Middle East / Jordan
Auto export to Jordan
Jordan is a single-port destination market. Cargo discharges at Aqaba, Jordan's only seaport, then trucks inland to Zarqa Free Zone for DMV testing, Interpol clearance, customs valuation, and registration. The Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) offers an alternative path for buyers who don't need Jordanian plates immediately.
For reference purposes only. Regulations, policies, and procedures change constantly. Ensure you verify and validate all requirements for your specific shipments before initiating any.
The Jordan lane, in four numbers.
Jordan's only seaport. Red Sea, southern Jordan. Container and RoRo both handled.
Six container warehouses. Five RoRo terminals. Baltimore to Aqaba runs ~20 days.
RoRo Baltimore-Aqaba 20 days typical. Container East Coast 25-32.
Pre-Shipment Inspection at origin required. Plus Zarqa Free Zone DMV testing and Interpol clearance at destination.
One port. Two zones. Same operational chain.
Every vehicle bound for Jordan lands at Aqaba. What happens next depends on what the buyer intends to do with the car. Permanent registration runs through Zarqa Free Zone near Amman. Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) is the alternative for cargo that won't immediately register or that's bound for onward sale.
Registration via Zarqa Free Zone.
Vehicle discharges at Aqaba, gets trucked north to Zarqa Free Zone (about 320km, near Amman). DMV tests the vehicle for eligibility, Interpol approval runs, customs assesses duties, then plates are issued. The buyer takes delivery from Zarqa.
- 10-year age cap for personal vehicles
- ~5% customs duty plus 16% VAT plus Special Tax (56% for passenger vehicles, 30% for pickups and vans)
- LHD only. RHD cannot register.
- PSI from origin required (Diplomats exempt)
- Licensed Jordanian clearing agent required for the customs filing
Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ).
Cargo lands in the ASEZ at Aqaba, gets stored under bonded conditions, and can be sold onward without immediately clearing into mainland Jordan customs. Useful for buyers running ASEZ-registered businesses, traders staging vehicles for onward sale to Iraq or other neighbors, or buyers who want to defer the Special Tax on passenger vehicles.
- Customs duties and VAT suspended while in zone
- Onward sale to Iraq, Syria, GCC, or back into mainland Jordan
- Requires ASEZ-registered business or local trading partner
- Smaller share by volume than the registration profile
Eleven US loading points. Two methods. One destination port.
Aqaba is the sole entry. Routing decisions are about the US-side loading point and the shipping method, not the destination port.
Container origins
NY/NJ, Savannah, Miami, Houston, Long Beach, Seattle. Six warehouses. Weekly cuts on Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd to Aqaba via Suez. East Coast transit 25-32 days.
When Red Sea routing is constrained, Cape rerouting adds 12-18 days, similar exposure to Saudi Jeddah lanes. We pass routing surcharges through and flag before the next booking.
Container makes sense for luxury vehicles, classic cars, multi-vehicle consolidation, and shipments where the Special Tax math justifies the protection.
RoRo origins
Baltimore, Brunswick, Galveston, Jacksonville, Port Hueneme. Baltimore to Aqaba is the workhorse route on this lane, running 18-22 days typical. NYK and Höegh both operate regular service.
Carriers: Höegh, Wallenius, ACL, Sallaum, K Line, Grimaldi, NYK. Quarter-tank fuel maximum per SOLAS rules. RoRo is the default for standard sedans and SUVs where the buyer's intent is direct registration.
Vehicles arriving at Aqaba via RoRo move to Zarqa Free Zone on local trucking arrangements. The buyer's clearing agent typically handles that leg.
PSI at origin. Zarqa Free Zone clearance at destination.
Jordan requires Pre-Shipment Inspection from the country of origin for non-diplomatic vehicle imports. At Aqaba, the cargo doesn't register directly. It moves to Zarqa Free Zone for DMV testing, Interpol clearance, and customs assessment before plates are issued. Consignee needs to be accompanied by a registered company for shipments to Jordan. Received needs to provide TAX ID (valid TAX ID/VAT TAX should have 9 digits), it is mandatory for Jordan shipments and should be presented on bill of lading.
