In recent years, Oman has been actively developing its economy and attracting foreign labor. Almost half of the country's population is made up of expat workers, mainly from Bangladesh, India, Morocco, Jordan, Pakistan and the Philippines. Find out what it takes to get a job here in 2024

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Oman is a country in the Middle East, which is located on the Arabian Peninsula. Oman is known for its modern infrastructure, rich culture and heritage, and hospitable local population.

Over the past few decades, this Arab country has become a great place to work and live, given the many job opportunities and the lively atmosphere it offers.

Benefits of employment in Oman

- Oman offers a stable and business-friendly environment, making it an attractive place to employ skilled professionals.

- The country's strategic location provides easy access to key markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, facilitating international business opportunities.

- The Omani government is actively promoting economic diversification by investing in infrastructure and education to support workforce development and innovation.

- With a growing economy and various investment incentives, employment in Oman can provide access to a talented and motivated workforce, while providing a favorable business environment.

Work visa to Oman

Foreigners cannot work in Oman on a tourist or visitor visa. For legal employment, it is necessary to issue a work visa. The following types of work visas are available to Nazari in the country:

Sponsored resident work visa

This is the most common type of work visa in Oman, which allows a foreigner to work and live in the country. The main requirement is that an Omani employer or company must sponsor the visa applicant.

If the visa is approved, the visa holder can legally reside and work in the country for a fixed period of two years. During this time, the Omani employer or company is responsible for their employee's stay. In addition, the employer is also responsible for obtaining a work visa and resident card along with a residence permit for legal stay in the country.

Sponsored short-term work visa

If you want to work in Oman for a limited short period of time, you need to apply for a sponsored short-term work visa. The conditions for obtaining a visa are similar to the previous visa, the only difference is that it is issued for a shorter period of time. The visa is multiple-entry, and its validity period is 3, 6, 9 or 12 months, depending on the period specified in the employment permit.

Sponsored resident investment visa

If you want to come to Oman as an investor, you can apply for this visa. On the basis of this permit, a foreign citizen can stay in the country to conduct various business activities and make investments. As mentioned above, this is a sponsored visa, the visa applicant is sponsored by an Omani partner or company in which he plans to invest.

The length of stay with an investment visa in Oman depends on several factors such as the type of investment, visa subcategory, etc. In addition, this type of visa may require a work permit.

Sponsored family visa

A family visa can be obtained by close relatives (mainly spouses and children under the age of 21) of a foreigner working in Oman. This permit is also issued by the foreign partner of an Omani citizen, provided that the Ministry of Interior confirms their marriage.

The family visa is valid for two years from the date on your passport. In addition, it is a multiple-entry visa.

In order to safely move, travel or work in a new country, you will need health insurance. You can issue an extended policy on our website using the link.

Requirements for an expat to obtain a work visa in Oman

In general, to be eligible to apply for a work visa in Oman, an expat must meet the following criteria:

- Applicants for a work visa must be between 21 and 60 years old.

- The visa applicant's employer must be an Omani citizen and run a legally registered enterprise or company.

- The applicant must indicate the same profession in the work visa as well as in the work permit.

- The visa applicant's personal and professional data must match the data specified in the work permit issued by the government.

A package of documents for obtaining a work visa in Oman

- A copy of the employee's passport, which is valid for at least 6 months.

- 2 passport photos of the employee (white background, 6*4 cm)

- Work permit/license issued by the Ministry of Labor.

- Medical certificate of the employee, which has been verified and certified by the Ministry of Health of Oman.

- Education certificates and employee transcripts.

- Job offer or letter of invitation from the employer's registered company.

- Attestation of the Embassy of Oman in the country of residence of the employee.

- Attestation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

- Omanisation plan showing vacancies that the employer has filled with Omani nationals.

Note that visa documents must be submitted to the relevant authorities by an Omani employer who is willing to sponsor you. The expat exclusively gives him his personal documents to complete the visa process.

In addition, there may be some additional requirements depending on your job and visa type. So, make sure you know about them before you start the application process.

The procedure for obtaining a work visa to Oman is a step-by-step guide

As mentioned earlier, the work visa process is initiated by the Omani employer on behalf of the foreign worker. Below are step-by-step instructions for this procedure:

Step 1 – Obtain a work license from the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) of Oman

The employer is obliged to submit an application to the MM authorities. After receiving permission, they can legally hire foreign nationals.

Step 2 – an expat job offer

Employers must then send a job offer or invitation to the appropriate employee they wish to hire.

Step 3 – apply for a visa

Employers must apply for a visa to the Omani Immigration Department on behalf of the employee.

Step 4 – obtaining a work permit

Once the visa application is approved, workers must obtain a residence permit to be legally in the country while working.

Step 5 – obtaining a residence card

Upon arrival in Oman, the employee must visit the Omani Civil Status Department to obtain a residence card. This must be done within 30 days of arrival in the country.

How long does it take to get a work visa to Oman?

The permit process can take anywhere from 7 days to a month, depending on your employer, specific workforce regulations, policies, company location, your educational qualifications, etc.

How can an expat find a job in Oman?

Since working in Oman on a visitor visa is prohibited, expats must have a solid job offer before arriving in the country.

There are many job portals and online platforms to find a job in Oman, including LinkedIn and Indeed.

Employment agents and removals firms are a more expensive alternative, but can provide personalized assistance.

Work schedule in Oman

In Oman, the standard working day is 45 hours per week, nine hours per day. However, during Ramadan, working hours for workers are reduced to 30 hours per week (six hours per day).

If an employee works more than 45 hours in a week, the employer must pay him an overtime rate equivalent to his basic salary, plus an additional 25% for day overtime and 50% for night overtime.

Minimum wage in Oman

The minimum wage in Oman is 325 Omani Rials per month, of which 225 Omani Rials is the basic salary and an additional 100 Omani Rials as a bonus.

Tax contributions from the wages of employees - the employee pays about 8% of contributions, of which 7% goes to the social security fund, and 1% to the job security fund.

Work culture in Oman

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with Arab business culture, which differs in some aspects from Western norms. Omani workers have a strong work ethic and value loyalty, honesty, modesty and the ability to develop personal relationships with colleagues. Most importantly, expats must maintain respect for the tenets of Islam, which plays an important role in the daily lives of fellow Omanis.

 And yet, while Oman is more progressive than neighboring countries, it can still feel prejudiced and antiquated towards women.

We will remind you! Qatar is a country located in the Middle East and is one of the largest exporters of natural gas and oil in the world, the income from which forms the basis of its economy. Given the high standard of living, the country attracts expats. However, the employment procedure in Qatar has certain peculiarities. We talked about the Qatari labor market, available vacancies, visa application features earlier.

Igor Usyk - Head of Migration department at VisitWorld

To ensure a safe move to a new country, I advise you to consult a specialist. My colleagues, qualified specialists with a legal education, will help you avoid unpleasant situations during migration.

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