Friday 21 / March / 2025
Muscat: Expats working in Oman who plan on leaving the country by the end of this year are exempt from paying all fines related to their work permits.
The Ministry of Labour has said that this does not include fees and penalties owed to the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and other agencies of the Supreme Committee to deal with COVID-19.
“Employees from foreign countries are exempted from all fees and fines arising from work permits for non-Omani manpower,” said a statement from the ministry. “This is provided they leave the Sultanate for good, between the period of November 15 and December 31, 2020.
“This is in implementation of the decisions of the Supreme Committee, to facilitate the waiving off of fines payable by the country’s foreign workforce,” added the statement.
“The Ministry of Labour announces that they are allowed to leave for their countries.”
To be eligible for this waiver from fines, expats leaving the country have to visit the Ministry of Labour’s office at Muscat International Airport, prior to checking in, with their travel documents, PCR tests, and plane tickets, and must adhere to the precautionary conditions of their home country.
Additionally, expats whose passports have expired but need to travel need to first renew their passports at their embassies, and then proceed to exit the country like anyone else.
“Employers should update the status of their foreign workers once they have left the country,” said the ministry statement.
“Those who have any claims against their employees must approach the required authorities within a week of their staff leaving the country, with evidence of these claims uploaded onto the ministry’s website.”
Adding to this, an official from the ministry, speaking to the Times of Oman, said, “This includes the exemption of all work-related fines, such as work permits, commercial records, residence cards, and all other documents linked to the Ministry of Labour, but only if they choose to leave the Sultanate permanently. This concerns all fines owed, irrespective of the period for which they are due, be they a month or a year.”
