Customs fees on online orders in Jordan
Updated 5 min read
The short answer
A parcel with a customs value up to 200 JOD carries 16% sales tax and zero customs duty, with a 5 JOD floor — in force since 1 February 2026, replacing the 10% duty that came before it. Parcels above 200 JOD stay on the ordinary tariff, valued from the shipping waybill.
What you actually pay
Up to 200 JOD: 16% sales tax on the customs value, zero customs duty, with a 5 JOD floor. The arithmetic is direct: a 30 JOD parcel pays 5 (16% is 4.8 and the floor is higher), a 50 JOD parcel pays 8, a 120 JOD parcel pays 19.2, and a 200 JOD parcel pays 32.
Above 200 JOD: the ordinary tariff by goods type, valued from the shipping waybill. Here the difference between splitting an order into batches and sending it as one becomes real money — but mind the commercial-intent point below.
A note on the numbers: Customs officials have quoted between 32 and 36 JOD for a 200 JOD parcel. The gap is mostly courier and clearance charges added on top of the tax rather than the tax itself. Treat 16% as the floor and ask your courier for the final figure.
What changed, and why it matters to you
Before 1 February 2026 a parcel under 200 JOD carried a 10% customs duty with a 5 JOD floor and no sales tax. Cabinet abolished the duty, set it to zero, and imposed 16% sales tax in its place. A parcel that cost you 20 JOD in customs now costs about 32 — roughly a 60% rise.
Which genuinely changed the maths between ordering yourself and ordering through an intermediary this year: the charge is higher either way, but she consolidates several orders, knows the clearance process, and gives you one final number instead of a surprise at the door.
The exclusions people trip over
The reduced treatment is not universal. It does not cover: a parcel addressed to a company rather than a person, whatever its value; a parcel with multiple identical items in a way that reads as resale rather than personal use; and tobacco. Those get the ordinary tariff and fees.
The second matters if you order for yourself and friends in one parcel: ten of the same shirt in the same size reads as commerce even when it genuinely is for ten people. Varying or splitting the parcel is safer.
Who collects, and when you pay
Normally the express courier collects the fee at or before delivery and supplies Customs with the data instead of you registering on the Customs platform. For a small parcel you do not visit an office or fill in paperwork.
The fee is calculated on the declared value of the goods on the invoice. Keep the invoice clear and attached — a missing invoice or an implausible price holds the parcel while you prove its value, and that costs more time than the fee costs money.
When the order comes through an intermediary
When the intermediary is the importer, the fee lands on her and is normally already inside the final price she quotes. That is why her price looks higher than the site price: it includes something you would have paid separately anyway.
So the right question when comparing offers is not "what is your margin?" but "what is the final number I hand over on the day, with everything in it?".
The numbers change
Bands and rates are amended by decision, and this page is built on the published mailing conditions for Jordan. If your order is large or time-sensitive, confirm with Jordan Customs or your courier before buying — a minute of asking saves a held parcel.
Common questions
What do you pay on a 50 JOD parcel?
8 JOD — 16% of 50. Customs duty is zero, and the 5 JOD floor does not bite because the tax is higher. Courier charges are added on top.
Is there a duty-free threshold for personal parcels?
Customs duty is zero up to 200 JOD — but that is not an exemption, because 16% sales tax applies in its place, with a 5 JOD floor. Nothing comes in free.
Do I have to register on the Customs platform?
For small personal parcels, no — express couriers supply Customs with the data instead of the buyer. A declaration becomes yours once the order passes 200 JOD.
Do ten identical items count as commercial?
They can. Multiple identical items in a way that suggests resale take the parcel out of the reduced treatment and into the ordinary tariff, whatever your intent.
Who pays customs when I order through an intermediary?
She does, as the importer — and it is normally already inside her quoted price. Ask plainly whether the price includes customs before you agree.