.Jordan forex license requirements.
While the suspension stands, these points matter to an existing licensee adding a licence and to anyone buying one. Articles are those of the JSC's 2017 instructions unless the Law is named; the 2019 instructions replaced them, and we check each point against the current text with the JSC.
Reflects Law No. 1 of 2017, the JSC's 2017 instructions, the Fees and Service Charges Regulation No. 117 of 2019 and the JSC's circulars and FAQ, as of October 2026.Law No. 1 of 2017 and the JSC's instructions, as of October 2026.
Official sources
Regulator pages, legal texts and public registers the figures on this page are based on.
- LawRegulating the Dealing at Foreign Stock Exchanges Law No. (1) of 2017 - JSC (English)jsc.gov.jo
- RegulatorJSC - Instructions of Regulating the Dealing of Financial Services Companies at Foreign Stock Exchanges (2017, English)jsc.gov.jo
- RegisterJSC - Companies licensed to deal in foreign exchangesjsc.gov.jo
- GuidanceJSC - Frequently asked questions (Arabic)jsc.gov.jo
- FeesJSC - Fees and Service Charges Regulation No. 117 of 2019, consolidated to 2025 (Arabic)jsc.gov.jo
From the JSC's position to a route that stays inside the law.
Two questions go to the JSC first: does the suspension reach your company, and which decisions on CFDs, leverage and guarantees apply today.Suspension and CFD decisions, asked first.
A stake in or partnership with a licensee, a bank, or a licence outside Jordan for clients outside Jordan, chosen against the JSC's answer.Licensee, bank or a Gulf licence.
For an acquisition, the target's licences, guarantees, foreign-broker filings and accredited staff are reviewed, and the change of control goes to the JSC for approval.Target reviewed, change of control to the JSC.
Fees, guarantees, the client agreement with the Mandatory Guidelines Brochure, the foreign-broker agreements and the platform's technical approval are filed.Fees, guarantees, client agreement, platform.
The JSC's written approval to start business, then every year the licence renewal, the company data update and the extension of the bank guarantees.Approval to start, then yearly renewal.
The 2017 instructions give the JSC Board 60 days from a complete application to grant or refuse a licence. For a company that never held one, that clock does not start while the suspension stands, and the timing of a change of control is confirmed per case.
Run from our Amman office.

For a buyer or partner, the 24 firms on the JSC's list of 8 June 2022 are the starting map; a target's activities, guarantees and foreign-broker agreements are checked before the JSC is asked to approve a change of control.24 firms on the 2022 list, diligence first.
Additional licences under the circular of 24 December 2025, the yearly renewal with its data update and guarantee extension, and the JSC's approval of a new trading platform.Additional licences, renewals, platforms.
The product shelf, any leverage and the additional CFD guarantee are set against the JSC's decisions in force before a product reaches Jordanian clients.Checked against JSC decisions.
Where a newcomer needs a licence it can apply for now, we compare Dubai, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, and the DFSA file runs from our own Dubai office.Dubai, Bahrain or Abu Dhabi compared.






Taxation of forex brokers in Jordan.
A Jordanian broker pays income tax at 24% plus a 4% national contribution, 28% in all, against 21% for most companies.
The Income Tax Law No. 34 of 2014, as amended by Law No. 38 of 2018, taxes financial intermediaries and financial companies at 24% on each dinar of taxable income (Art. 11(B)(2)); the general rate is 20% (Art. 11(B)(1)).Financial intermediaries, Art. 11(B)(2).
On top comes the National Solidarity contribution: 4% of taxable income for financial intermediaries and financial companies (Art. 11(F)(1)(c)), against 1% for most other companies. Under Art. 11(G) it stops once public debt reaches the level the public debt law allows.1% for most other companies.
A broker's combined rate is therefore 28%, seven points above the 21% most Jordanian companies pay. We model the licensed company and any non-financial group company separately.Against 21% for most companies.
Banks pay income tax at 35% (Art. 11(B)(3)) and a 3% National Solidarity contribution (Art. 11(F)(1)(a)), 38% in all, which changes the economics when a bank, not a JSC licensee, carries the client business.Relevant to the bank route.
Payments of taxable income to non-residents carry 10% withholding (Art. 12(B)(1)); which group payments it reaches is confirmed per structure.Taxable payments to non-residents.
The general sales tax rate is 16%. How it treats brokerage commissions and FX margins is confirmed per structure before the business plan is costed.Treatment of commissions per structure.
