The Royal Oman Police (ROP) immigration department has quietly revived its in-country visa-extension service, allowing holders of UAE residence visas who entered Oman on a 14-day visa-on-arrival to renew for a further 28 days without leaving the country. Travel & Tour World confirmed the policy shift on 29 March after expatriates queued at Muscat’s Qurum service centre for same-day extensions. The change is a lifeline for thousands of UAE-based contractors, freelancers and remote workers who decamped to Muscat after February’s missile barrage forced prolonged closures at Dubai (DXB/DWC) and Abu Dhabi (AUH) airports. Previously, over-stayers had to exit—usually via the busy Hatta or Wajaja land crossings—before re-entering Oman, creating bottlenecks and additional costs. Under the reinstated rules, applicants must show a valid UAE residency visa, a confirmed Omani address and proof of funds.
![Oman reinstates in-country visa extensions for UAE residents stranded by regional flight chaos]()
Whether you’re figuring out Oman’s reinstated extension or coordinating paperwork for other Gulf countries, VisaHQ can simplify the red tape. Their platform tracks the latest regional requirements and helps UAE residents secure the right documents, book appointments and stay compliant—visit https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/ for more information.
One extension costs OMR 20 (USD 52); further renewals will require leaving Oman. Overstay penalties remain at OMR 10 per day. Crucially, the extension does not grant work rights in Oman, so UAE employees temporarily operating from Muscat must avoid generating Omani-sourced income that could trigger tax-residency obligations now being enforced under Oman’s 2024 Income Tax Law. For mobility managers, the development eases an acute compliance headache: employees who cannot yet fly back to the UAE can regularise their stay without risky ‘visa-runs’. HR teams should, however, track days spent in Oman to prevent accidental tax liabilities and ensure health-insurance cover remains valid outside the UAE. Employers may also need to issue remote-work addenda clarifying jurisdictional law and dispute resolution while staff remain abroad. The episode illustrates how swiftly neighbouring Gulf states can adapt immigration policy to regional crises, offering valuable contingency options for GCC-wide mobility programmes.
Whether you’re figuring out Oman’s reinstated extension or coordinating paperwork for other Gulf countries, VisaHQ can simplify the red tape. Their platform tracks the latest regional requirements and helps UAE residents secure the right documents, book appointments and stay compliant—visit https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/ for more information.
One extension costs OMR 20 (USD 52); further renewals will require leaving Oman. Overstay penalties remain at OMR 10 per day. Crucially, the extension does not grant work rights in Oman, so UAE employees temporarily operating from Muscat must avoid generating Omani-sourced income that could trigger tax-residency obligations now being enforced under Oman’s 2024 Income Tax Law. For mobility managers, the development eases an acute compliance headache: employees who cannot yet fly back to the UAE can regularise their stay without risky ‘visa-runs’. HR teams should, however, track days spent in Oman to prevent accidental tax liabilities and ensure health-insurance cover remains valid outside the UAE. Employers may also need to issue remote-work addenda clarifying jurisdictional law and dispute resolution while staff remain abroad. The episode illustrates how swiftly neighbouring Gulf states can adapt immigration policy to regional crises, offering valuable contingency options for GCC-wide mobility programmes.
