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Who actually needs an Oman e visa in 2026

Many visitors to Oman do not need a visa at all, so the first job is to check whether you need to apply. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists more than 100 countries and regions whose citizens can enter for up to 14 days without an entry visa. It includes the United Kingdom, the United States, most of Europe and China, with India admitted under conditions. Citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates need no visa for any length of stay.

For the visa-free 14 days you must hold a passport valid for at least six months, a return ticket, a confirmed hotel booking, health insurance and enough money for the trip. The 14 days cannot be extended and cannot be turned into a residence visa. If you want to stay longer, or your nationality is not on the exempt list, you need an Oman e visa from the Royal Oman Police. The full exempt list is on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs entry visas page.

The Royal Oman Police (ROP) runs the whole visitor visa system through one portal at evisa.rop.gov.om, with no paper form for the common tourist types. For most leisure visitors, the right option is the Tourist Visit Visa (Unsponsored). Residents of the Gulf states have their own route, and anyone not eligible for an unsponsored visa can be sponsored by an Omani resident or a licensed company.

The visa types and fees you will see on the portal

The ROP eVisa site sorts everything into four classes: Resident Sponsored, Resident Unsponsored, Visit Sponsored and Visit Unsponsored, and tourists use the last one. The fees are set in Article 29 of the Executive Regulations of the Foreigners Residence Law, and the figures below come from the published amendments to that schedule.

10-day tourist visa. OMR 5. Added by ROP Decision 129/2018, which split tourist visas into three lengths. The stay can be extended once for a similar period.

One-month tourist visa. OMR 20. Set by ROP Decision 204/2017. It is valid for one month of stay and can be extended for a similar period.

One-year multiple-entry tourist visa. OMR 50. Also set by Decision 204/2017. You can enter as many times as you like in the year, but each stay is capped at one month.

Visit visa for GCC residents. OMR 5 under the 2017 fee table. This is the route for expatriates living in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait or Bahrain who are not citizens of those states.

14-day tourist visa. Free of charge. This is the newest category, added in August 2026, and it is covered in the next section.

A request to convert a visa to another type costs OMR 50 and is not refundable, under the same 2018 decision. The 2017 fee table is published in full on Qanoon, the Omani legal database, and it still lists the express visa at OMR 30 and the emergency entry visa at OMR 15.

What changed on 3 August 2026

ROP Decision 109/2026 was signed on 27 July 2026, published in Official Gazette No. 1659 on 2 August 2026, and took effect the next day. The decision adds a new paragraph to Article 10 of the Executive Regulations and a new item 33 to the entry visa fee table.

The new item is a 14-day tourist visa with a fee of zero. It goes to nationals of countries that the competent authority specifies, on request, under conditions the authority sets. The holder can swap it for any paid tourist visa type before it runs out, as long as they meet that type's conditions and pay its fee. You can read it on Qanoon's page for Decision 109/2026.

The decision does not name the eligible countries, and it does not say how the free visa relates to the existing 14-day visa-free entry. As of October 2026 the ROP had not published that list on the eVisa portal, so do not assume your nationality qualifies until the eligibility wizard offers you the free option.

Check eligibility before you fill anything in

The portal has an eligibility wizard for unsponsored visas, and it is the fastest way to find out what you can apply for. It asks two questions. First, your nationality as shown in your passport, chosen from a list of about 190 countries and territories. Second, whether you are a resident of a GCC country, and if so which one. Your answers decide which visa types the system will show you.

The wizard also links to a list of Group 1 countries, which the portal describes as those eligible for an on-arrival visa. If you are not in Group 1, you may only be offered a sponsored type, which means an Omani resident or a licensed company applies on your behalf. Keep your passport to hand, because the portal records your travel document number and its nationality, and both are needed later to track the application. Passport validity of at least six months is the standard the Ministry of Foreign Affairs applies to visa-free visitors, and it is a sensible minimum for applicants too.

How to apply for the Oman e visa step by step

Step 1. Register as a user. On the home page, choose the Tourist login, answer No to "Are you a registered user?" and complete the registration form.

