Citizens of most countries, including the UK, US, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, require a visa to enter Oman.
Under new rules announced in 2018, visas can no longer be purchased on arrival at the airport in Oman. Instead, an e-visa must be applied for online prior to your visit. At the time of writing, the changes had just been announced, and visitors arriving at Muscat Airport were being allowed to apply online once they arrived at the airport, before proceeding to immigration with their completed application. However, it was unclear at the time of writing whether this system would be permanent or not. In order to ensure smooth entry into Oman, you should apply for a visa in advance through the Royal Oman Police portal, at evisa.rop.gov.om. You complete the process online and receive an electronic receipt, which you should print and present, along with your passport, upon arrival in Oman.
A single-entry, one-month e-visa costs 20 OR (£37/US$52). A multiple-entry visa, valid for a year for stays of up to one month at a time, costs 50 OR (£93/US$130). If you’re driving from the main part of Oman up to the Musandam peninsula through the UAE, it’s best to make sure you have a multiple-entry visa, so that you don’t have to apply for an e-visa multiple times to get through the several border posts.
Note that embassy websites aren’t well maintained, and the visa information and prices found on them may well be out of date; if in doubt, phone to check. The confusion surrounding the sudden changes to the visa rules will probably take some time to settle down, particularly at borders away from Muscat Airport. It’s best to check evisa.rop.gov.om regularly in advance of your trip.
Having an Israeli stamp in your passport is not a problem when entering Oman.
OMANI EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES ABROAD
Australia Level 4, Suite 2, 493 St Kilda Road, Melbourne 3004 03 9820 4096,
oman.org.au.
Canada c/o US embassy (see below).
Ireland 4 Kenilworth Square, Dublin 01 491 2411.
New Zealand c/o Australian embassy (see above).
South Africa 11 Anderson St, Brooklyn, Pretoria 012 362 8301.
UK 167 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5HE, 020 7225 0001.
US 2535 Belmont Rd, Washington DC, 20008 202 387 1980,
omani.info.