Invest Easy

Activity is on the capped list. Either choose a different activity code or take an Omani partner with required share.

System requires tracing to natural persons. For holding companies, file each layer until reaching individual owners.

Check sub-layers: beneficial ownership current, OCCI subscription paid, MOL employer file clean, no open municipal fee.

MOL integration syncs daily. If real-time view differs from MOL portal, wait 24h or check directly on MOL.

Sync from OCCI can lag 24-48 hours. Use the OCCI receipt as evidence if asked.

ROP sponsor file integration may be limited. Use ROP portal directly for visa actions.

End-to-end incorporation typically takes 1-2 weeks once the M&AoA is drafted and notarised and the file is complete. Specific timelines depend on the activity, the share capital, and the regulatory clearances required (some activities need additional sectoral approvals).

Fees vary widely by company type (SPC vs LLC), share capital, and business activity. Standard incorporation fees, name reservation, M&AoA notarisation, CR issuance, business licence, and tax registration sit in different line items. Confirm specifics on business.gov.om before assuming a total.

Royal Decree 27/2026 modernised company governance, defined conversion procedures between company forms, and updated the qualification criteria for permitted managers. Companies that appointed management before the changes had until 11 July 2026 to re-register under the revised criteria, with non-compliance triggering penalties up to public prosecution referral.

Ministerial Decision 245/2025 introduced mandatory beneficial ownership records: every company must disclose the natural persons who ultimately own or control it, with the data filed through the electronic platform. Changes must be reported within statutory windows. This is now an ongoing compliance, not a one-off.

Yes. Foreign investors can register companies in Oman through Invest Easy, with the share capital, ownership, and activity rules varying by the foreign investment law in force and the specific activity. Some activities require Omani partners; others are 100% foreign-owned. Confirm with MOCIIP before structuring.

The primary surface is the web portal business.gov.om. MOCIIP has rolled out mobile-accessible flows; check the app stores for the latest official MOCIIP app if a mobile-first journey is required.

Late renewal triggers fines and can block the company from operating. Renew through Invest Easy 60 days before expiry; the platform sends reminders at 60 and 30 days. Severely overdue renewals can result in CR suspension.

Since the 2020 Commercial Companies Law amendments and subsequent ministerial decisions, the list of activities open to 100% foreign ownership has expanded substantially - most professional services, many trading activities, technology, and consulting are now open. Strategic sectors (energy production, certain media, some defence-related, some regulated financial services) retain Omani-ownership requirements. The Invest Easy platform validates activity codes against the current foreign-ownership list at the registration step; if the chosen activity is capped, the system requires an Omani partner with the relevant share. For startups planning foreign-funded operations, check the activity code against the published 'negative list' before paying registration fees. The Sanad service-centre network can pre-check eligibility for a small fee. Consultation with a local corporate lawyer is recommended for borderline cases.

Beneficial ownership disclosure is required under Article 33 of the Commercial Companies Law and applies to all registered Omani companies regardless of size. The disclosure identifies any natural person who ultimately owns or controls 25%+ of the company through direct or indirect shareholdings, voting rights, or other means of control. Filing is via Invest Easy > Beneficial Ownership and must be updated within 30 days of any change. For a typical small SME with two or three local shareholders, the filing is straightforward - identify each shareholder with their civil/passport details and percentage. For complex structures (foreign parent companies, trusts, holding companies), the disclosure traces through the chain to the natural persons. Non-compliance carries fines (typically OMR 100-1,000 depending on severity) and can block CR renewal. Annual confirmation of unchanged status is also required.

End-to-end CR (Commercial Registration) issuance through Invest Easy in 2026: (1) Register at business.gov.om with civil ID or passport and Omani mobile. (2) Reserve a trading name in Arabic and English; the system checks against existing CRs in real time and confirms within a short window. (3) Draft the Memorandum and Articles of Association in Arabic via a licensed legal professional; notarise. (4) Upload the notarised M&AoA, shareholder details, beneficial ownership declaration, address proof, and activity selection. (5) Pay incorporation fees through the integrated gateway (varies by company type and activity, typically OMR 150-500 for standard SPC/LLC). (6) MOCIIP issues the Certificate of Incorporation, CR Certificate with unique CR number, and Business Licence digitally with blockchain verification within 7-14 working days. (7) Pay OCCI subscription (from OMR 50/year). (8) Register with the Tax Authority and MOL. Total clean-case timeline: 2-3 weeks.

OCCI (Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry) subscription is mandatory for all registered Omani companies and is renewed through Invest Easy or directly on the OCCI portal. The subscription tiers were restructured in 2025: micro-businesses pay an entry tier of OMR 50/year, small businesses OMR 100-200, medium businesses OMR 300-500, and large enterprises OMR 1,000+. The tier is determined by paid-up capital, employee count, and annual turnover; OCCI re-assesses the tier annually based on the company's filed financial data. Subscription is a prerequisite for CR renewal - a lapsed OCCI subscription silently blocks CR renewal and downstream actions including work-permit issuance and MOFA attestation of corporate documents. Pay through Invest Easy or business.gov.om > OCCI Subscription, or directly via the OCCI portal. The receipt syncs to Invest Easy within 24-48 hours; keep the OCCI receipt as evidence if Invest Easy still shows the subscription as unpaid after 48 hours.

No, the Omani partner requirement was substantially liberalised through the 2020 Commercial Companies Law amendments and subsequent ministerial decisions. Most professional services, trading activities, technology, consulting, hospitality, and many manufacturing categories now allow 100% foreign ownership without an Omani partner. The Invest Easy platform validates the chosen activity code against the current 'open list' at the registration step - if the activity is on the open list, the foreign investor proceeds without Omani-partner requirement; if capped, the system requires an Omani partner with the specified minimum share. Strategic sectors that retain Omani-ownership requirements include some energy production, certain defence-adjacent activities, certain media, and some regulated financial services. The capped list is published on the MOCIIP website and updated periodically. For startups planning foreign-funded operations, check the activity code against the published 'negative list' before paying registration fees; consult a local corporate lawyer for borderline cases.

Most SPC (single-person company) and LLC (limited liability company) incorporations on Invest Easy require minimum paid-up capital of OMR 20,000, deposited in a blocked corporate bank account in Oman before CR issuance. The bank issues a Certificate of Capital Deposit which is uploaded to Invest Easy as part of the incorporation file. The capital is released to the operating account after MOCIIP confirms the CR in the corporate banking record - typically 7-14 working days after CR issuance. Higher-capital requirements apply to specific activities: financial services, insurance, certain industrial activities, and some regulated sectors can require OMR 50,000 to OMR 500,000+. The capital requirement is a one-time at incorporation; once released, there is no ongoing minimum-balance requirement, but reducing share capital below the original requires a formal capital-reduction procedure through Invest Easy. Free-zone companies and certain foreign-investment categories have different capital regimes - confirm with MOCIIP before structuring.