Step 2. Log in and open a new application. The ROP states that you must log in to the eVisa system before you can begin the visa application process, then pick the visa type the wizard offered you.

Step 3. Enter your details and upload what is asked. Type your personal and passport details exactly as they appear on the document, because one spelling error can mean a rejected application or a problem at the border.

Step 4. Pay the fee online. The paid types cost OMR 5, OMR 20 or OMR 50 as listed above. The fee is paid online as part of the application. Keep the payment confirmation.

Step 5. Wait for the decision, then download the visa. The approved visa is issued as an electronic document, so log in, go to Find Visa Application, and save or print it.

If you would rather not handle the portal yourself, our smart administrative services team in Muscat prepares and tracks visa applications for individuals and companies. For a broader picture of the categories, see our guide to the types of visa in Oman.

Timing: when to apply and how long the visa stays valid

The ROP does not publish a fixed processing time on the portal, so treat any promise of "24 hours" from a third-party site as unverified. Apply well before you fly, and allow for weekends and public holidays.

The validity window is fixed by the regulations. For the unsponsored 10-day, one-month and one-year tourist visas, the visa must be used to enter Oman within one month of the date it is issued. If you apply too early and the trip slips, the visa can expire before you travel. A visa issued at the request of a licensed local tourism operator, under that operator's responsibility and against a financial guarantee, must be used within three months instead.

So the practical window is between about one week and one month before travel, which leaves time for a query while keeping the visa alive for your arrival date. To check or extend an existing visa, see our article on how to check and renew your Oman visa.

Tracking your application and getting help

You can track an application without logging in. The Track Your Application page asks for your visa application number, your travel document number, and the nationality of that document.

The ROP eVisa call centre answers on 80080011, toll free inside Oman, and on +968 22848200 from abroad, and the contact page says the team is available 24 hours a day. The email address is Info-OmaneVisa@rop.gov.om. No private website can speed up a decision, and the portal itself is the only place to apply. Details are on the ROP eVisa portal.

Three mistakes come up again and again: picking a sponsored type when an unsponsored one is available, entering a number from an old passport, and applying two months early so the visa lapses before the flight. Each of these costs the fee again.

Sponsored visas: when you need a resident or a company behind you

Not every nationality gets an unsponsored option, and for everyone else the Visit Sponsored class applies, with a sponsor in Oman making the application. The portal is clear that sponsor registration is only available to residents of the Sultanate. A sponsor must give a valid civil number, and a company sponsor must also give its commercial register number.

Some visa types can only be submitted by a person accredited in the eVisa system as a PRO, a public relations officer registered to a company. If you are a business inviting a client, a contractor or a visiting employee, the PRO route is the one you will use. City Squares checks the documents, submits through the sponsor or PRO account, and follows the file to approval. Indian nationals can read the specific rules in our article on the Oman visa for Indian citizens, including the GCC resident route and the paid eVisa options.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Oman e visa cost?

The paid tourist types are OMR 5 for 10 days, OMR 20 for one month and OMR 50 for one year with multiple entries. GCC residents pay OMR 5 for a visit visa. A free 14-day tourist visa was added on 3 August 2026 for nationalities the authority specifies.

How long is the visa valid after it is issued?

An unsponsored tourist visa must be used to enter Oman within one month of issue. A visa arranged by a licensed tourism operator under a financial guarantee must be used within three months.

Do I need a visa if I am visa-free for 14 days but want to stay longer?

Yes, because the 14-day visa-free entry cannot be extended or converted. If you plan to stay beyond 14 days, apply for the one-month or one-year tourist visa online before you travel.

Can I change my visa to another type after arriving?

A visa conversion request costs OMR 50 and is not refundable. The free 14-day visa can be swapped for a paid tourist visa before it expires, subject to that visa's conditions and fee.

City Squares is an authorised agent of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, based in Muscat, and helps individuals and companies prepare, submit and track visa applications through the Royal Oman Police eVisa system. Visa rules and fees change by decision, as the August 2026 amendment shows, so confirm the current figures on the official portal before you commit.