Oman Service Centres

Resident Cards are now available in three tiers under ROP Decision 78 of 2025 (effective 7 August 2025): one-year at OMR 5, two-year at OMR 10, or three-year at OMR 15. Multi-year cards must be paid upfront and are non-refundable on early cancellation. The card is the physical proof of residence linked to the underlying employment visa or family-joining visa. Replacement of a lost or damaged card is OMR 20 plus a fresh application. Apply through ROP eServices or visit a Sanad or ROP centre with passport, photo and SADAD-equivalent payment receipt.

ROP service centres and Sanad centres both issue the Good Conduct Certificate (Police Clearance) for residents at OMR 10 with a 7- to 14-day turnaround. The ROP eServices app allows online application for current residents with biometrics on file. Former residents must apply through the Omani embassy in their current country and almost always need fresh fingerprints on the destination country's police card (FBI for US, RCMP for Canada). Use the PCC abroad: stamp at MOFA Oman (OMR 10-20) then at the destination embassy.

Oman cancels an expat's residence automatically if the holder stays outside the Sultanate for six consecutive months. The rule is enforced through ROP Estimarah in near real time — the Resident Card is voided in the system within 72 hours of crossing the threshold even though the plastic card may still look valid. Re-entry then requires a fresh employment visa. The 2025 reforms tightened the rule and required sponsor verification before any extended-absence exception is granted. Check ROP Estimarah from abroad before booking your return flight.

ROP service centres in Muscat (Qurum) operate Sunday to Wednesday 07:30 to 22:00 and Thursday 07:30 to 14:00, closed Friday and Saturday. Other ROP locations follow shorter hours. Sanad centres typically operate Sunday to Thursday with reduced or no Friday hours; some Sanad operators run extended hours including Saturday for retail traffic. Ministry of Labour offices follow ministry hours Sunday to Thursday 07:30 to 14:30. Ramadan reduces all hours. ROP eServices and Invest Easy run uninterrupted seven days.

Yes. Dhamani mandatory health insurance under the Capital Markets Authority must be active for residence renewal across private-sector workers and their dependants. Cover is provided by approved insurers on the Dhamani panel only — a policy bought outside the panel does not register on ROP Estimarah and the renewal fails. Basic Dhamani for an expat worker runs OMR 50 to 150 per year; upgraded plans cost more. Add dependants under separate policies; newborn enrolment must happen within 30 days of birth to avoid a residence delay.

Invest Easy is Oman's flagship business-services portal under the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. It handles Commercial Registration (CR) at OMR 20 to 50, OCCI Chamber subscription, municipal trade-licence, MOFA stamps and the broader business-setup workflow. Most filings complete online without a centre visit. Sanad centres act as physical Invest Easy desks for users who need help. Foreign-owned LLCs in many activities now allow 100 percent ownership; some sectors require OMR 20,000 paid-up capital before the CR is finalised.

Omanisation sets a minimum percentage of Omani employees in each private-sector activity. Falling below the published quota blocks new expat work permits — the Ministry of Labour refuses issuance and renewal until the company restores compliance. Affected workers can transfer to compliant employers through the Ministry of Labour offices. Some sectors (oil and gas, banking, retail at point-of-sale) have stricter quotas. Check the company's current Omanisation status on the Ministry of Labour portal before signing an offer or renewing.

Oman charges OMR 10 per day for visa or residence overstay beyond the country's 30-day grace period after expiry. There is no formal daily cap and ROP retains discretion on enforcement, especially for medical-emergency or hardship cases. Visitor overstay is calculated from the visit-visa expiry date stamped on entry. Residence overstay is calculated from the Resident Card expiry. Pay before exit through ROP eServices or at a ROP centre; an unpaid overstay blocks the airport exit and triggers a re-entry review.

Yes. Oman's tourist eVisa is available through the ROP eVisa portal for many nationalities at OMR 20 to 50 depending on the visa type and duration. GCC nationals enter visa-free with a national ID card. Sanad and ROP centres are for residents, citizens and employer-sponsored cases — tourists are handled at the airport or through the eVisa portal. Visit-visa extensions for tourists can be filed at ROP centres if the visitor remains physically inside the Sultanate.