The compliance chain
Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) at origin
Required for non-diplomatic vehicle imports. An accredited inspection body verifies the vehicle's condition, VIN, and compliance with Jordanian import rules before the vessel sails. The desk coordinates with the buyer's chosen inspection body.
Discharge at Aqaba
Standard port operations. Bill of lading released against payment, cargo released to the buyer's licensed Jordanian clearing agent. Only authorized forwarding agents can file the electronic customs declaration in Jordan.
Inland trucking to Zarqa Free Zone
Roughly 320km north to the Zarqa Free Zone facility near Amman. The buyer's clearing agent arranges trucking. Cargo remains under customs bond until Zarqa processing completes.
DMV testing at Zarqa
Jordan DMV tests the vehicle for roadworthiness, US-spec compliance, and registration eligibility. US-spec vehicles often need headlight modifications, front fog lights, and emissions adjustments to pass.
Interpol approval
VIN cleared against Interpol's stolen vehicle database. Standard step; flags are rare on Dapex-handled US auction inventory but happen occasionally.
Customs valuation and duty payment
Jordanian customs assesses CIF value. 5% customs duty, 16% VAT, plus Special Tax (56% passenger vehicles, 30% pickups and vans, 0% larger trucks and farming equipment).
Registration and plate issuance
After duties paid, registration completes at Zarqa Free Zone, plates issue, vehicle releases to the buyer.
Required documents
Original title
Clean title required for non-diplomatic imports. Salvage titles can ship under specific circumstances but face additional scrutiny.
Commercial invoice on Dapex letterhead
Vehicle details, declared value, HBL number.
Packing list
Standard format.
HBL
Consigned to the Jordanian buyer or their clearing agent. Released after payment of the quoted amount.
PSI certificate
From the accredited inspection body, before vessel sailing.
Buyer identification
Jordanian national ID for personal imports, or commercial registration for businesses.
What Dapex files, US side
AES filing with US Customs. ISF where required. HBL issuance under Dapex's NVOCC license. Commercial invoice and packing list on Dapex letterhead. Pre-alert pack to the buyer's licensed clearing agent in Jordan, with PSI certificate referenced. The Arabic-speaking desk coordinates PSI timing against the sailing date.
The 10-year cap and the Special Tax shape demand.
Vehicles up to 10 years old register cleanly. Older vehicles face additional duty and process charges; some can't register at all. The Special Tax structure means pickups and vans land at materially lower total cost than passenger vehicles of equivalent CIF value.
What moves in Jordan.
Toyota Camry, Corolla, RAV4, Land Cruiser, Hilux. Hyundai Tucson, Elantra. Kia Sportage. Mid-size sedans and SUVs from reliable brands. Pickups (Ford F-150, Toyota Tacoma) land at lower Special Tax (30% vs 56%), so commercial buyers favor them where the use case fits. LHD only. Under 10 years old for clean registration.
Registration constraints.
Vehicles over 10 years old face extra import process and charges. Some categories can't register at all. RHD vehicles cannot register. Vehicles without PSI at sailing cannot clear. Vehicles failing Zarqa DMV testing must modify or re-export. ASEZ routing is the alternative for older vehicles destined for onward sale to Iraq or other neighbors.
Always apply.
Clean title or salvage cert (25-year US Customs exception). No unreleased liens. No personal effects loose in RoRo. Standard across every lane.
What moves the rate on this lane.
Wholesale rate structure works the same way on the Jordan lane as everywhere else. Three things drive variance specific to Jordan.
Our work, our cost.
- Warehouse operations
- Booking fee
- Documentation handling
- Dispatch coordination
- HBL issuance
- PSI coordination
Carrier and port-driven.
