Importing a used car from the US to Jordan

Salvage and junk cars are now barred

A Cabinet decision restructuring the vehicle sector took effect on 2 November 2025. It bans vehicles that were in serious accidents and are classified “salvage” or “junk” in their country of origin, which covers fire, flooding and severe damage, from entering the Kingdom. No vehicle is let in after that date unless it meets the new requirements.

For a car from the US, the country of origin’s classification is the title brand that a US state put on it. A salvage or junk brand is in the car’s title history even if it was later retitled, and a CARFAX or AutoCheck report normally lists it. Ask your customs broker how Jordan Customs treats a car that was branded salvage and later retitled as rebuilt, before you buy one.

Specifications and age

The same decision requires all passenger cars, petrol, hybrid and electric, to meet the specifications Jordan has adopted: European, American, Gulf or Saudi. A car built for the US market meets the American option, but ask your broker what proof customs wants for your model.

Electric cars can’t be imported once three years have passed since manufacture, counting the year of customs clearance. The decision we read sets no age limit for petrol or hybrid cars. Jordan News reported a five-year limit for cars entering the market in 2021, so confirm the current rule with a broker before you choose a model year.

How the Zarqa trade worked

In 2021 Jordan News described how dealers bought written-off cars at US auctions, sometimes for more than half off the price of a clean-title car, and repaired them inside the Zarqa Free Zone before inspection. It reported that the repairs were often superficial, and cited a UN environment report that ranked Jordan fifth of 146 countries for used car imports from the US. Customs then asked for an import history report based on government licensing records.

Repaired cars from that trade are still on Jordanian roads and in dealers’ yards. If you’re buying one already in the country, the US history and the auction photos show what the repair covered.

Aqaba and the free zones

Cars arrive by sea at Aqaba. Aqaba Development Corporation says Aqaba New Port handles ro-ro cargo along with general and bulk cargo across nine berths, and that its operation is scheduled to pass to AD Ports Group in 2026.

Cars also move through Jordan’s free zones. The Jordan Free Zones Investors Commission reported 39,641 vehicles re-exported in the first half of 2025, up 67% on a year earlier, driven particularly by demand from Syria and Iraq, while clearances from the Zarqa Free Zone to the local market fell 9%.

Duty and licensing

Jordan Customs offers an online enquiry for the customs duty on a car, and a broker can tell you the full tax figure for your model. Once cleared, the car is inspected and licensed by the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Department.

Before you pay a deposit

1. Get the full VIN and decode it with the VIN decoder.
2. Run CARFAX or AutoCheck and read every title the car has had, not just the current one.
3. If the car went through IAAI or Copart, pull the auction record: the photos and damage codes show the fire, flood or crash. See our IAAI report guide.
4. Check the specification and age rules with a broker for your exact model and fuel type.
5. Ask Jordan Customs or your broker for the duty before you agree a price.

What our reports include

CARFAX and AutoCheck reports cover cars sold in the US and Canada, with title brands from every state, total-loss and auction events and recorded mileage. The auction report shows a Copart or IAAI lot as it was sold: photos, recorded damage, and the title and odometer at sale. We don’t deal with customs, the free zones or licensing.