Oman visa requirements: do you need a visa, and how do you apply?
By Lars Janssen · Co-Founder & CEO ·
Do you need a visa to visit Oman? For most readers of this site the short answer is no, as long as the trip is short. Holders of a British passport, and of passports from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland, can enter Oman for up to 14 days without a visa. Anyone staying longer applies for an Oman eVisa with the Royal Oman Police; entering Oman overland from Dubai has rules of its own, covered further down. This article sets out the Oman visa requirements as they stand in October 2026: who is visa-exempt and on what conditions, what the eVisa options are, how to apply on the official website step by step, how long your passport must be valid, and what to watch out for with children, Dubai, Musandam and overstaying.
In short
- Up to 14 days: no visa needed for nationals of more than 100 countries, among them the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland. Tourism only.
- Conditions at the border: a passport valid for at least six months, a return or onward ticket, a confirmed hotel booking, health insurance and enough money for your stay.
- The 14 days cannot be extended or transferred to a residence visa. Overstaying is fined at up to 10 Omani rials per day.
- Longer than 14 days: apply for the Tourist Visit Visa (10 days, 14 days or one month) as an eVisa before you travel, or the one-year multi-entry visa if you plan to come back.
- Only one official website: evisa.rop.gov.om, run by the Royal Oman Police. The Dutch, German, Belgian and Austrian government pages and the Omani ministry all point there.
- Passport: at least six months' validity; temporary passports and national identity cards are not accepted.
Visa-free entry for 14 days: who qualifies and on what conditions
The Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists the rules on its entry visas page (last updated 22 September 2026): visitors from more than 100 countries are exempt from an entry visa for a stay of up to 14 days. The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland are all in the first group of that list, which carries no extra condition such as holding a US, UK or Schengen visa. The UK government says it in one sentence on its Oman entry requirements page: "You can visit Oman for up to 14 days without a visa." The Dutch, Belgian and Austrian governments say the same for their nationals. Other nationalities can check their position in the eligibility wizard on the ROP site.
Visa-free does not mean condition-free. According to the ministry, the visitor must hold a passport valid for no less than six months and must have a return ticket, a confirmed hotel reservation, health insurance and a sum of money to cover the cost of living during the stay. The UK FCDO lists the same documents as things you may be asked to show at border control: a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation such as a hotel booking, and proof of travel health insurance. For a tour booked with us, the itinerary and the hotel confirmations you receive from us serve as proof of accommodation; keep them on your phone or in print.
Three further points from the ministry's page. First, the exemption is for tourism: the Austrian foreign ministry states that visa-free entry is only possible for tourist purposes, and Germany's foreign office adds that working is not permitted and that entry can be refused at the border. Second, the 14-day stay "cannot be extended or transferred to any type of residence visa". Third, the arrangement is family-friendly: "The husband, wife, and children benefit from this facility, even if they are not nationals of the country."
One wording difference is worth knowing if you read the German advice. The Auswärtiges Amt describes the same arrangement as a free visa on arrival for tourists staying up to 14 days, with a paid version for up to 30 days, against the same documents. In practice the requirement is the same: show the documents listed above at immigration. Separately, the Royal Oman Police introduced a new free 14-day tourist visa by decree published in the Official Gazette on 2 August 2026, reported by the ministry and the Oman Observer. It applies to nationals of countries designated by the authority, and holders can convert it to another tourist visa category before it expires, subject to the applicable fees. The list of countries has not been published, so it is not clear whether this adds to or replaces the existing exemption. For a holiday of 14 days or fewer there is no fee either way; whether the new visa will require an online application has not been announced.
Passport validity and travel documents
The passport rule is the one most often overlooked. GOV.UK puts it plainly: "To enter Oman, your passport must have an 'expiry date' at least 6 months after the date you arrive." The Omani ministry and the German and Belgian governments count six months from entry, Oman Airports simply requires more than six months of validity, and the Dutch government counts six months from the moment you leave the country. The safe approach is to count from your departure date from Oman.
A few related points from the official sources:
- Temporary and emergency passports are not accepted, according to the Belgian foreign ministry, and the Auswärtiges Amt reports that holders of a provisional passport have in some cases been refused boarding on flights to Oman.
- National identity cards are not valid travel documents for Oman. The German advice says so explicitly for the Personalausweis; a full passport is required. Children's passports are accepted.
- Every child needs their own passport and, where applicable, their own visa. See the section on children below.
- Driving: your passport is not the only document to check. If you plan to drive, read our article on the international driving permit for Oman.
