SUR – There has been an influx of tourists to Oman after the country introduced visa-free and visa-on-arrival entry for 103 countries.
The decision which was taken to strengthen the country’s tourism industry has yield considerable results as data from National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI) confirms 348% rise in tourists last year. As many as 2.9 million travelers landed in Oman in 2022 and the occupancy rate of hotels also swelled by 31.3%.
The countries which are exempt from entry visas are:
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
China (includes Hong Kong and Macau)
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Estonia
Eygpt
Finland
France
French Guinea
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Guatemala
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritania
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Norway
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Salvador
San Marino
Serbia
Seychelles
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
United Kingdom
Ukraine
Uruguay
United States
Uzbekistan
Vatican
Venezuela
Vietnam
Nationals of the above mentioned countries can stay in the country for up to 14 days subject to the condition that they should have prior and confirmed hotel booking, health insurance, and a return ticket.
Meanwhile, Citizens of GCC countries (the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) do not require visas to enter the country that is now focusing on generating revenue after the post pandemic period.
The process of obtaining a visa for visitors to Oman is handled by the Royal Oman Police (ROP). The ease of visa issuance is compelling more and more tourists to flock the country and enjoy its rich culture and history. There are several different types of visa for visitors to Oman. For tourists, the Tourist Visit Visa (Unsponsored) is the appropriate type. The visa can be obtained by clicking here.
