Oman Work Visas & Permits

Types of Oman Work Visa and Permits

Here’s a breakdown of common work visas and permit options in Oman: 

Oman work visa types

Here's a table summarizing different types of work visa in Oman:

There are three main types of Oman work visas:

• Resident Work Visa
  • This is the standard multiple-entry work visa in Oman. 
  • It's valid for two years and allows foreign employees to live and work in Oman. 
  • As an employer, you must sponsor and take responsibility for residency during your employment.

• Temporary Work Visa (Sponsored Short Work Visa): 
  • This visa is ideal for short-term projects or assignments.
  • It allows multiple entries into the country, and its validity ranges from 4 months to 6 months or 9 months. 
  • Similar to the resident visa, you must sponsor and manage the application.

• Employment Contracting Visa: 
  • This visa category isn't as common, but it exists. It's intended for highly specialized professions or setting up a short-term consultancy contract. 
  • It is a single-entry visa option with a validity of typically two months and a renewable one-month period.
  • This visa caters to freelancers or independent contractors brought in for specific projects. There isn't a traditional employer-employee relationship.
  • Sponsorship can vary. Sometimes, an Omani company might sponsor the employee, or companies might need to secure a sponsor licensed to bring in freelance workers.

Oman work permit types

As an employer, you must arrange labor permits, issued by the Ministry of Manpower for foreign employees. However, there isn't a big difference between a work permit and a visa in Oman. Here's why:

• Oman work visa: This is a sponsored process in which you can initiate the application for employees to legally reside and work in Oman.
• Oman labor permit: This is a process by which the government verifies that there’s a legitimate job opening and that you are eligible to hire foreign workers for the advertised job role in Oman.

Otherwise, applicants can't get a work visa without a work permit, and the permit is pointless without the visa.

Requirements for Oman Work Visa and Permits 

A crucial part of international employee relocation is handling and fulfilling various requirements for securing a work visa and permit. Let’s break it down for your better understanding: 

Common requirements for Oman work permit visa:

• A valid passport with a minimum of six months validity remaining.
• A valid labor permit from the Ministry of Manpower.
• The fee for Oman work visas & permits is twenty Omani Rials.
• The application must be in Arabic (for Arab nationals) or English.

For Resident Work Visa: 

• Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
• The profession on the visa application must match the labor permit.
• Some nationalities may require a medical certificate.
• Omani sponsor with legal competence.

For Temporary Work Visa:

• It may require a release letter from a previous Omani employer.

For Employment Contracting Visa:

• Passport validity exceeding six months.
• The application was submitted electronically to the Royal Oman Police website.
• Sponsored by an Omani company or a licensed sponsor for freelance work.

How to Apply for Oman Work Visa and Permits

Here's a general overview of applying for work permit and visa in Oman: 

Work permit in Oman  

• The first step involves obtaining a labor permit from the Ministry of Manpower. 
• Relevant information is available on the Trace e-gov portal. The applicant should be able to provide details on the application process and required documents.

Work visa in Oman 

Once the labor permit is secured, you can initiate the work visa application on behalf of your employee: 

• You will need to provide identity documents as discussed above. 
• You must submit the application package and a fee (typically 20 Omani Rials) to the Royal Oman Police.

Application processing time

• Further, the Royal Oman Police will process your application. Oman work permit visa processing time can take seven days to one month and sometimes longer, so you can start planning well in advance. 

Looking to Hire in Oman? Skuad Can Help

Expanding your operations to Oman can be a strategic move and requires careful planning for hiring and managing foreign employees. 

Fortunately, HR solutions like Skuad offer a comprehensive platform for building globally distributed teams and ensuring compliance with local employment laws in Oman and over 160 other countries without a local legal entity.

By partnering with Skuad as your Employer of Record (EOR), you can streamline hiring top Omani talent and onboarding foreign talent to work in Oman. 

Moreover, Skuad's work permit and visa services are only available to companies that partner with us for our EOR services.

We do all the heavy lifting, from onboarding and payroll to tax and benefits administration. This allows you to focus on what matters most — growing your business.

Get a demo today to simplify your hiring in Oman!

FAQs

Q1. How can I get a work permit in Oman?

A1. Employees can get a work permit in Oman through their employer. They'll first secure a labor permit from the Ministry of Manpower, verifying the job vacancy and your qualifications. Once secured, they can initiate the work visa application with the Royal Oman Police. 

Q2. How much is a work permit in Oman?

A2. Employers pay the cost of a work permit in Oman itself. These fees vary depending on occupation and salary. The highest is OMR 2,000 (around USD 515) for high-level professions, certain specified professions, or for employees with a monthly salary of OMR 4,000 (around USD 10,300) and above, regardless of occupation.

Q3. Can US citizens work in Oman?

A3. Yes, US citizens can work in Oman. However, they must find employers willing to sponsor them for a work visa. In other words, US citizens must have a valid work permit or residency permit in Muscat before they submit their application for a work visa. 

Q4. How long does it take to get an Oman work permit?

A4. There is no fixed timeline for processing Oman work permit visas; however, market estimates show seven days to one month. 

Q5. What are the rules for an Oman employment visa?

A5. Securing employer sponsorship is the most important rule for obtaining an Oman employment visa. Moreover, employers must get a labor permit and verify the job requirements before hiring foreign talents. Then, they can initiate work visa applications on behalf of employees, which involves submitting documents and paying fees.