Spain has formally activated its long-negotiated visa-waiver accord with the Sultanate of Oman, abolishing short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports on both sides. The measure, published in Muscat’s Official Gazette on 4 January and confirmed by Spain’s foreign ministry a day later, is laid down in Royal Decree 3/2026 and took practical effect on 7 January 2026. Accredited officials may now enter either country for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without first applying for a Schengen or Omani sticker, cutting several weeks from the usual paperwork cycle([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-06/es/spain-oman-activate-visa-free-travel-for-diplomats-and-service-passport-holders/)).
Although limited to official passports, the deal removes one of the last administrative hurdles for a fast-growing bilateral agenda. Spain’s Navantia shipyards are bidding to modernise the Royal Omani Navy, while joint green-hydrogen and port-logistics projects are moving from memorandum to tender stage. Companies running government contracts in Muscat estimate the waiver will slash compliance costs by €300-€500 per trip and accelerate bid-team rotations([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-06/es/spain-oman-activate-visa-free-travel-for-diplomats-and-service-passport-holders/)).
![Spain and Oman Bring Diplomatic Visa-Free Agreement Into Force]()
Travel and document requirements can still be confusing for mixed teams of diplomats and ordinary passport holders, and that’s where VisaHQ comes in. Our portal consolidates the latest Spanish and Omani regulations and lets you check in seconds whether you qualify for the new waiver or still need a visa, then complete any remaining paperwork entirely online. Explore the streamlined tools at https://www.visahq.com/spain/ to keep every trip compliant and hassle-free.
Madrid will shortly publish a ministerial order instructing consulates to stop issuing visas in the affected categories and to annotate existing multiple-entry Schengen stickers as “exempt”. Oman’s Royal Police have issued a NOTAM to airlines and are updating their e-Visa platform so that carriers can board Spanish diplomatic travellers without a middleware check([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-06/es/spain-oman-activate-visa-free-travel-for-diplomats-and-service-passport-holders/)).
For multinationals, the practical advice is clear: remind executives that the waiver covers only official passports; ordinary business travellers must still respect the Schengen 90/180-day rule in Spain and Oman’s standard e-Visa scheme. Mobility managers should update policy decks and travel-booking bots so that staff with service passports are flagged as visa-exempt and can skip the usual lead time.
Although limited to official passports, the deal removes one of the last administrative hurdles for a fast-growing bilateral agenda. Spain’s Navantia shipyards are bidding to modernise the Royal Omani Navy, while joint green-hydrogen and port-logistics projects are moving from memorandum to tender stage. Companies running government contracts in Muscat estimate the waiver will slash compliance costs by €300-€500 per trip and accelerate bid-team rotations([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-06/es/spain-oman-activate-visa-free-travel-for-diplomats-and-service-passport-holders/)).
Travel and document requirements can still be confusing for mixed teams of diplomats and ordinary passport holders, and that’s where VisaHQ comes in. Our portal consolidates the latest Spanish and Omani regulations and lets you check in seconds whether you qualify for the new waiver or still need a visa, then complete any remaining paperwork entirely online. Explore the streamlined tools at https://www.visahq.com/spain/ to keep every trip compliant and hassle-free.
Madrid will shortly publish a ministerial order instructing consulates to stop issuing visas in the affected categories and to annotate existing multiple-entry Schengen stickers as “exempt”. Oman’s Royal Police have issued a NOTAM to airlines and are updating their e-Visa platform so that carriers can board Spanish diplomatic travellers without a middleware check([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-06/es/spain-oman-activate-visa-free-travel-for-diplomats-and-service-passport-holders/)).
For multinationals, the practical advice is clear: remind executives that the waiver covers only official passports; ordinary business travellers must still respect the Schengen 90/180-day rule in Spain and Oman’s standard e-Visa scheme. Mobility managers should update policy decks and travel-booking bots so that staff with service passports are flagged as visa-exempt and can skip the usual lead time.
