More clarity on visa-free entry to 25 nationalities

Muscat: Oman has allowed visa-free entry to people of 25 countries but they can avail of this facility only if they are residents of or have entry visas to the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Schengen Agreement associated countries or Japan.

The 25 countries are: India, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Morocco, Armenia, Panama, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkmenistan, Honduras, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Laos, Albania, Bhutan, Peru, the Maldives, Salvador, Vietnam, Cuba and Mexico.

Confirming this to Times of Oman, an official at the Civil Aviation Authority, said: “No one from the list of 25 nationalities can enter the Sultanate without fulfilling the conditions that they must be either residents or possess a valid entry visa to one of the following countries i.e the United States of America, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Schengen Agreement countries and Japan.

In its missive to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Royal Oman Police has requested them to inform the aviation companies and coordinate with them regarding the conditions for visa-free entry to people of 103 countries to the Sultanate.

The letter addressed to the Civil Aviation Authority stressed the necessity of informing the aviation companies that the visa facility has been given for boosting tourism.

According to the documents,  the authorities have stressed the need for verifying the details of passengers to ensure they have confirmed two-way tickets, besides meeting a number of other requirements.

The other requirements include the condition that their passport should be valid for not less than six months and a sufficient  amount of money should be with them to meet daily expenses during their stay in the Sultanate.

Meanwhile, the procedures for entry of foreigners to the Sultanate without visa also indicated that they would be allowed to stay in the Sultanate for a non-extendable ten days. A  fine of OMR10 per day would apply in case of overstay.

If the duration of their stay in the Sultanate is seen as inadequate, then they may seek a tourist visa before arrival in the Sultanate on payment of the prescribed fee for each type of tourist visa.

The wife and sons/daughters of a visitor may avail of this facility even if they are not from the list of the countries enjoying the visa facility as long as they are accompanying him.

Expats residing in any of the GCC states and those with employment visas or tourist visas may avail of this facility in case they are from the listed countries.

In addition, other tourist visas namely one-month tourist visa, tourist visa for one year for residents of the GCC states, and multiple entry visa shall remain available for visitors, according to the system currently in force.

This facility does not qualify the visitor to take up any work within the Sultanate and does not qualify the visitor to ask for change of the visa to any other residence-associated visa.’