If you receive a UK pension, you will still be able to do so if you plan to retire abroad to Jordan. It is possible that UK pensions can be paid to you while you are in Jordan. This money could be sent to you by cheque from your local pensions office or paid into a UK bank account so that you can arrange transfer of funds yourself.

Expats moving to Jordan from another country should check with the Pension Department of their own government to find out what the rules are for claiming abroad. It may be that when you move to Jordan you will still be able to claim but your payments will remain frozen and you will miss out on yearly increases. It is wise to establish the exact situation before you move so you can be prepared for any eventuality.

Those who have a private pension will need to make similar checks. Claiming while you are abroad could be a time consuming process and it is better to have it all worked out before you go. For those who are still working and paying into a private pension, it may be that you will not be able to make contributions to it while you are working in Jordan, so this should be checked in advance too.

It is unlikely that an expat will be able to claim a pension from the pensions department in their new country, unless they are resident for many years and have made the relevant contributions to the insurance scheme there. Before moving to Jordan it is a good idea to check with their social security office to find out if your particular circumstances will entitle you to a state pension there. However, unless you have lived in the country for many years and have permanent residency status with many contributions to the social security system, the chances are you will be expected to support yourself in retirement.

Jordan is an attractive country for those who wish to retire to somewhere with a hotter climate, although the winters can be very cold. Jordan has a reasonable cost of living which means that a pension from another country should be adequate income for living on. There is also a growing expat population of people from the US, UK and other parts of Europe, so finding friends who are in a similar situation should not be a problem.

There are no specific schemes for attracting retired people from other countries, although retired people who have their own income are made welcome.