Oman is a country of desert-scapes, riverbed oases and lazy long coastlines. People from all around the world travel to the land of Bedouins and the tales from the Arabian Nights. Oman has made its presence felt in the global travel and tourism landscape in recent years. The majestic heritage and culture, in juxtaposition with Oman’s delicious cuisine and colorful souks, make it the must-visit vacation spot for all soul-seeking travelers from around the world.
Who needs a visa to travel to Oman?
Like most countries, visiting Oman requires a visa. The citizens of only six countries including Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and New Zealand (up to three months) do not require a visa for a trip to Oman. The chances are that you require applying for a visa if you want to visit the country in the upcoming holiday season. While you would have had to apply for the visa months in advance even a couple of years ago, right now, you can be qualified for an electronic visa. Oman e-visa requirements are quite simple, and you should be able to qualify the eligibility criteria with ease. According to the officials, you may already have all things that you need for the visa, you just need to organize them, and file the documents in the correct order. Just in case you are unsure about a step, or if you have queries, you can always avail the 24×7 support services.
Although it is easy to qualify for the e-visa, you should check your eligibility. Do you have to drive down to the embassy before planning your trip? Or, are you eligible for applying online for an Omani e-visa? You can verify your eligibility online, or you can visit the embassy to check your eligibility for a consular visa. However, checking online is much simpler than driving all the way to the embassy. Visit omanevisa.co.uk for the necessary details of qualification.
What are the requirements of applying for an e-visa?
Another important aspect is your passport. You need a valid passport, which should remain valid for another six months after you arrive in Oman. Any confusion with the validity of your passport can lead to the cancellation of your tourist visa application. Before you take the effort of applying, you should check the status and validity of your passport. The visa rules for Oman require the applicant to scan their passports while they are applying online. During the process, the system prompts the applicant to upload their scanned copy online.
While applying online, you need to provide digital photo of applicant. However, always ensure that the dimensions of the photograph fit requirements of a passport photo. There are several requisites of a passport photo that include the following –
- The picture should have a white background
- The person needs to face the camera straight
- The person should not be wearing a hat or headgear unless their religion requires them to
- The person should also not be wearing glasses in the photo
- The photo should be less than six months old
Additionally, you will need a valid email address and a secure means of payment to apply for the visa.
Check the e-visa assistance center you are working with to find which payment methods they accept. The standard payment platforms include debit/credit cards, PayPal, and AliPay. The Oman e-visa you receive will have a direct link with your passport. However, you will also receive a copy of it in your inbox.
Here’s a consolidated list of everything you will need to apply for the e-visa –
- A passport valid for at least another six months after entry into Oman
- The scanned copy of the passport
- A recent digital copy of the applicant’s photo meeting all passport standards.
- A valid email address.
- At least one active means of payment.
What are the exceptions to applying for an Oman e-visa?
While applying for the Oman e-visa, you might notice that the citizens of a few countries like – Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Tajikistan, Honduras, India, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Costa Rica, Albania, Belarus, Bhutan, Cuba, Maldives, Mexico, Turkmenistan, El Salvador, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Laos, and Uzbekistan, need a valid visa or residence permit from the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia or Japan to apply for the Oman e-visa. Citizens of these countries need to check with their nearest embassy for more details on the eligibility criteria. It is a type of conditional visa that does not apply to everyone.
What are the single-entry and multiple-entry e-visas?
The prices for multiple-entry visas are different from single entry tourist visas. The multiple entry 1-year visas allow a 30-day stay in the country per visit. However, the visitor cannot extend the length of the stay per visit. It is valid for one year from the date of arrival in Oman. The recipient of the multi-entry e-visa should use it for the first time within six months of receiving it. A single-entry visa has a validity of 10 days. A 30-day single entry visa is valid for 30 days. You can extend both the visas by paying a nominal amount after entering Oman. You can usually extend a 10-day visa by an additional ten days and a 30-day single entry visa by another 30 days. The initial mode of application for the permit does not influence the extension period or fees.
How long does the approval process of Oman e-visa take?
The validation process of an Omani e-visa can vary between 30 minutes and 24 hours. You should get the approved e-visa in your given email address on the same day. You need to ensure that the documents you have provided are correct and there are no errors in the spellings of the personal details on the visa application. In case, you have not found your e-visa approval in your inbox; please do not forget to check your spam/bulk folder for the email.
