The coronavirus pandemic has affected international travel dramatically for countries around the world. Many governments had to shut borders and enforce strict travel restrictions.
Oman was hit by the pandemic, but fortunately not as hard as other countries — at the time of writing, the total number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in the Sultanate is 2,565 and there are no new cases recorded.
The Gulf country normally welcomes international visitors and has implemented a new online system to request the Oman tourist visa more conveniently. However, the health and safety of Omani citizens and visitors is the priority at the moment — in 2020, the Government had to suspend the issuance of visas and close borders temporarily to prevent the virus from spreading. For months, Omani nationals were the only ones admitted into the Sultanate.
With vaccination campaigns rolling out internationally, the situation seems to be finally improving and the Sultanate is slowly lifting travel restrictions. It is now possible to apply for and obtain Omani visas again (although visas on arrival are not available.) However, things are not quite back to normal yet.
The complete travel ban list for Oman
Oman has recently issued a list of countries that are considered at high-risk. Travellers who have visited or transited through these countries cannot enter Oman at the moment, even when they hold a valid Omani visa.
Find below the travel ban country list for Oman:
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- India
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- United Kingdom
- Vietnam
If you are a foreign visitor holding a regular passport and have been in one of the above countries in the past 14 days, you will not be able to access Oman. But if you have a diplomatic or Omani passport, the above does not apply to you — Omani nationals and diplomats travelling on duty are exempt from the entry ban.
How to Enter Oman during COVID-19?
Even those who can enter the country must do so following some extraordinary rules put into place during the pandemic.
For example, passengers must hold negative PCR test results for coronavirus. The test must have been taken at most 72 hours before arriving in Oman and must be written in English or Arabic. If the flight to Oman lasts longer than 8 hours, passengers can take the PCR test as early as 96 hours before arrival.
Some individuals are exempt from the PCR test requirement for Oman. These are:
- Nationals of Oman who, after recovering from COVID-19, get a positive COVID-19 PCR test result. They must prove that they completed the quarantine period before taking the test
- Passengers younger than 16 years of age
Once they arrive in Oman, passengers are subject to new COVID-19 PCR testing. Children younger than 16 years of age and holders of diplomatic passports travelling on duty are exempt.
Some passengers may be subject to quarantine upon arrival at their own expense. That is why all visitors must have a hotel reservation with a government-approved establishment.
The below individuals are exempt from the quarantine requirements:
- Nationals of Oman
- Individuals younger than 18 years travelling alone
- Passengers older than 60 years
- Passengers with an authorisation from the Health Authorities
- Passengers with a permit for private institutional isolation centers that are pre-approved by the Relief and Shelter Sector
All foreign citizens must have proof of health insurance coverage for at least one month, and it is mandatory to download the Tarassud+ app and the Hmushrif app before departure.
Is Oman Safe for Visitors?
The global coronavirus pandemic is not under control yet. This means that there is still a risk of getting infected when leaving the house and interacting with other people. However, the situation is improving rapidly in 2021.
Oman has approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer BioNTech vaccines for use. The Sultanate’s vaccination campaign gave priority to individuals over 60 years of age, individuals with chronic disease (diabetes, kidney failure on dialysis, chronic lung diseases) and health care workers providing direct care to COVID-19 patients.
The Government has introduced several measures to curb the spread of the virus. A lockdown is currently in place with the closure of most commercial activities between 8:00 pm and 4:00 am. Commercial entities, shops, restaurants, and cafes are only allowed visitors at 50% of their capacity and the use of masks is mandatory in public spaces.
By following the instructions and advice of the Omani Government and practicing social distancing, you will dramatically reduce your risk of getting infected.