Staying longer than 14 days: the Oman eVisa, costs and validity
If you stay longer than 14 days, you need a visa. The UK FCDO: "To stay longer than 14 days or for work, study or other reasons, you must have a visa." The Omani ministry adds that for tourists "the Tourist Visit Visa (Unsponsored) will usually be appropriate" and refers to the ROP eVisa site for the options. The list of visa types on that site contains two entries that matter for holidaymakers:
- Tourist Visit Visa (type 26): granted to nationals of specified countries "for a period of ten (10) days, fourteen (14) days or one month", subject to the conditions set by the authority. This is the Oman tourist visa for a longer single trip.
- Visit Visa Multi-Entry, one year (type 36): holders "may enter the Sultanate more than once during its validity period, provided that the duration of stay each time does not exceed one month". Useful if you combine Oman with the Emirates and want to come back, or if you visit several times a year.
What does the Oman eVisa cost? The ROP website does not publish a price list. The fee appears only after you enter your nationality and residence status in the Visa Eligibility Wizard, which then shows the eligible visa subtypes, the fee details, the permitted duration and the conditions (see the ROP's own help page). Figures reported by the Oman Observer in December 2019 were 5 rials for the 10-day tourist visa and 20 rials for the 30-day single-entry version, with unsponsored tourist visas to be used within one month of issue. Treat those figures as an indication only: the visa categories have changed since then, the police amended the fee schedule again in August 2026 when the free 14-day visa was added, and the wizard shows the current amount for your nationality. The fee for the one-year multi-entry visa is not published in any source we could find.
In advance or on arrival? Both are possible for tourists. GOV.UK says you can also get a visit visa on arrival at an airport in Oman, but recommends applying online before you travel to avoid being refused. Experience Oman, the official tourism portal, gives the same advice: a tourist visa can usually be obtained on arrival, but obtaining it beforehand is preferable. Oman Airports notes that visa fees on arrival are paid in cash, foreign currency is accepted and change is given in rials. Our advice for a trip of more than 14 days is simple: apply for the eVisa at home, once your flights are booked, and travel with the approval in hand.
Oman visa options side by side
| Option | For whom | Length of stay | Where to get it | Points to note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa-free entry | Nationals of more than 100 countries, including the UK, NL, DE, BE, AT and CH | Up to 14 days | Nothing to apply for; show your documents at immigration | Tourism only; cannot be extended or transferred to a residence visa; partner and children covered, whatever their nationality |
| Tourist Visit Visa (type 26) | Nationals of specified countries | 10 days, 14 days or one month | eVisa at evisa.rop.gov.om, or on arrival at an airport | Fee shown in the eligibility wizard; applying before travel is recommended |
| Visit Visa Multi-Entry (type 36) | Nationals of designated countries | One year, at most one month per visit | eVisa | For repeated visits or an Oman and Emirates loop |
| Dubai/Oman Common Visa (type 21) | Eligible nationalities holding a current tourist visa used to enter Dubai | As granted by the ROP | eVisa | For entering Oman directly from Dubai |
| Airport Transit Visa (type 23) | Transit passengers with an onward ticket and sufficient funds | Up to 72 hours, single entry | At the request of the airline | Not needed if you stay in the international transit zone at Muscat |
| Short Transit Visa (type 27) | Travellers passing through to a neighbouring country | Onward journey within 5 days of entry; visa valid up to six months | eVisa or designated land border posts | You must be a national of the neighbouring country or hold a valid visa for it |
How to apply for the Oman eVisa in six steps
- Check your eligibility. Open the Visa Eligibility Wizard on evisa.rop.gov.om, enter your nationality and whether you hold a residence permit in a Gulf state. The wizard lists the visa subtypes you qualify for, the fee, the permitted duration and the conditions.
- Register and log in. An application can only be started after you have logged in to the eVisa system, so create your account first.
- Complete the application and pay. Fill in your passport details exactly as they appear in the passport, upload what the system asks for and pay the fee shown. Apply per traveller: each passport, including a child's, needs its own visa.
- Track the application. The site has a "track your application" function. Allow time before departure rather than applying from the airport.
- Travel with the approval. Keep the approved eVisa with your passport, together with your return ticket, hotel confirmations and insurance details. These are the same documents that visa-free visitors can be asked for.
- Questions? The ROP eVisa call centre is reachable on +968 22848200 from abroad (80080011, toll-free, inside Oman) and at Info-omanevisa@rop.gov.om, from 07:00 to 21:00 Oman time (GMT+4).
Use only the official website. Omani visas are issued by the Royal Oman Police, and its only online application site is evisa.rop.gov.om. The Dutch, German, Belgian and Austrian government pages and the Omani ministry all refer to that address; the Belgian foreign ministry also mentions the Omani embassy as an alternative route. The Auswärtiges Amt adds an explicit warning to make sure you use the official website of the Omani police when applying online, and the ROP itself announced in 2019 that the eVisa site was the sole official site for applications. If a website asks you to pay for an Oman visa and its address does not end in rop.gov.om, it is not the police. Binding answers on entry come only from the Omani authorities; government advice pages are summaries, and so is this article.
