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What changed in 2025: the Oman golden visa today

Oman relaunched its long-term residency for investors on 31 August 2025 under the name Golden Residency. The programme is run by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and is often called the Oman golden visa. It grants a renewable 10-year residency to foreign investors and their families, with no local sponsor required. It replaced the older two-tier scheme from 2021, which offered 5-year and 10-year permits at two price points. The headline figure is now a single investment value of OMR 200,000. This guide explains that threshold, the seven routes that qualify, the papers each route needs, and how to apply on the official portal at omanresidence.gov.om. Treat every number as a guide and check it on the portal before you move money.

How much you need to invest now

The minimum investment for the Oman golden visa is OMR 200,000, which is about USD 520,000 at the fixed exchange rate. That figure comes from the Ministry's programme brochure and from the official Invest Oman platform. The amount is set in Omani rials, so plan your budget in OMR from the start. One rule makes the threshold easier to reach than it sounds. Investors may combine more than one investment tool to meet the OMR 200,000 value. A property worth OMR 120,000 plus listed shares worth OMR 80,000 would, on paper, reach the line. Each part still has to meet the rules of its own route, set out below. There is only one residency length now, 10 years, so the size of your investment no longer picks between a short and a long permit.

The seven qualifying investment routes

Establishing a company. The company must be at least one year old and registered in Oman. Your ownership share of the company's total assets must be worth no less than OMR 200,000. Proof is a set of audited accounts from a firm approved by the Capital Market Authority. If your plan runs through a new business, our company formation services in the Sultanate of Oman cover the registration and capital structure this route relies on.

Property in an Integrated Tourism Complex (ITC). You must own a fully constructed residential, commercial or tourism unit inside an ITC, with the title deed in your own name. If a company owns the unit, a final audited balance sheet is required. The file needs the title deed, the sales contract and a letter from the developer confirming ownership. Our guide to buying property in Oman for foreigners explains where non-Omanis can hold freehold title, and the article on real estate residency in Oman covers how ownership and residency connect.

Government Development Bonds. The bonds must be Omani Government Development Bonds registered in your name, with at least two years remaining to maturity. A local bank issues an official letter confirming a purchase of no less than OMR 200,000.

Shares listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange. You must hold shares with a market value of at least OMR 200,000, registered in your name. Proof of ownership of the shares is the required document.

Fixed bank deposit. You place a fixed-term deposit of at least OMR 200,000 in a licensed Omani bank. The deposit must be held for a minimum of five years and is renewable for another five. The bank's official letter confirming the deposit is the proof.

A company employing 50 or more Omanis. You must own a company that employs at least 50 Omani nationals. All partners must approve the nomination, and the proof is a manpower statement from the Ministry of Labour or the Social Protection Fund.

Nomination under the Foreign Capital Investment Law. A company with capital of at least OMR 200,000 may nominate a partner or authorised signatory for the 10-year residency. Companies above the threshold may nominate more than one person. The file needs a nomination letter signed and stamped by all partners, plus audited accounts.

What the 2021 scheme looked like

The earlier Investor Residency Programme opened in September 2021 with two tiers. The 10-year tier asked for at least OMR 500,000 in a limited liability company, a closed joint-stock company, government bonds or a housing unit, or a company employing at least 50 Omanis. The 5-year tier asked for at least OMR 250,000 in business, bonds or property. A retiree route sat inside the 5-year tier for expatriates with at least 2 years of work in Oman and a monthly income of at least OMR 4,000. If you read OMR 250,000 or OMR 500,000 on other websites, those are the old figures. Since 1 September 2025 the published entry point is OMR 200,000 for a single 10-year permit, and the lighter two-year Oman investor visa remains a separate, shorter route into the market.

Family, benefits and property rights

The residency includes first-degree family members, with no limit on their number or age. The Invest Oman platform describes this as sponsoring a spouse and children without age caps. Holders may own one property outside an ITC for home, business or industrial use, outside the areas closed to non-Omani owners. Holders may employ up to 3 domestic workers, issue visit visas for relatives, and use the Omani citizen lanes at airports and border points. The programme also promises 100 percent foreign ownership of the asset you invest in, plus help from Invest Oman. For many families the real value is simpler than any single perk: a 10-year base in a stable Gulf economy without a sponsor to renew.

Documents you need

Every applicant provides a valid passport and the proof tied to the route they chose, as listed above. Expect to show a clean criminal record and evidence that the investment is held in your own name or your company's name. News reports at the launch also mentioned a minimum age of 21 and valid health insurance, but the official brochure does not print those conditions, so confirm them on the portal. Papers issued abroad may need attestation before upload, and anything not in Arabic or English needs a certified translation. Arrange both early. A review stalls on missing papers far more often than on the money itself.

How to apply, step by step

Pick a route, or a combination. Decide which of the seven routes you will use to reach OMR 200,000. This choice fixes the list of papers.

Put the investment in place first. The property must be fully built and titled, the company must be at least one year old, and the deposit or bonds must already be registered in your name.

Register on the portal. The whole process is online at omanresidence.gov.om. Migrate World is the programme's official partner and helps with the file and with moving to Oman.

Upload and track. Upload the papers, follow the status in real time, and reply to any request from your relationship manager. The Ministry has not published a fixed review time.

Receive the residency. On approval, the 10-year residency is issued to you and to the family members named in the file. Government fees for the card are set by the Ministry and shown at the payment stage.

Talent residency and the retiree question

The portal's eligibility check refers to both investor and talent residency, so a route for top professionals exists next to the investment one. The brochure does not print the talent rules, so do not rely on any claimed list of professions until you see it on the portal. The retiree route from 2021, with its OMR 4,000 monthly income test, is also missing from the seven published routes. If you are a retiree already living in Oman, ask the Ministry whether a retirement option still exists before you plan around it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum investment for an Oman golden visa in 2026?

OMR 200,000, about USD 520,000, through one of seven routes or a mix of them. The figure dates from the 31 August 2025 relaunch and is still the published threshold.

Is there still a 5-year permit?

Not in the 2025 programme. The 5-year tier at OMR 250,000 belonged to the 2021 scheme. The current Golden Residency is one renewable 10-year permit.

Can my family be included?

Yes. First-degree family members are included with no age or number limit. The residency also lets you issue visit visas for other relatives.

Do I need a sponsor?

No. The Golden Residency is issued without a local sponsor, and the holder may employ up to 3 domestic workers.

Where do I apply?

Online through the official portal at omanresidence.gov.om, run by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion with Migrate World as its partner.

How City Squares can help

City Squares is an authorised agent of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, based in Muscat, and helps investors choose a qualifying route, set up the company or property structure behind it, and build the file the portal expects. Our post-company formation services in Oman keep a company compliant once it is running, which matters because the audited accounts must hold up at renewal. Thresholds, fees and routes change by ministerial decision, so check the current figures on the portal before you commit funds.