Regulatory AlertsJordan: fintech & payments regulation
Partially regulatedNo specific fintech regime; payments regulated under general banking and securities laws
- Lead regulator
- Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ)
- Also involved
- Jordan Securities Commission (securities) · NFIU (AML)
- Core law
- Banking Law No. 28 of 2000 · Securities Law No. 18 of 2017
- Entry capital
- —
- Approval timeline
- —
- Customer assets
- Segregated by licensed banks only
- Data protection
- Personal Data Protection Law No. 14 of 2023 · PDPA
- Sandbox
- No
Jordan lacks a dedicated fintech or e-money law. Payment processing and money transfer activities are strictly reserved for licensed banks and financial institutions under the Banking Law. The Securities Commission regulates capital market activities, but general digital payment services fall under the CBJ's purview as banking activities. Foreign exchange is tightly controlled.
Which licence do you need?
| Your activity | Requirement | Capital | Timeline | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payment processing / gateway | LicenceBanking License Non-banks prohibited from payment processing | — | — | Central Bank of Jordan |
| E-money & wallet issuance | LicenceBanking License No e-money license exists; restricted to banks | — | — | Central Bank of Jordan |
| Domestic money transfer | LicenceBanking License Domestic transfers reserved for licensed banks | — | — | Central Bank of Jordan |
| Cross-border remittance | LicenceBanking License Cross-border payments restricted to banks | — | — | Central Bank of Jordan |
| Agent network | Uncertainverify with regulator Agent networks for unlicensed entities prohibited | — | — | — |
| Open banking / account information | Uncertainverify with regulator No open banking framework exists | — | — | — |
| Foreign-exchange services | LicenceBanking License FX trading restricted to licensed banks | — | — | Central Bank of Jordan |
Market-entry checklist
- 1Secure banking licenseApply to CBJ for a full banking license as non-banks cannot process payments.
- 2Verify capital requirementsMeet statutory minimum capital for commercial banking operations.
- 3Establish AML complianceRegister with NFIU and implement robust KYC/AML frameworks.
- 4Check securities rulesEnsure no securities activities trigger JSC licensing under Law No. 18.