Residency and visas in Oman

A foreign-owned company in Oman that brings in managers or staff from abroad has to sponsor their residence and work permits, and an investor who wants to live in Oman needs a residence status of their own. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion’s business guide says employers can apply for work permits online, and its home page describes an Investor Residence Platform offering 5- or 10-year renewable permits. The permits are tied to the company’s licence and activities, so the order matters: the company is registered first, then the labour and immigration steps follow, and the bank, the lease and payroll depend on them.

Ask a firm which permits it handles itself and which it passes to a government relations agent, how long each step has taken for its recent clients, and which documents you must have attested in your home country before you travel. Ask how many work permits your activity and company size are likely to support, how medical tests and identity cards are scheduled, and who tracks renewal dates once everyone is in post. Get the government fees and the firm’s own fee shown separately in the quote.

Accountanty lists seven firms that help with residence and visas in Oman: five accounting firms and two corporate service providers. Five are small, one medium-sized and one part of a large network. Five say they focus on foreign clients, all seven work in English and two also in Arabic, and all are in Muscat. Staff on permits also need to be paid; see payroll in Oman.