Friday 19 / April / 2024
Muscat: A new online e-Visa system unveiled by the Royal Oman Police in the presence of His Excellency Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, should make visiting Oman much easier.
The new simplified online system is designed to make it easier for hotels and some tour operators to book travel visas for guests arriving in Oman. Tourists planning a trip can also apply directly through the portal.
A statement from the ROP read, "You can apply from anywhere in the world, and, and receive the visa in five minutes. All it takes are three steps. We hope to increase online visa procedures to greatly exceed those who apply otherwise, from two per cent online as it currently stands, to 98 per cent online."
The new website created by the Royal Oman Police allows citizens to enter their nationality and whether they are resident in Oman or not. They are then shown the various visa types they can apply for.
The application can be made online and sponsors can also use the site to register.
As of now, only two types of visas available — business and tourist visas, and they're only available to members of List 1-67 countries, and residents of the GCC with the approved job titles (116 job titles).
Even expats who own properties in the Sultanate can renew or obtain their documents via the site.
With the new e-visa system introduced, visiting Oman has become a lot easier to those who are coming to the Sultanate on holiday, for business, or just to visit their families, according to the police, who say it will help cut waiting times.
To sign up for an e-visa, visit www.evisa.rop.gov.om, register with a user name and password, and then select the visa of your choice before finalising your payment.
The move could directly help Oman's economic diversification plans, with the new visa system allowing for easier travel in and out of the country for tourists and investors.
