A Guide to Oman visa for Indians

Located in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, surrounded by Yemen in the southwest and Saudi Arabia in the west, Oman has emerged as a growing business destination and a popular tourist destination across the world.

Apart from being a strategic partner of India, the Gulf of Oman is also linked to India by geography, history and culture still maintaining warm and cordial relations amongst each other. Indians regularly travel to Oman for business, jobs and travel perspectives. Also, visits at the highest level have been frequently exchanged between India and Oman, in recognition of strengthening the ties between the two nations.

In consideration of regular visits, the government issues various types of Oman visas for Indians to facilitate cooperation in education, tourism, investment, service fields and trade exchange between both countries.

Types of Oman Visas for Indians

Being one of the emerging travel destinations in the world Oman is receiving a lot of crowds in terms of travellers. If you are also planning to explore the best places to visit in Oman this season, then having a clear understanding of different visa criteria and documentation may save you from the last minute hassle.

Here are some different types of Oman visas for Indians provided by the Oman government.

Visit Visas

An Oman visit visa for Indians is categorized into 3 broad categories: -

Tourist Visa

An Oman tourist visa for Indians allows for a single entry that too for travel purposes. A tourist visa holder can stay for one month in Oman which can be extended, on grounds of various reasons. An Oman tourist visa allows only one trip per tourist visa for an individual. Multiple trips to Oman on a single tourist visa are not allowed. In case a tourist visa expires and the tourist is still residing in the country then the individual has to pay a fine on a per day basis. 

1. Single Entry: With a single Oman tourist visa for India, a traveller can enter the country once up to 30 days. This type of visa has to be extended for another 30 days on its expiration.
2. Multiple Entries: A multiple Oman tourist visa for Indians allows multiple entries in one year period. Each of these stays can be of 30 days which cannot be extended like in a single entry tourist visa.
3. Single-entry Oman tourist visa for GCC residents: This specific tourist visa is for travellers who have GCC residence cards. It provides a single entry of 28 days which can be extended once for 7 days.

Business Visa

Another type of Oman visit visa for Indians is a business visa. It is issued to individuals who want to visit the country for business purposes. A business Oman visit visa for India is available to Indian professionals or business leaders with the help of a local sponsor. 

  Resident Visas

• Family Visa - A family Oman visit visa for Indian allows family members or friends of Omani nationals to visit.
• Resident Visas - A resident Oman visa for Indians can be categorized into 3 types –
• Investor Visa - An investor visa is targeted at Indian investors. It allows the investor to reside in Oman if he/she meets certain criteria.
• Employment Visa - Indian workers or people associated with the service field that is backed by sponsors can apply for an Oman employment visa.
• Student Visa - Indian students who want to pursue an educational course at any approved institution of Oman can apply for an Oman student visa.

 Does Oman offer an on-arrival visa facility for Indians?

Currently, Oman on arrival visa for Indians is closed due to the pandemic. However, Oman's on-arrival visa for Indian passport holders is replaced by an electronic application system. This e visa system allows the authorized visitors to enter the country for specific periods while helping them to apply, pay and receive visa information once issued.

What is the processing time for an Oman Visa?

If you are planning to book an Oman tour package or visit Oman for any other purpose then the visa application process must be started before you start your journey. As different countries may have different visa processing systems, a last-minute visa hustle may end up in unnecessary situations or even trip cancellation.

The Oman visa processing time for Indian depends upon the type of visa the person has applied for and its visiting purpose. For this, you can check whether you fall into the category of visit visa or resident visa as listed above. However, the visa is processed only after the completion of the application form, detailed verification and successful payment. The processing time may also depend upon the urgency of the visa and may vary from website to website.

In general, a basic Oman visa process for Indiansmay take up to 2-15 days to process the visa while an express visa takes much lesser time. However, a work visa can take up a variable time limit as it depends upon various other factors like the company sponsoring the visa, educational qualifications. Policies involved, medical conditions, years of experience etc. Overall a work Oman visa processing time for Indians may extend up to 1 month.

Visa Fee for Oman

 Oman visa price for Indians depends upon various factors like the category of visa applied and purpose of visit, which is mentioned at the time of visa application. For payments both online and offline modes are available. In offline payments, only demand drafts and bank cheques are accepted while for online payments credit card with a visa or a master card is accepted. The speculated Oman visa fees for Indian various applicants are as follows:

1. An Oman visit visa 3 months price for an Indian tourist applicant could be approximately Rs. 5000 or 25 Omani Riyals.
2. An Oman visit visa cost for an Indian business applicant can approximately range up to Rs. 3400 or 20 Omani Riyals.
3. Oman visa fees for Indian student residents can be around Rs. 3400 or 20 Omani Riyals.
4. A GCC resident visa fee could be around Rs. 922 or 5 Omani Riyals

Documents required for an Oman Visa for Indians

The basic Oman visa requirements for Indian citizens for different categories are as follows:

Tourist Visa

1. Visa Application form- duly filled.
2. Photographs of 35*45 mm dimension that includes 80 per cent face size.
3. A passport that is valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry into Oman.
4. Flight Tickets.
5. Applicant’s travel insurance proof
6. Address proof of the place where the applicant will stay in Oman.

 Student Visa

1. Applicant Student photograph in 40*60 mm dimension.
2. A passport that is valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry into Oman.
3. Signatures of Authorized Signatories, issued by the Department of Commerce and Industry.
4. Medical Certificate by Health Ministry of Oman.
5. The license issued by authorized and responsible authorities of Oman sponsoring the study of foreign students in Oman.

 Business Visa

1. Visa application form- duly filled.
2. Photographs of 35*45 mm dimension that includes 80 per cent face size.
3. A passport that is valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry into Oman.
4. Flight Tickets.
5. Applicant’s travel insurance proof
6. Company’s invitation letter to which business deal has to be conducted.

 Employment Visa:

1. Duly filled out visa application form with multiple copies of it.
2. Profile and Profession of the applicant should be same as in labour’s permit.
3. The similarity in Visa holder details (name, sex, age, qualification etc.) in the visa application form and labour’s permit issued by the Director-General of Labor Affairs.
4. Visa applicant's age must be between 21-60 years.
5. The Oman employment visa should be issued with a local sponsor.
6. Copy of passport that is valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry into Oman.
7. Applicant photograph in 40*60 mm dimension.
8. Labour permit provided by Ministry of Manpower.
9. If the applicant’s sponsor in Oman can’t present the application, then the Omani representative with an authorization letter from the Directorate General of Passport and Residence can present the same.
10. Medical Certificate as per the terms of the Health Ministry of Oman.

As you can see, we’ve ensured that we cover all the aspects. Keep this blog bookmarked and handy the next time you need to apply for an Oman visa.