Jordan is not a layover country the way Doha or Dubai are — most travelers who cross the Siq to see the Treasury at Petra are there because Jordan is the actual destination, whether or not it is one stop on a longer Middle East-and-Asia trip. Jordan’s official government portal lays out several ways to arrive, but on one central question — which of them applies to an American passport — it tells the reader to go check somewhere else.
Your passport needs six months, not the three that other countries in this batch ask for
The baseline requirement is explicit: “Passport with a minimum validity of six months.” That is a longer runway than Qatar’s three-month rule, so if you are stacking Jordan onto a wider itinerary, check your passport’s expiry against this figure specifically rather than assuming a shorter rule from elsewhere applies here too.
Four entry routes, and the source does not say which one is yours
Jordan’s portal describes several distinct paths into the country. The default, for most visitors, is a single-entry tourist visa: “Most tourists visiting Jordan opt for the single-entry tourist visa.”
Visa on arrival is available at specific entry points: “Jordan offers visa on arrival for citizens of several countries. Visitors can obtain this visa upon landing at major entry points, including Queen Alia International Airport in Amman.”
An e-visa can be applied for before you fly: “Jordan also provides an electronic visa (e-visa) system, allowing travelers to apply online before their arrival.”
And for some nationalities, a pre-approved visa is required instead: “Some nationalities may require a pre-approved visa.”
What the source does not do is say which nationalities fall into which category. It names “citizens of several countries” as eligible for visa on arrival and “some nationalities” as needing pre-approval, without naming either group. If you are trying to work out which of these applies to a US passport, the government’s own page does not answer that — check directly with a Jordanian embassy, consulate, or the e-visa portal itself before assuming visa on arrival is available to you.
Stays run 1 month or 3 months, and the fee is a question mark
Whichever route applies to you, tourist visas allow one of two stay lengths: “Tourist visas typically allow stays of 1 month or 3 months, depending on the type and purpose of your visit.” The source does not say which of the two you get by default, or what separates them beyond “type and purpose.”
On cost, the portal is explicit that it is not going to give you a number here: “Visa fees vary based on the type and duration of the visa. Check the official Jordanian visa website or contact the nearest Jordanian embassy or consulate for the latest fee information.” We are not going to estimate a fee either — the source names two places to find the actual figure, and neither is this page.
Which nationality gets which visa isn’t specified
Beyond the fee, the portal does not state which specific nationalities qualify for visa on arrival versus which need a pre-approved visa before travel, and it does not explain what determines a 1-month stay versus a 3-month one. For a US passport holder, the practical first step is not reading this page more closely — it is checking the official e-visa website or a Jordanian embassy directly, since this source stops short of naming your category.