Expats outside Oman for over 180 days need new visa

Muscat: Any expatriate who stayed outside the Sultanate for more than 180 days and has an expired residence permit will have to apply for a new work visa to return to the Sultanate, an official in the Royal Oman Police stated.

Due to the pandemic and the suspension of air traffic, the Sultanate had established a number of facilities for expatriates with residency permits stranded abroad, including the possibility of renewing their residency from abroad, even if their stay outside the Sultanate had exceeded the legally permitted period of 6 months.

Major Mohammed Al Hashami of Royal Oman Police said: "Now, with the return of air traffic to what it is and the decisions issued by the Supreme Committee, these facilities have been stopped and the situation has returned to the same as before. The Police issued a circular for expatriates whose residency had expired while they were abroad to request employers to issue a new work visa so that they could return to the Sultanate."