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What an Oman labour card actually is

Ask three people in Muscat what an Oman labour card is and you will get three answers: the resident card from the Royal Oman Police, the employer's permission to hire a foreigner, or something in between. None is quite right. In the Ministry of Labour's wording, the labour card is the worker's work practice licence: this named person may work in this named job for this named employer.

The legal basis is Article 28 of the Labour Law, Royal Decree 53/2023. A non-Omani may not start work before obtaining a work practice permit. The conditions are a contract with a licensed employer, lawful entry into Oman, medical fitness and any professional test the job requires.

From early 2026 the detailed rules sit in Ministerial Decision 602/2025, issued on 22 October 2025 and published in Official Gazette 1619. It took effect three months later and replaced Decision 340/2016. Most figures below come from it.

Three documents, three different jobs

The work licence. This belongs to the employer, not the worker. Under Article 27 of the Labour Law an employer may not hire a non-Omani without a Ministry work permit. Decision 602/2025 calls it the work licence, sets it at 24 months and says it is not renewable. When it runs out the employer applies afresh.

The work practice licence, the labour card. This belongs to the worker and is tied to one employer and one profession. Decision 602/2025 gives it a term of up to 24 months and, unlike the work licence, it can be renewed. This is the document this article is about.

The resident card. This is issued by the Royal Oman Police under the Civil Status Law. Since Decision 157/2025 of 2 November 2025 it can run for up to 10 years, in categories the Directorate General sets. The fee is RO 5 per year of validity. It proves residence, not the right to work.

A valid resident card with an expired labour card is a common mistake. The worker can live in Oman but cannot lawfully work, and the employer is accruing monthly fines.

Who applies and who holds the card

The employer applies. Every stage, from the first labour clearance to the renewal two years later, runs through the employer's account on the Ministry of Labour portal. The worker never files anything alone. The worker holds the result: a licence record under the worker's name, profession and employer. The only thing the worker signs is the employment contract, which the employer registers and the worker approves electronically.

Fees are paid by the employer after the Ministry approves the application, and are not refunded, under Article 9 of Decision 602/2025. Article 31 of the Labour Law adds that a recruiter may not charge the worker for the job.

The permit and visa route in brief

The full process has four stages and each one feeds the next. First the employer obtains labour clearance, which checks that no suitable Omani is available and that the company meets its Omanisation ratio. Second the Ministry issues the work licence. Third the Royal Oman Police issues the employment visa on the strength of that licence. Fourth, once the worker has entered, passed the medical and registered the contract, the work practice licence and the resident card are issued.

That sequence, with documents and timing, is covered step by step in our guide to the Oman work permit and employment visa.

What the Oman labour card costs in 2026

Decision 602/2025 prices the licence by occupation category. For a company, the total per worker is RO 301 for a first category profession, RO 251 for second and RO 201 for third. In each case RO 1 is the licence and the balance is the registration. Investor professions pay RO 301.

The gov.om service page for renewing a non-Omani work permit shows the same structure: 300, 250 and 200 by class, plus a Job Security Fund contribution of 5 percent of the permit fee and a processing fee of RO 1. Clubs, mosques, churches and civil society bodies pay RO 101 per worker under Article 7.

The Omanisation multiplier. Article 8 cuts these fees by 30 percent for an employer that meets its Omanisation ratio and doubles them for one that does not. For a first category hire that is the difference between about RO 211 and RO 602. The reduction does not apply to the investor category.

Temporary work. Annex 4 prices short licences by length: a first category worker costs RO 51 for 4 months, RO 76 for 6 months and RO 151 for 12 months.

Small service fees. A profession change is RO 5, a transfer to another employer is RO 5, and registering or amending contract data is RO 1.

Validity, renewal and the fines for being late

The card runs for up to 24 months. The gov.om renewal service opens when fewer than 90 days remain and requires the worker to be inside Oman. It asks for no documents, runs in four steps, registration, review, payment and issue, and the page estimates about five minutes.

Miss the date and Article 10 of Decision 602/2025 applies. The employer pays RO 10 for every month of delay in renewing the work practice licence or registering the worker's data. The fine is capped at RO 500 per worker. Article 11 adds a separate fine for delay in regularising a worker's status: RO 15 per month for an individual employer and RO 20 per month for a company, again capped at RO 500.

Article 14 waives late fines in listed cases, including a worker's illness needing more than 30 days of treatment, a detained passport and the employer's bankruptcy. Article 13 allows a replacement licence for RO 1 where the worker fails the medical or is repatriated within 90 days of issue.

