Oman has announced a new free 10-day visa now available for cruise ship passengers and crew. The update, said officials, is intended to boost cruise ship visitor numbers by making it simpler for them to explore more of the Arabian Peninsula country, as well as to streamline the visa system to improve the tourist experience.
The new 10-day cruise passenger visa can be applied for by arrangement with cruise ship agents. Once issued it must be used within 30 days. For travellers who want to stay longer in Oman, the oldest independent state in the Arab world, a similar month-long visa can be applied for instead.
Growth strategy driven by tourism
Like other Gulf states, Oman is turning its economy more towards tourism and already successfully boosted its international visitor spend by 69% to OMR 1.1BN (EUR 2.65 BN) between 2022 and 2023. The Sultanate saw huge year-on-year growth according to a World Travel and Tourism Council 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) report which predicted jobs, visitor spending, and GDP contribution would continue to rise over the next decade.
The latest visa change is part of that strategy, Inspector General of Police and Customs Lieutenant General Hassan bin Mohsen Al Shuraiqi explained: “The updated visa table reflects our commitment to making travel more accessible for cruise tourists.”
As well as catering to visitors who arrive by cruise ship, Oman offers a number of other visa options.
- Tourist Visa: For stays of up to 30 days, with possible additional 30 day extension.
- Business Visa: covers up to 90 days, allowing time for business activities.
- Family Visit Visa: aimed at those with family resident in Oman to visit for up to 30 days, again extensions are possible
What’s more, the Royal Oman Police scrapped visa requirements back in spring 2024 for citizens of 103 different countries who can all now enter Oman visa-free for up to 14 days.
They are listed by visaguide news as follows:
European Union countries (excluding Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
Other countries located in the European continent: Monaco, Norway, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
Non-EU countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela in South America; Canada and the United States; China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore; Australia and New Zealand; plus Iran, Türkiye, South Africa, and Russia.
