oman visa for gcc residents

Oman is now turning to a hotspot among most of the tourists! This calls in for more detailed information on the visa services provided by Oman. The visa rules have now been revised and it is important that all of the citizens who are about to apply for visa stay informed about them as well.

Overview

1. Change in Oman visa rules

2. About GCC

3. Oman online visa for GCC residents

4. Oman transit visa for GCC residents

5. What is electronic visa?

6. Why do I need E-visa?

7. When do I apply for a visa?

8. FAQs

Change in Oman visa rules

The Oman Visa has now been changed and this has also brought in a lot of tourists and investors alike. Here are some of the notable points of the rules that have been changed:

1. The new rule states that those foreigners who own properties in the sultanate of Oman can now receive their tourist visa without any sponsorship. The expatriates who work with the government can also gain their visas without the help of a sponsor. 

2. There has been the introduction of short-stay visa in Oman. This allows visitors who wish to have a small vacation to get a chance to visit Oman. There are three categories which consist of a 10-day visa, 30-day visa and a visa which lasts for a year. 

3. The new rule also mentioned that the members of the GCC states who wish to visit Oman can enter the country with the Oman visit visa for GCC residents which allow these residents to stay for a period of four weeks. They can do so without the presence of a sponsor was also mentioned in the rule. The rule also states that the visa can be extended for a week on the condition that the resident enters the Sultanate in about one month of issue of visa.

4. The fine for not exiting the country has also been reduced to OMR 10 from the initial value of OMR 20. 

Most of the travel to Oman needs a valid passport and a visa to stay. The GCC nationals can avail the visa on arrival option as well along with other nationalities. 

About GCC

The Gulf Cooperation Council also is known as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf is a union between all the Arab States of the Persian Council. This, however, excludes Iraq from its list. The list of the states enlisted in this regional intergovernmental union can be stated as follows:

1. Bahrain

2. Kuwait

3. Oman

4. Qatar

5. Saudi Arabia

6. United Arab Emirates

The establishment of this union took place on 25 May 1981. All of the states mentioned above are monarchy based. Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain are constitutional monarchies based while Saudi Arabia and Oman have absolute monarchies and the United Arab Emirates federal monarchy system. There are other discussions which are still going on to take Jordan, Morocco and Yemen in this union. The above-listed countries together are called as the GCC states or Gulf Countries. There were certain objectives that were kept in mind while forming this union. Some of the objectives can be stated as follows:

1. Common market development by 2007

2. Customs union in January 2003

3. Common currency issue by 2010, however, this objective was unaccomplished as Oman had withdrawn from this objective followed by which UAE also withdrew from this agreement in 2009. 

4. Bringing in similar rules and regulations in various fields such as tourism, legislation, administration, etc.

5. Encouraging private sector cooperation

6. Having more strengthened ties between the nationals

7. Establishment of the unified military also known as Peninsula Shield Force now.

These objectives resulted in the citizens of these countries being able to freely enter the other GCC states without a visa. 

Oman online visa for GCC residents

Even though the people who are citizens of GCC countries do not a visa to enter Oman, those foreigners who live in GCC countries do need to make a visa to enter. Before Oman e-visa for GCC residents was brought into force, the people who needed a visa had to visit the Oman Embassy physically and apply for one. Legal foreign residents who live in any of the above stated GCC countries can also apply for Oman electronic visa

Oman Transit visa for GCC Residents

Those foreigners who are on their way to any of the above stated GCC countries with a round trip from Oman can obtain a transit visa which allows the residents to stay in Oman for more than 6 hours. However, this visa is not necessary if the GCC residents stay only for 6 hours or less. 

How to apply for Oman visa for GCC residents?

You can just follow these steps to complete the process of application if you below to GCC countries:

Step 1: Complete the application form

Step 2: Once you fill in the application form, you will get a question ‘do you have a resident permit for GCC countries?’, to this reply ‘yes’

Step 3: Select the country you belong to from the given GCC countries list

Step 4: Add in contact details, valid passport details, and the travel plans

Step 5: Some of the security-related questions will be asked, do fill them in as well

Step 6: Pay the fee for a visa online via credit or debit card option

Step 7: Get a confirmation mail of the same

Step 8: Once approved you will get the visa through the mail and you can download a copy of the same

This copy of visa along with the valid passport is to be shown at the border of Oman while crossing the country.

If you are a foreigner and hold a GCC resident permit then you can apply for the visa provided that the GCC resident permit is valid for 6 months from the entry date to Oman. Also for other types of visa for GCC residents, the resident permit and the GCC visa is not required.

You can also apply for an Oman visa on arrival procedure for GCC residents. For this, you’ll want to hold a GCC resident permit. Muscat visa on arrival is available at the Muscat International Airport. The procedure is really simple as all you have to do is book a ticket and go to Oman. Once you reach the airport you can get the stamp on your passport stating visa on arrival. 

With these simple steps, you can obtain a visa as a GCC resident and can go on a trip to Oman. However, now that Oman has stopped the service of visa on arrival, Oman e=visa is the new way of applying for a visa.

What is an electronic visa?

Electronic visa is also known as E-visa is a visa that you can apply through the official website of a country. These visas are no different than the other types of visa that you apply for. This only difference here in this visa is that the application is completed online while the other types of visa require you to physically be present at the embassy.  

Why do I need an e-visa?

This is one of the most relevant questions as to why exactly do a person need an electronic visa. In Oman, it was valid to go without a visa as you could issue one as soon as you arrive, but now that Oman has stopped its services, it is necessary that you apply for an e-visa before you go. Not having a visa while entering the country can leave you with a hefty amount of fine to be paid.

When do I need to apply for a visa?

The answer to this question depends on your travel date and the number of days you want to stay in the country for. E-visa normally does have a faster rate of processing than other visas so it won’t be much of a problem. However, you need to keep in mind the validity of the visa. The visa is to be applied on such a date that the travel date also coincides with the validity of the visa.

FAQs

1. Does the GCC resident need to give a fee while entering Oman?

GCC country residents do not need a visa however they need to pay a fee while crossing the border of Oman.

2. How long does the emirates id need to be valid for me to enter Oman?

The emirate ID needs to be valid for more than 6 months while entering Oman.

3. Is it okay if I travel to Oman with Dubai visa? 

You can enter Oman with Dubai visa provided that the visa is valid for 21 days of stay and the passport is valid for more than 6 months.

4. Is applying for e-visa better than another type of visa?

E-visa gives you an opportunity to complete the application process online; however, you would need to stand in line for other types of visas.

5. Is it necessary to have a return ticket for visit visa to Oman?

It is recommended to take a return ticket while you go on a visit visa to Oman. Single ticket holders are normally denied from the list of visitors.