The resident card has its own clock: Decision 157/2025 requires renewal within 30 days of expiry. Keep both dates in one calendar, since the two authorities do not warn each other.

Changing jobs and employer transfers under Law 53/2023

Article 29 of the Labour Law sets the base rule. A licensed foreign worker may work for a new employer only after the current employer notifies the Ministry electronically and receives authorisation. The new employer then submits the worker's data. The same article covers reports of a worker abandoning the job.

Resignation follows the normal notice rules: 30 days written notice for a monthly paid worker on an open contract under Article 38, and final dues within 7 days under Article 91. Once the contract ends, the employer has 60 days under Article 14 to repatriate the worker or complete a transfer, and must issue a clearance certificate on request.

Temporary moves. Ministerial Decision 730/2024, in force since 16 December 2024, lets a worker be lent to another private company without changing the card. The profession must not be Omanised, the worker must consent, must have served 6 months with the lending employer and must have at least 6 months left on the permit. Each move is capped at 6 months a year, and neither company may lend or receive more than 50 percent of its registered workforce. The receiving company pays at least the same wage through the wage protection system.

These rules sit alongside the other employer obligations in our Oman labour law guide for employers.

Employer duties and the penalties for working without a card

The Labour Law treats an unlicensed worker as the employer's failure. Article 29 bars an employer from lending a licensed worker to others without authorisation, and from employing a non-Omani who is on someone else's licence. Article 143 punishes a breach with imprisonment of 10 days to one month, a fine of RO 1,000 to RO 2,000, or both, plus deportation of the worker at the employer's expense. The court can also bar the employer from hiring non-Omanis for up to 2 years, and penalties double on repetition.

The worker is not spared. Under Article 143(5) a non-Omani who works without a permit, or for someone other than the licensed employer, loses the licence, is deported and is banned from re-entry.

Omanisation failures carry their own fine under Article 144: RO 500 to RO 1,000 for each Omani the company should have employed, with 6 months to comply. An employer below quota therefore pays double fees at renewal and risks a fine on top.

Lost cards, status checks and the problems that recur

Lost or damaged resident card. Decision 157/2025 sets the replacement fee at RO 20, paid to the Royal Oman Police. The labour card is a licence record in the Ministry system, so Decision 602/2025 lists no replacement fee for it.

Checking the card. The licence status, expiry and profession are visible to the employer through its Ministry of Labour account. Ask the employer for the expiry date in writing and track the resident card separately; our guide on how to check and renew an Oman visa covers the police side.

Profession mismatch. The card names one profession, and a worker doing a different job is working outside the licence. Decision 602/2025 allows a category upgrade for the fee difference and a profession change for RO 5, both with Ministry approval first.

Suspended employer services. Decision 730/2024 bars transfers to or from any company whose Ministry services are suspended or which owes the Ministry money, so a worker trying to leave a non-compliant firm can get stuck. A PRO service usually spots this early.

The primary texts are the Labour Law, Royal Decree 53/2023, the work licence regulation, Decision 602/2025, and the gov.om renewal service. The resident card rules are in Royal Oman Police Decision 157/2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for an Oman labour card myself?

No. The employer applies through its Ministry of Labour account and pays the fee after approval. Your part is the medical, lawful entry and approving the registered contract.

How long is the labour card valid?

Up to 24 months under Decision 602/2025, and it can be renewed once fewer than 90 days remain. The employer's own work licence also runs 24 months but is not renewable.

What is the fine for an expired labour card?

RO 10 per month of delay, capped at RO 500 per worker, under Article 10 of Decision 602/2025. A separate fine of RO 15 or RO 20 per month applies for delay in regularising a worker's status.

Can I move to a new employer without cancelling the card?

A permanent move needs the current employer's electronic notification and Ministry authorisation under Article 29 of the Labour Law. A temporary move of up to 6 months is possible under Decision 730/2024 if you have served 6 months and have 6 months left on the permit.

Does renewing my resident card renew my labour card?

No. The resident card is a Royal Oman Police document with its own fee of RO 5 per year. The labour card is a Ministry of Labour licence with its own 24 month term and renewal.

City Squares is an authorised agent of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, based in Muscat, and helps employers with work licences, labour card renewals, transfers and the related post company formation services. Fees and procedures change by ministerial decision, so confirm the current figures before committing.