The Sultanate of Oman operates multiple visa categories with entry requirements that changed substantially following the introduction of the unified Gulf Cooperation Council tourist visa framework in February 2024, though Oman maintains separate bilateral arrangements for many nationalities. Citizens of 103 countries can obtain visa on arrival at Omani ports of entry as of January 2024, a list expanded from 71 countries in 2018 when Sultan Qaboos bin Said's government liberalized tourism access. The visa on arrival costs 20 Omani Rials for a 10-day single-entry permit or 50 Omani Rials for a 30-day single-entry permit, both extendable once for the same duration at Royal Oman Police stations. Citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates enter without visa under GCC national agreements established in 1981 and do not require separate permission.
Nationals not eligible for visa on arrival must obtain electronic visa authorization through the Royal Oman Police eVisa portal at evisa.rop.gov.om before travel. The standard tourist eVisa costs 20 Omani Rials for 10 days or 50 Omani Rials for 30 days, with processing typically completed within three business days. Oman introduced express eVisa processing in March 2023 with guaranteed 24-hour turnaround for an additional 10 Omani Rial fee. All eVisa applicants must provide confirmed hotel reservations, return flight tickets, passport biographical pages scanned at 300 dpi minimum resolution, and one recent color photograph meeting International Civil Aviation Organization standards. The Royal Oman Police rejects approximately 2 percent of eVisa applications, primarily for incomplete documentation or passport validity issues, with no formal appeals process beyond resubmission with corrected materials.
Passport validity requirements specify six months remaining from date of entry for all nationalities. Oman does not accept emergency travel documents or temporary passports for tourist entry except for GCC nationals holding GCC identity cards. Israeli passport holders have been permitted entry since October 2021 following the Abraham Accords normalization, with direct flights from Tel Aviv to Muscat operated by El Al and Oman Air beginning December 2023. Palestinian Authority passport holders require pre-arranged eVisa with Omani sponsor, typically hotel or tour operator, and cannot obtain visa on arrival. Syrian, Yemeni, and Iraqi passport holders face enhanced scrutiny requirements including police clearance certificates from countries of residence for the previous five years, hotel prepayment proof, and return ticket confirmation, with processing times extending to 14 business days.
The Musandam Peninsula presents distinct entry considerations due to geographic separation from mainland Oman by United Arab Emirates territory. Travelers driving from Dubai or other UAE locations to Khasab must exit UAE immigration at the border, obtain Oman entry stamp, and then re-enter UAE if returning south, creating two UAE exit-entry cycles and two Oman stamps. UAE residence visa holders making this journey require UAE re-entry permit if their residence visa does not specify multiple-entry status. Oman does not require separate Musandam visa beyond standard tourist authorization. Ferry services from Khasab to Muscat operated by National Ferries Company departed irregular schedules through 2024 but do not bypass land border requirements as vessels dock at ports requiring standard immigration clearance.
Children under 18 traveling without both parents to Oman must carry notarized parental consent letters in English or Arabic, a requirement enforced intermittently at Muscat International Airport immigration counters since January 2022. Royal Oman Police guidance specifies consent letters must identify the accompanying adult, list destination cities within Oman, state travel dates, and include photocopies of both parents' passport biographical pages and signatures. Unaccompanied minors between 12 and 18 years require sponsor letters from receiving parties in Oman with sponsor identification copies, submitted to airlines 48 hours before departure. Oman Air permits unaccompanied minors from age five but requires guardian escort to departure gate and receiving party presence at arrival documented with government identification.
Tourist visa extensions beyond initial authorized period require application at Royal Oman Police Directorate General of Immigration and Passports offices in Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, or Sur, not at airport immigration counters. Extension applications require original passport, Oman entry stamp verification, hotel booking confirmation for extended period, and 20 Omani Rials fee for 10-day extension or 50 Omani Rials for 30-day extension. Extensions are limited to one per entry regardless of initial visa duration. Processing occurs same-day for applications submitted before 11:00 at immigration offices, after which applications carry over to the following business day. Overstaying authorized duration incurs fines of 10 Omani Rials per day, collected at departure, with overstays exceeding 30 days potentially triggering entry bans ranging from six months to three years depending on overstay duration and immigration officer discretion.
Employment visa categories operate separately from tourist permissions and require Omani sponsor companies to initiate applications through Ministry of Labour online portal after obtaining labour clearance certificates. The standard work visa process takes 14 to 21 business days once labour clearance approves, with workers initially receiving three-month entry visas that convert to residence cards after medical examination completion and security clearance in Oman. Foreign workers must exit Oman on cancelled work visas and cannot convert to tourist status without departing and re-entering, a regulation enforced through biometric exit verification at all departure points since March 2023. Family residence visas for dependents of workers require minimum salary thresholds that changed in January 2024 to 600 Omani Rials monthly for sponsoring spouse and children, increased from 400 Omani Rials under previous regulations.
Student visas for enrollment in Omani universities including Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat require acceptance letters from registered institutions, proof of tuition payment for first semester, and housing arrangements confirmation. The Ministry of Higher Education pre-approves student visa applications before Royal Oman Police issues actual entry authorization, a two-stage process requiring four to six weeks total processing time. Student visa holders receive one-year renewable residence permits tied to enrollment status and must maintain full-time course loads. Summer vacation exits and returns do not require separate visa applications if residence card remains valid, though students must carry enrollment verification letters when returning.
Journalist and media crew visas require Ministry of Information approval obtained through formal application submitted at least 21 business days before intended entry. Applications must specify filming or reporting locations, interview subjects if applicable, and detailed equipment lists including serial numbers for cameras, drones, and transmission equipment. Drone operation permissions in Oman require separate Civil Aviation Authority permits obtained through online portal at www.caa.gov.om with applications specifying flight locations, altitudes, dates, and drone registration details. Tourist drone operation without permits remains prohibited in Oman as of 2024, with violations resulting in equipment confiscation and potential fines up to 500 Omani Rials. Drone flights within five kilometers of military installations, government buildings, or Sultan Haitham bin Tariq's residences trigger immediate intervention regardless of permit status.
Transit passengers remaining airside at Muscat International Airport for connecting flights within 24 hours do not require visa regardless of nationality. Transit passengers wishing to exit airport to visit Muscat during connection require standard visa on arrival or eVisa unless connection time exceeds eight hours, in which case Oman offers free 24-hour transit visa obtained at immigration counter with confirmed onward boarding pass and valid entry authorization for final destination. This transit visa program began in November 2023 to compete with Dubai and Doha transit passenger services. Transit hotels inside Muscat International Airport security zone do not require visa access, while hotels outside airport such as those in Seeb require standard entry authorization.
Land border crossings between Oman and United Arab Emirates at Hatta, Khatmat Malaha, and Al Wajajah process standard tourist visas identical to airport procedures. The primary crossing at Wajajah on Route 21 operates 24 hours daily with separate lanes for GCC nationals, visa on arrival eligible nationals, and eVisa holders, though traffic backups of 45 to 90 minutes occur regularly during Thursday through Saturday weekend periods and major Islamic holidays. The Oman-Saudi Arabia land border at Um Al Zamool opened to tourist traffic in September 2021 after remaining closed to non-commercial vehicles since 1990, requiring pre-arranged eVisa for both countries as neither offers visa on arrival at this crossing. Yemen land border crossings remain closed to all foreign nationals as of 2024 due to ongoing conflict, with last tourist crossing recorded in February 2015 before the Dhofar region border closure.