Spain has formally completed a long-negotiated agreement with the Sultanate of Oman that abolishes short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports from both countries. Royal Decree 3/2026, signed by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and published in Muscat’s Official Gazette on 4 January 2026, gives domestic legal effect to the deal that Madrid and Muscat initialled on 5 November 2025. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on 5 January that the waiver is now fully in force, meaning accredited officials can travel for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without first obtaining a Schengen or Omani entry visa.
Background discussions began in 2022 as part of Spain’s strategy to deepen ties with Gulf states beyond energy purchases. Although the exemption is reciprocal, it is particularly significant for Spanish officials because Oman—unlike most Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members—is not part of the EU’s visa-free list for ordinary passports. Officials previously had to apply for multiple-entry Schengen category C visas or short-stay Omani e-visas, incurring processing fees and lead times that complicated ministerial visits.
For travellers who still fall outside the scope of this diplomatic waiver—such as ordinary passport holders or contractors accompanying official delegations—online facilitators like VisaHQ offer a fast, practical alternative to navigating embassy queues. The company’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) consolidates the latest Schengen requirements, generates customised document checklists and provides courier options that can shave days off the application timeline, ensuring trips proceed smoothly even when last-minute changes arise.
![Spain and Oman ratify mutual visa-free travel for diplomatic and service passports]()
Practical impact: Spanish diplomats travelling to Muscat to advance naval and hydrogen-corridor projects can now book short-notice trips without waiting for paperwork, while Omani delegations visiting Spanish ship-builder Navantia’s yards in Ferrol or Cádiz avoid Schengen bureaucracy. Companies that supply equipment to the Spanish Armed Forces have welcomed the move, arguing that it removes one of the last procedural frictions for high-level defence cooperation.
The waiver does not extend to ordinary passport holders, but officials note it may pave the way for broader mobility discussions under the EU-GCC dialogue. Travellers must still carry passports valid for at least six months, proof of onward travel, and, where relevant, mission orders. Both governments advise checking that the total stay across the Schengen Area does not exceed the 90/180-day rule.
Legal next steps: Spain will publish an accompanying ministerial order instructing consulates to cease issuing Schengen visas in the affected categories and to annotate existing multiple-entry visas as ‘exempt’. Oman’s Royal Police will update its e-Visa platform to flag eligible travellers, and carriers will receive a NOTAM clarifying boarding rules.
Background discussions began in 2022 as part of Spain’s strategy to deepen ties with Gulf states beyond energy purchases. Although the exemption is reciprocal, it is particularly significant for Spanish officials because Oman—unlike most Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members—is not part of the EU’s visa-free list for ordinary passports. Officials previously had to apply for multiple-entry Schengen category C visas or short-stay Omani e-visas, incurring processing fees and lead times that complicated ministerial visits.
For travellers who still fall outside the scope of this diplomatic waiver—such as ordinary passport holders or contractors accompanying official delegations—online facilitators like VisaHQ offer a fast, practical alternative to navigating embassy queues. The company’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) consolidates the latest Schengen requirements, generates customised document checklists and provides courier options that can shave days off the application timeline, ensuring trips proceed smoothly even when last-minute changes arise.
Practical impact: Spanish diplomats travelling to Muscat to advance naval and hydrogen-corridor projects can now book short-notice trips without waiting for paperwork, while Omani delegations visiting Spanish ship-builder Navantia’s yards in Ferrol or Cádiz avoid Schengen bureaucracy. Companies that supply equipment to the Spanish Armed Forces have welcomed the move, arguing that it removes one of the last procedural frictions for high-level defence cooperation.
The waiver does not extend to ordinary passport holders, but officials note it may pave the way for broader mobility discussions under the EU-GCC dialogue. Travellers must still carry passports valid for at least six months, proof of onward travel, and, where relevant, mission orders. Both governments advise checking that the total stay across the Schengen Area does not exceed the 90/180-day rule.
Legal next steps: Spain will publish an accompanying ministerial order instructing consulates to cease issuing Schengen visas in the affected categories and to annotate existing multiple-entry visas as ‘exempt’. Oman’s Royal Police will update its e-Visa platform to flag eligible travellers, and carriers will receive a NOTAM clarifying boarding rules.
