Immigration
Sponsored residence with an investor residency programme
Residence is normally employer-sponsored. The Investor Residency Programme launched in 2021 offers five and ten year self-sponsored residence.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Royal Oman Police, Directorate General of Passports and Residence.
- Deadline — Residence cards generally valid 2 years and renewable
- Deadline — Investor residency 5 or 10 years depending on investment level
Governing law
- Foreigners' Residence Law, Royal Decree 16 of 1995
- Investor Residency Programme 2021
- Ministerial decisions on labour clearance and NOC
In practice
Oman's Investor Residency Programme grants five or ten year self-sponsored residence against qualifying investment or property purchase in an ITC, with family inclusion, and it is the route that decouples status from an employer. For ordinary sponsored workers, the no-objection certificate that formerly barred a departing worker from re-entering Oman to work for two years has been relaxed, which materially improved mobility. Naturalisation requires long continuous residence and is discretionary, and Omani nationality law does not permit dual nationality without permission.