Setting Up an Import/Export Company in ASEZA: A Practical Guide

The Aqaba Special Economic Zone combines a Red Sea location with direct access to international shipping and a zone-specific tax and customs framework that differs from the general regime in the Kingdom. That mix makes it a logical base for anyone considering an import/export business linking the markets of the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. If you're in the research stage before setting up, this guide lays out what you actually need to know: why Aqaba, which activities fall under import/export, how to choose the right legal form, the setup steps and the approvals specific to this activity, plus practical considerations around premises, taxes, and dealing with customs. The aim is that you finish reading with a clear enough picture to take your next step with confidence.

Why ASEZA for Import/Export?

Location is the first advantage. Aqaba sits on the Red Sea through a port that connects it to international shipping routes, making it a natural point of entry and exit for goods heading to regional and African markets. For an activity built around the movement of goods, proximity to the port shortens the supply chain and simplifies logistics. Aqaba is also connected by a road network reaching Amman and onward to neighboring markets, giving the importer and exporter flexibility in distributing goods inside the Kingdom and beyond.

Beyond location, the zone is administered under the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Law No. 32 of 2000 and its amendments, which established an independent authority that handles company registration and business regulation through a single window. In practice, the single-window idea means you deal with one coordinated body rather than moving between several departments and ministries — which reduces administrative friction in an activity that deals with official bodies repeatedly. Companies registered in the zone are subject to the income tax regime specific to the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, which differs from the general regime; we don't quote specific rates or figures here, because the precise treatment depends on the nature and details of the activity, and we clarify it as part of reviewing your case.

The zone's regulatory framework also allows foreign ownership in many activities, with some activities prohibited, restricted, or requiring a concession — so we review your intended activity before starting to confirm it can be registered in the form you need. On the customs side, the zone's special status offers flexibility in how goods transiting the port are handled, which benefits import/export in particular. You can review our services to see the activities we serve and the factors that affect fees.

What Activities Fall Under Import/Export?

"Import/export" isn't a single activity but an umbrella covering several forms, each licensed a little differently:

• General trading: Allows dealing in a wide range of unrestricted goods, suiting those who want flexibility to diversify rather than tying the activity to one category.
• Specific-goods trading: Where the activity specializes in, say, industrial machinery and equipment, electronics, or building materials. The license here is more precisely described and may call for sector approvals depending on the type of goods.
• Back-to-back trading without physical storage: A common practical model in which goods don't actually pass through a warehouse inside Aqaba; instead they ship from supplier to end buyer directly, and the shipping documents (bills of lading) are issued in the end buyer's name. This model suits trading intermediaries who don't need physical inventory, and it lowers storage and handling costs because the company manages the deal on paper rather than physically. In return, it demands discipline in managing documents and contracts, since the entire deal rests on the accuracy of the paperwork exchanged between the parties.

It's important to recognize that not all goods are equal before the regulators. Some categories — chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, and certain electronics — are subject to special sector approvals before they can be imported or exported, under the provisions of the Regulation for Organizing and Developing the Investment Environment of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone. We therefore review the nature of the goods and the approvals required before starting, so you don't begin an activity that later collides with an unforeseen restriction.

Choosing the Right Legal Form

Choosing the legal entity is a decision that affects liability, ownership, and ease of management. The three most common forms for import/export are:

• Limited liability company: The most widespread choice, suiting one or more partners while protecting the partners' personal assets up to the limit of their shares.
• Single-member limited liability company: Best for the solo entrepreneur who wants to keep full ownership while enjoying limited-liability protection and an independent, formal entity.
• Foreign company branch: Fits a company already established outside Jordan that wants to expand into Aqaba without forming a separate new entity, so the branch is an extension of the parent.

The choice among these depends on the number of owners, the level of legal protection needed, and whether there's a parent company outside Jordan. Because the topic deserves its own read, see our article on the types of companies in Aqaba and when to choose each. Standard import/export doesn't extend to regulated-sector entities such as banks and insurance — those are an entirely different path that doesn't concern us here.

