China has singled out the Sultanate of Oman as the latest beneficiary of its expanding visa-waiver diplomacy. Speaking at a press briefing in Muscat on 13 November 2025, officials from the Chinese Embassy confirmed that Omani ordinary-passport holders will continue to enjoy visa-free entry to mainland China until at least 31 December 2026.
The arrangement, first introduced in 2024, permits stays of up to 30 days for tourism, medical treatment, business meetings or cultural exchange. According to Gulf carrier SalamAir, bookings on its Muscat–Guangzhou service jumped 42 % within six hours of the announcement, underscoring pent-up demand for China travel in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
![China grants Omani citizens visa-free access until 2026]()
For Chinese companies operating in energy, logistics and infrastructure projects across Oman, the extension simplifies reciprocal mobility by reducing paperwork for visiting Omani engineers, suppliers and government delegations. Similarly, Omani SMEs eyeing China’s Canton Fair or Yiwu commodity markets can now dispatch buyers with minimal lead time, improving supply-chain agility.
The policy dovetails with Beijing’s broader Middle-East outreach, which has recently included mutual visa waivers with the UAE and Qatar and the launch of renminbi-settled crude contracts on the Shanghai Petroleum and Natural Gas Exchange. Analysts view the facilitation as both a soft-power gesture and a pragmatic tool to deepen bilateral trade, which surged 28 % year-on-year to US $32 billion in the first nine months of 2025.
Corporates should note that visa-free entry does not exempt Omani visitors from China’s standard entry declarations or, where applicable, work-permit requirements for on-site installations. Mobility teams are advised to keep invitation letters on hand to substantiate the purpose of travel during border inspections.
The arrangement, first introduced in 2024, permits stays of up to 30 days for tourism, medical treatment, business meetings or cultural exchange. According to Gulf carrier SalamAir, bookings on its Muscat–Guangzhou service jumped 42 % within six hours of the announcement, underscoring pent-up demand for China travel in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
For Chinese companies operating in energy, logistics and infrastructure projects across Oman, the extension simplifies reciprocal mobility by reducing paperwork for visiting Omani engineers, suppliers and government delegations. Similarly, Omani SMEs eyeing China’s Canton Fair or Yiwu commodity markets can now dispatch buyers with minimal lead time, improving supply-chain agility.
The policy dovetails with Beijing’s broader Middle-East outreach, which has recently included mutual visa waivers with the UAE and Qatar and the launch of renminbi-settled crude contracts on the Shanghai Petroleum and Natural Gas Exchange. Analysts view the facilitation as both a soft-power gesture and a pragmatic tool to deepen bilateral trade, which surged 28 % year-on-year to US $32 billion in the first nine months of 2025.
Corporates should note that visa-free entry does not exempt Omani visitors from China’s standard entry declarations or, where applicable, work-permit requirements for on-site installations. Mobility teams are advised to keep invitation letters on hand to substantiate the purpose of travel during border inspections.