- Ocean freight (carrier-set)
- Suez or Cape routing surcharges
- Fuel and bunker surcharges
- Origin port charges
- THC at Aqaba
- PSI certification fee (paid to inspection body)
- Inland trucking to loading point
Service standards.
- Compliance
- Documentation accuracy
- Submission urgency
- Dispatch priority
Lane-specific drivers
Red Sea routing volatility
Aqaba is at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, the northern arm of the Red Sea. Suez disruption affects this lane directly. Cape rerouting adds 12-18 days. We flag routing risk on quotes during constrained periods.
PSI timing
Pre-Shipment Inspection adds 5-10 days at origin depending on the inspection body's schedule. Pre-book the inspection against the vessel sailing window. The desk coordinates this with your chosen body.
Total landed cost vs CIF
Jordan's Special Tax structure means landed cost can run 1.8x to 2x CIF for passenger vehicles. We disclose total expected duty math on quotes so the buyer can model the final cost, not just the freight component.
Who handles Jordan accounts.
The Arabic-speaking desk runs every Jordan account. PSI coordination, Aqaba routing, Zarqa Free Zone timing alignment with your clearing agent.
Arabic-speaking Desk
Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and the wider Arabic-speaking markets. Sunday to Thursday business hours in Arabia Standard Time, plus extended hours by request.
What the desk owns.
Quote signing, file management through BL, PSI coordination with the buyer's chosen inspection body, pre-alert to the Jordanian clearing agent, escalation on Zarqa DMV holds or Interpol flags, total-landed-cost modeling on wholesale quotes.
Things buyers ask about the Jordan lane.
Aqaba is Jordan's only seaport. All sea freight to Jordan discharges there. Air freight for urgent moves can route through Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, but that's an exception, not a standard option for vehicle shipping.
Zarqa Free Zone is where vehicles get processed for permanent Jordanian registration. After discharge at Aqaba, the vehicle trucks ~320km north to Zarqa, where Jordan DMV tests roadworthiness, Interpol clears the VIN, customs assesses duties, and registration completes. The buyer takes delivery from Zarqa, not Aqaba.
Yes, for non-diplomatic vehicle imports. PSI must be completed by an accredited inspection body in the country of origin before the vessel sails. Diplomatic shipments are exempt because they clear under Diplomatic Franchise at destination. The desk coordinates PSI timing with your chosen body.
Personal vehicles over 10 years old face additional import process and charges, and some categories can't register at all. The Jordan Revenue Authority handles age-cap exceptions case by case. For older vehicles destined for onward sale rather than personal registration, ASEZ routing or routing through UAE free zones for resale to Iraq or elsewhere is the typical workaround. The desk runs the math on a case-by-case basis.
Jordan's Special Tax on passenger vehicles runs 56% on top of 5% customs duty and 16% VAT. Pickups, vans, and trucks under 4.5 tons clear at 30% Special Tax, and larger trucks at 0%. The structure encourages commercial registration and creates a real cost gap between sedans/SUVs and light commercial vehicles. Buyers should model total landed cost, not just freight, before booking.
For registration, no. Jordan requires LHD with no exceptions for personal vehicles. RHD cannot register through Zarqa.
Once cargo arrives at Aqaba and clears port, the move to Zarqa Free Zone, DMV testing, Interpol approval, customs valuation, duty payment, and registration typically runs 7-15 business days. Modifications to pass DMV (headlights, fog lights, emissions) extend this when required.
Aqaba Special Economic Zone is a bonded zone where cargo can be stored and traded without immediately clearing into mainland Jordan customs. Useful for ASEZ-registered businesses, traders staging vehicles for onward sale to Iraq or other markets, or buyers who want to defer the Special Tax. Requires an ASEZ-registered business presence or local trading partner.
Ready to ship to Jordan?
Send VIN, lot number, and consignee details to the Arabic-speaking desk. PSI coordination starts before the vessel sails, total landed cost modeled on the quote.