The Setup Process, Step by Step

Setting up an import/export company moves through sequential phases. The details vary slightly by entity and activity, but the order is generally as follows:

1. Activity review and legal-form recommendation: We start by understanding the nature of your goods and target markets, confirm the activity can be registered and whether your goods fall among the restricted categories, then recommend the entity most suitable for your case. This first step is what spares you most of the stalls that happen later.
2. Document preparation: This includes the articles and memorandum of association, partner identification documents, evidence of capital, three proposed trade names, and the activity description. Precision in the activity description matters here, since it later defines the scope of what your company is entitled to deal in. For the full list, see the checklist of documents required to register a company in Aqaba.
3. Submission to the zone authority: The application and its attachments are filed with the body responsible for establishments registration, under the Establishments Registration Regulation in force in the zone.
4. Operational permits check: It's important to recognize that registration is one thing and commencing operations is another. After the registration certificate is issued, actually operating may require customs registration, sector approvals if the goods are restricted, and a work-commencement permit.
5. License issuance and tax number: Once requirements are complete, the professions license is issued and the activity is assigned its tax number.
6. Sales tax registration where applicable: Registering for goods and services sales tax is not automatic; it depends on the nature of the activity and its conditions, under the Goods and Services Sales Tax Regulation in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone.

As for the timeline, it's more accurate to speak of sequential phases than a fixed day-count, since it's affected by how complete the documents are and by any sector approvals required. For a broader look at the general registration mechanics, see the Complete Guide to Registering Your Company in Aqaba.

Additional Approvals Specific to Import/Export

Import/export is distinctive in that, alongside registration, it requires an extra layer of approvals that many other activities don't:

• Customs registration: A necessary step for carrying out import/export operations specifically, since your goods deal with the port and customs procedures repeatedly.
• Sector approvals for restricted goods: These apply when handling categories such as chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, and certain industrial goods, where the competent authorities require approvals or licenses before trading.

We identify which of these you need before you start, so the process doesn't stall midway. And if your case goes beyond standard import/export — for instance combining trading with manufacturing, or dealing in highly regulated goods — we recommend a specialized consultation tailored to your situation, exactly as set out in the section on activities that warrant special attention on our site.

Practical Considerations

Office or Warehouse

Not every import/export company needs a warehouse. If your activity is based on back-to-back trading, where goods ship from supplier to end buyer directly, an office premises without actual storage space may be enough. But if you'll hold inventory inside Aqaba, you'll need suitable warehousing and proof of the right to use it. We addressed this question in our frequently asked questions, as it's among the most common queries from people in this activity.

Taxes and Fees

Your company is subject to the zone's income tax regime, while sales tax registration depends on the nature of your activity rather than applying automatically. Government fees vary by several factors such as entity, activity, and capital; because the figures depend on the details of your case, we clarify them within a tailored proposal rather than generalizing them here. You can review the services page to learn what affects these fees and what our work includes.

Working with the Authority and Customs

A large part of the value of working with a specialized firm lies in handling dealings with the authority and customs on your behalf. We follow the procedures, submit the documents, and respond to the competent bodies' observations — and we can do this by power of attorney, whether you're in Amman or outside Jordan, without requiring your continuous presence in Aqaba. This arrangement is especially useful for import/export, where customs dealings recur with every shipment, letting you focus on the commercial side while we handle the procedural one.

When Do You Need a Lawyer?

Let's be candid: company registration is administrative in nature, not a legal activity reserved exclusively for lawyers. You can, in theory, handle the steps yourself. But a lawyer's value shows elsewhere: in the procedural rigor that gets your file through the authority's review the first time, in drafting articles and a memorandum of association that withstand scrutiny, and in dealing with the non-routine cases — activity restrictions, a foreign parent company, multi-shareholder ownership structures. If it turns out, for example, that one category of your goods needs a sector approval you hadn't anticipated, the person accompanying you knows how to handle it early, before it becomes an obstacle. And when a problem or an observation arises, you need someone to represent you and resolve it with experience rather than have your process stall. In short: you can do this yourself, and this is what having a lawyer alongside you adds.

Conclusion

Setting up an import/export company in Aqaba is a decision that combines a clear opportunity with detailed requirements worth preparing for well: a suitable legal form, complete documents, customs registration, and sector approvals where needed. The more these elements are thought through from the start, the shorter and calmer the path.

If you'd like us to review your case and map out the precise steps, get in touch to book a consultation. You can also download the document checklist to start preparing your file now.