*As of 2026 per the Income Tax Law No. 34 of 2014 as amended by Law No. 38 of 2018 (the Income and Sales Tax Department's English translation) and the Department's rates page. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
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We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Builds the application itself: Jordanian financial services company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed broker.
Active across our channels.
Get your forex license in Jordan with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the JSC position check and the choice between a stake, a partnership and a Gulf licence to the change-of-control file and the yearly renewal - run through our Amman office.
Get a consultation →Is Jordan the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Founders' questions on the JSC, the suspension and CFDs.
What licence does a forex broker need in Jordan?+
A JSC licence as a broker for others at foreign exchanges, held by a financial services company that already has the JSC's local brokerage licence; banks deal under Central Bank of Jordan instructions instead. Law No. 1 of 2017 counts currencies and precious metals among what is traded on a foreign exchange.
Can an offshore broker market to clients in Jordan?+
No. Only banks and JSC-licensed companies may deal or broker at foreign exchanges, and nobody else may promote the service by any means (Law Art. 3). The penalty is at least one year in prison and a fine of JOD 5,000 to JOD 100,000, and directors answer for repaying clients.
How long does a forex license in Jordan take?+
For a newcomer there is no clock to run: under the JSC Board's decision of December 2025, new licences stay suspended until further notice for companies that never held one. The 2017 instructions set 60 days from a complete application for the Board's decision; an existing licensee's additional licence or a change of control is timed per case.
What does a forex license in Jordan cost?+
A newcomer cannot obtain one while the suspension stands. For a firm that can apply, the broker-for-others licence costs JOD 200,000 once, or JOD 50,000 for a local broker licensed before the 2019 Fees Regulation, then JOD 5,000 for renewal and a JOD 1,000 trading fee a year; minimum capital is confirmed with the JSC.
Can a Jordanian licensee offer leveraged CFDs?+
Only on the terms of the JSC's current decisions, which we check before launch. Its FAQ states that Jordanian legislation strictly prohibits margin or credit trading at foreign exchanges, while decisions of 2022 and 2023 regulate financial leverage in that business and a December 2025 circular adds a guarantee for CFD brokers.
How does a Jordanian licensee execute client trades?+
Through foreign brokerage firms licensed in their own jurisdiction, whose names, licences and agreements the JSC has on file before trading starts. The licensee may keep an omnibus account with the foreign broker in its own name for its clients; the 2017 instructions describe no model in which it deals against them, and we check the 2019 text.
Can a foreign group buy a Jordanian licensee?+
It is the realistic way in for a newcomer. The JSC listed 24 licensed companies on 8 June 2022, several under the names of international broker groups; a change of control needs JSC approval, and any limit on foreign ownership is confirmed with the JSC per case.
How is a forex broker taxed in Jordan?+
At 28%: income tax of 24% for financial intermediaries under Art. 11(B)(2) of the Income Tax Law No. 34 of 2014, plus a 4% National Solidarity contribution. Most other companies pay 20% plus 1%, and the income tax rate for banks is 35%.
Jordan or Dubai for a Middle East CFD broker?+
Dubai, for a newcomer: DFSA base capital is US$500,000 for Category 3A and US$2 million for Category 2, corporate tax is 9% with 0% on qualifying income, and we file from our own Dubai office. Jordan suits a group that buys into or partners with a JSC licensee, since no foreign licence may be used to solicit Jordanian clients.
Why Prifinance for Jordan?+
We tell you first whether a JSC licence is within reach for your company, then work the route that is: a licensee to buy into or partner with, the JSC file for the change of control, or a Gulf licence for clients outside Jordan. The work runs through our Amman office, with our Dubai office alongside.
Which licence?+
JSC broker for others at foreign exchanges.
Offshore marketing?+
A crime: one year in prison at least.
How long?+
No clock for newcomers; 60 days in the 2017 rules.
Cost?+
JOD 200,000 once; JOD 5,000 a year.
Leveraged CFDs?+
Checked against current JSC decisions.
Execution?+
Through licensed foreign brokers.
Buy a licensee?+
Subject to JSC approval, confirmed per case.
Taxes?+
28% for brokers; banks 35% income tax.
Or Dubai?+
Dubai for newcomers; Jordan via a licensee.
Why you?+
Amman office, route checked first.
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Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: whether a JSC licence is within reach for your company in Jordan, and which route fits if it is not.
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Jordan Securities Commission (JSC) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.