Tourism booms as Oman offers visa-free entry for over 100 countries

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.