Oman

OMN

Oman is a Gulf state with no personal income tax (15% corporate tax). Residency is via employer-sponsored work permits or the Investor Residency Programme (introduced 2021): 5-year residency for OMR 250,000+ investment in real estate or business, 10-year residency for OMR 500,000+. Oman ratified an Income Tax Law in 2024 introducing a personal income tax of 5% on annual income above OMR 30,000 effective from 2028 — the first GCC country to introduce broad-based PIT. Naturalisation is highly restricted; primarily for spouses of Omani citizens after 10+ years and case-by-case Royal decree.

Naturalisation: 20 years
Tax system: No Income Tax
Currency: Omani rial (OMR)
Dual citizenship: Not allowed
Capital: Muscat
Region: middle east
Population: 4,640,000
Cost-of-living: 53 /100

→ If you hold a Oman passport, see the Oman nationality guide

Passport Rank

#65

Visa-Free

destinations

Visa-free travel

A Oman passport has visa-free access to 80 destinations. See the full Oman passport breakdown →

Passports that enter Oman without a prior visa (81)

Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croatia+63 more

Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.

6 approved English test centres in Oman →

Immigrating to Canada from Oman

Current IRCC processing times for Oman nationals, by application type.

Visitor visa (outside Canada)	61 days
Super visa	No processing time available
Study permit	4 weeks
Work permit	No processing time available
Sponsor a dependent child	No processing time available
Adopted child (citizenship)	Not enough data
Government-assisted refugees	Not enough data
Privately sponsored refugees	sponsor: Not enough data / refugee: Not enough data

Your application may take longer than the times shown here. They’re not a maximum or a guarantee.

As of 2026-09-22 (IRCC). See all Canada processing times →

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — “Check processing times”. This is a copy of the version available at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html. Reproduced under the Government of Canada’s non-commercial reproduction terms; not endorsed by or affiliated with IRCC.

Sources & last verified

Government of Canada — non-commercial reproduction (canada.ca Terms and conditions)

Official source

Country Details

Capital: Muscat
Currency: Omani rial (OMR)
Languages: Arabic, English
Population: 4,640,000
Tax System: No Income Tax
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed
Naturalisation: 20 years
Schengen / EU: No
Climate: Hot desert / coastal
English Proficiency Rank: #80
GDP per capita: $19,947
Life expectancy: 80.25 yrs
Population growth: 3.96%/yr

GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).

Indices

Cost of Living

Safety

Healthcare

Quality of Life

145

Tax Summary

Tax System: No Income Tax
Territorial Taxation: No — worldwide income taxed for residents
Naturalisation: 20 years of legal residency
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed

Cost of Living by City

← scroll the table →

Monthly cost of living per major city in USD: rent, groceries, utilities, transit pass
City	Rent 1BR centre	Rent outside	Groceries	Utilities	Transit pass
Muscat	$480	$360	$290	$95	$30

Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.

Visa Categories & Immigration Authority

Major Visa Categories

Tourist eVisa
Employment Visa
Family Joining Visa
Investor Residence Visa (10-Year)
Student Visa
GCC Resident Visa

Authority: Royal Oman Police - Directorate General of Passports and Residence
Official Portal: www.rop.gov.om
Phone: +968-24-560099
Email: info@rop.gov.om

Naturalisation Details

Residence Years: 20
Language Test: Yes (Arabic)
Civic Test: Yes
Oath Required: Yes
Dual Allowed: No
Fee: —
Processing: ~36 months

International Schools

← scroll the table →

International schools by city, curriculum, and annual tuition
School	City	Curriculum	Tuition (USD/yr)
The British School Muscat	Muscat	British / IGCSE / A-Level	$10,000–$18,000

Daily Life Logistics

Internet

80 Mbps median

70% fibre coverage

eSIM: Omantel, Ooredoo Oman

LGBTQ+ Legal Status

Same-Sex Marriage: Not legal
Civil Partnerships: Not recognised
Anti-Discrimination Law: No
ILGA Rank: —

Religious Life

Halal Food: Widely available
Kosher Food: Limited
Prayer Facilities: Common

Regulators & official sources

Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Oman, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.

Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (Oman)

MJLA

Oversees the legal profession in Oman. There is no dedicated immigration-adviser regulator; residence is administered by the Royal Oman Police.

Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (Oman)

Sources & last verified

Index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-20.

Official source

Related Guides

Zero and low-tax residencies: the real list

Countries with zero personal income tax, territorial-only taxation, or special expatriate regimes — and what each one actually requires from you to qualify as a resident.

Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave

Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.

Related on The Citizenship Desk

Life logistics

Reference tables

Visa routes

Official visa and residence routes for Oman, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.

Work (sponsored)

Employment Visa (employer-sponsored work visa)

Work (sponsored)

The standard employer-sponsored Employment Visa for foreign workers in Oman, issued by the Royal Oman Police after the employer obtains a labour clearance from the Ministry of Labour.

Sponsor requiredCommonly issued for a multi-year term and renewed by the employer while the job continues; confirm on the official ROP page.

Royal Oman Police · reviewed 2026-07-10

Family

Family Joining Visa

Family

Visa allowing an eligible expatriate employee in Oman to sponsor their spouse and children below 21, issued by the Royal Oman Police. It is sponsor-linked residence, not permanent settlement.

Sponsor requiredTwo years from passport stamping and multi-entry, according to the current ROP page; renewal remains linked to the sponsor's residence and current conditions.

Royal Oman Police · reviewed 2026-07-10

Study

Student Visa

Study

Visa granted to a licensed educational or training institution on its responsibility for a foreigner coming to study in Oman, issued by the Royal Oman Police.

Sponsor requiredGranted for a study period (commonly one to two years) and renewable for the duration of the course; confirm on the official ROP page.

Royal Oman Police · reviewed 2026-07-10

Investor

Investor Residency (Golden Visa)

Investor

Oman long-term Investor Residency / Golden Visa offering 5 or 10 year renewable residence to qualifying investors, administered via Invest Oman. It is renewable residence, not permanent residence or citizenship.

Renewable residence in 5-year or 10-year tiers depending on the investment; confirm the current terms on the official page.

Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (Invest Oman) · reviewed 2026-07-25

Work (unsponsored)

Oman freelance work: permissions and alternatives

Work (unsponsored)

Planning freelance work in Oman? The official work-visa service requires an employer; the sources reviewed do not establish a general standalone freelance visa. Check the permit or business arrangement for your activity before working.

No general standalone freelance-visa term was confirmed in the official sources reviewed; any approved permit or residence has its own validity.

Availability: unconfirmed

Royal Oman Police (Oman) · reviewed 2026-06-01

Sources & last verified

Route index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-12. Each route links to its official government source.