Hada News
Oman offers free 14-day tourist visa (in force since 3 August 2026)
Travellers planning short trips to Oman can use a free 14-day tourist visa that has been part of the country’s entry rules since 3 August 2026, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An MFA English note dated that day describes amendments that came into force then: the Royal Oman Police decision appeared in Official Gazette No. 1659 on 2 August 2026 and takes effect the day after publication. The MFA English text is labelled an unofficial version of an Arabic report; the Arabic MFA page c
Travellers planning short trips to Oman can use a free 14-day tourist visa that has been part of the country’s entry rules since 3 August 2026, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An MFA English note dated that day describes amendments that came into force then: the Royal Oman Police decision appeared in Official Gazette No. 1659 on 2 August 2026 and takes effect the day after publication. The MFA English text is labelled an unofficial version of an Arabic report; the Arabic MFA page carries the same core facts.
Under changes to the Executive Regulations of the Foreign Residence Law, a paragraph in Article 10 sets out the short-stay tourist category. A matching entry in the Article 29 fee schedule lists the visa as free of charge. The ministry frames the category as giving visitors more flexibility and supporting tourism.
Who qualifies is not a published checklist on the MFA pages. The English note says the visa may be granted by the competent authority to nationals of countries that authority designates, on request and under conditions it sets. Travellers should not assume their passport is covered until the competent authority—typically referenced in coverage as Royal Oman Police—confirms eligibility. Hada is not inventing a nationality list.
Holders can switch before the 14 days run out. The MFA note says travellers may replace the free visa, before it expires, with any other tourist visa category in the regulations, subject to the usual requirements and the fees that apply to those longer or paid categories. Conversion is therefore allowed in principle; it is not an automatic free upgrade.
Oman Observer, reporting on 2 August, corroborated the ROP decision, the fee exemption, the “countries determined by the competent authorities” framing, and the day-after-Gazette force date. For trip planning: treat the free 14-day category as a current rule in force since 3 August 2026, confirm your nationality against competent-authority guidance before booking, and budget for fees if you plan to convert to a longer tourist stay while still in Oman.
Sources: Oman MFA EN https://www.fm.gov.om/en/52262/ (3 Aug 2026; unofficial EN of Arabic); MFA AR https://www.fm.gov.om/ar/52262/; Oman Observer https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1193824/oman/rop/oman-introduces-a-new-free-14-day-tourist-visa (2 Aug 2026).
Watch next: any official published list of designated nationalities, and how conversion to paid tourist categories is processed at ports of entry or online.