Special cases: Dubai, Musandam, extensions, children and transit
Combining Oman with Dubai or the Emirates. The German foreign office is the only official source that covers the land border in detail. It states that travellers entering Oman from the UAE need a valid Omani visa, issued at the land border or the airport, or applied for beforehand as an eVisa. It also makes a point that catches people out: a single-entry Omani visa gives no right to return to Oman after you have crossed into the UAE; for that you need a new visa, or a multi-entry visa from the start. The ROP's Dubai/Oman Common Visa (type 21) is designed for eligible nationalities who hold a current tourist visa used to enter Dubai and now want to enter Oman directly from there; whether your nationality qualifies, the wizard will tell you. Remember that the UAE's own rules apply as well: British nationals get a free visit visa on arrival in the UAE valid for up to 90 days in 180, according to GOV.UK, and Germans with a biometric passport need no visa for up to 90 days in 180. For the crossing from Oman into the UAE, the Belgian foreign ministry requires an ordinary passport valid for six months; a temporary passport is not recognised. Secondary sources mention a small exit fee at the UAE land border; it does not appear in any official source we checked, so we do not quote it here.
Musandam. We found no separate visa rule for the Musandam exclave. It is normally reached by road from Dubai via the border crossing at Tibat, where you leave the Emirates and enter Oman with the corresponding stamps, or by air from Muscat; see our Musandam destination page. The visa question is overshadowed by the travel advice at present: as of October 2026 the Dutch government codes Musandam orange (essential travel only) and the German foreign office advises against travel there because of its position on the Strait of Hormuz. We do not plan Musandam while that advice stands. Our article Is Oman safe? explains the situation.
Extending your stay. The visa-free 14 days cannot be extended or transferred to a residence visa, according to the Omani ministry, and the Auswärtiges Amt says the same about the visa issued on arrival: an extension beyond 14 days is not possible. Overstaying is expensive. GOV.UK: "If you overstay or do not extend your visa or residency, the Omani authorities may fine and detain you. Fines can be up to 10 Omani rials a day, with a total maximum fine of 500 rials." We found no official description of an extension procedure for eVisas, so if a longer stay becomes likely, contact the ROP call centre. The practical rule: if there is any chance your trip exceeds 14 days, apply for the one-month Tourist Visit Visa before you leave.
Children and families. Every child needs a valid passport of their own and, where applicable, a visa. The partner and children of a visa-exempt national are covered by the exemption even if they hold another nationality. If a child under 18 travels alone or with one parent, the Auswärtiges Amt recommends carrying a consent letter from the parent or parents in English and/or Arabic, and the Austrian foreign ministry advises adding a copy of the birth certificate and copies of the parents' passports, plus the marriage certificate where surnames differ. The Dutch government likewise tells you to bring the documents for travelling with a minor.
Cruise passengers and transit. According to the Auswärtiges Amt, cruise passengers and crew are exempt from the visa requirement for shore leave of up to 48 hours, and passengers transiting at Muscat airport need no visa provided they have a through ticket and do not leave the international transit zone. For a stopover of up to 72 hours there is the Airport Transit Visa (type 23), requested through the airline.
How this fits into our tours
All our tours are private tours, and the length is yours to decide. That is exactly why the 14-day line matters when we plan your trip:
- 7 and 10 days: the 7-day tour and the 10-day tour stay comfortably within the visa-free period. For British and most European passport holders there is nothing to apply for.
- 14 days: on the 14-day tour, day 1 is your departure from Europe, you land in Muscat on day 2 and fly home on day 14, so you spend thirteen calendar days in the country. That is close to the limit. Add a few beach days or a late return flight and you cross it. Count every calendar day including arrival and departure, and if in doubt apply for the one-month Tourist Visit Visa.
- 18 days: the 18-day tour, from €2,799 per person, flies you to Muscat on day 1 and brings you to the airport on day 18, well over the 14-day limit, so the eVisa is required. The one-month Tourist Visit Visa covers it.
- Tailor-made: for a tailor-made Oman tour we tell you in the proposal whether your dates stay inside the 14 days or need a visa.
What we do and what we do not do: we point out the rules in your travel proposal and again before departure, we send you the itinerary and hotel confirmations that serve as proof of accommodation at the border, and we answer any question you have about the eVisa. The application itself is something you do on the ROP website, because it is tied to your passport and your own account. We travel in Oman regularly ourselves and work with a local partner on the ground, so if anything changes in the rules you will hear it from us. Our article Is Oman safe? keeps the current official guidance together in one place, and a first stop for every trip is Muscat, where every one of our tours begins.
*Visa rules last checked on 10 October 2026 against the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs (updated 22 September 2026), the ROP eVisa site, the UK FCDO entry requirements (updated 22 July 2026) and the Dutch, German, Belgian and Austrian government advice.*
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