Oman – Citizenship

Who is eligible to apply for citizenship in Oman?

The Omani Nationality Law sets out the framework governing who may become a citizen of Oman and under what conditions. The legislation establishes distinct pathways through which individuals may acquire nationality, encompassing birth, marriage to an Omani national, and naturalisation after a prolonged period of lawful residence. In practical terms, there are four primary routes: through marriage, through naturalisation, through descent, or through recognition of exceptional service to the nation.

Citizenship by descent

A child born to an Omani father — regardless of where the birth takes place — is automatically an Omani citizen by descent. The same applies to a child born to an Omani mother where the father is unknown. Children born abroad to an Omani father are required to visit Oman before reaching the age of 18 in order to formally register their citizenship. Children born within Oman whose parents are both unknown are equally recognised as citizens.

Children born to an Omani mother and a foreign father face additional conditions before being eligible for nationality: the father must have died or the parents must have been divorced for more than ten years, the marriage itself must have been sanctioned by the relevant authorities, and the children must be living under the mother’s care with her formal consent to submit the application. Those who already hold another citizenship and wish to claim nationality by descent would be required to relinquish that citizenship before Omani nationality is formally conferred.

Naturalisation

Under Article 17 of the Law, a foreign national may seek Omani citizenship provided they have resided lawfully and continuously in the Sultanate for no fewer than 15 years — with absences of up to 90 days in any single year not breaking that continuity — are able to read and write Arabic fluently, are of good character, have no convictions for a felony or a crime of dishonour or breach of trust, are in good health and free from communicable diseases, and can demonstrate a legitimate income sufficient to support themselves and any dependants.

Meeting the residency threshold does not create an automatic entitlement to citizenship. The government retains complete discretionary authority to approve or reject any naturalisation application, a position that differs markedly from systems such as those in Germany or Canada, where satisfying the statutory conditions generally gives rise to a legally enforceable right to have an application considered on its merits. In Oman, the Ministry of Interior may decline without providing any explanation.

Citizenship by marriage

A foreign woman who is married to an Omani man may apply for citizenship once the marriage has lasted at least eight years and she has continuously resided in Oman throughout that period. Marriage to an Omani national does not confer automatic citizenship, nor does it exempt an applicant from the requirements relating to language ability, financial standing, and good conduct.

A foreign woman widowed by an Omani husband must have lived in Oman for at least six years following his death; a foreign woman who has been divorced from an Omani national must have been married to him for at least eight years prior to the divorce. In both situations, having at least one child with the Omani spouse is a prerequisite. Foreign men married to Omani women are not entitled to the reduced residency pathway and must instead satisfy the standard 20-year requirement.

Special merit and exceptional contribution

Oman does not operate a formal citizenship by investment programme, and no foreign national is entitled to citizenship solely on the basis of how long they have resided in the country. Nevertheless, the Sultan holds the authority to confer citizenship by Royal Decree on individuals judged to have made outstanding contributions to the nation. By way of illustration, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq issued Royal Decree No. 94/2025 granting Omani citizenship to 45 individuals, reflecting the Sultanate’s practice of formally honouring those who have demonstrated genuine commitment and loyalty to Oman.

What are the steps involved in applying for citizenship in Oman?

The Directorate General of Civil Status, operating under the Ministry of Interior, is the body responsible for administering Oman’s nationality legislation. All citizenship applications must pass through this authority. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the Royal Oman Police website and the Ministry of Interior website regularly for the most current fees and procedural guidance, as these are subject to change.

1. Verify your eligibility. Before beginning the process, confirm that you satisfy all residency, language proficiency, financial, and conduct requirements. Applications that are incomplete or premature will be rejected, and there may be a mandatory waiting period before a fresh application can be lodged.
2. Compile your documentation. Assemble all required supporting documents, obtain certified Arabic translations of any materials in a foreign language, and arrange for authentication and legalisation of documents issued outside Oman. Documents typically required include police clearance certificates from Oman and every country in which you have previously lived, employment records or company registration documents, financial statements or evidence of property ownership, a certificate of Arabic language proficiency issued by an authorised examining body, a medical fitness certificate from an approved Omani healthcare provider, and letters of character reference from recognised Omani nationals or community leaders.
3. Lodge the application. Present the completed application package to the Directorate General of Civil Status within the Ministry of Interior. Regional offices in Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, and other governorates are available to residents in those areas. The application fee stands at OMR 600 for general applicants and OMR 300 for the spouses or former spouses of Omani nationals (per the 2019 executive regulation — verify current figures with the Ministry of Interior before applying).
4. Background verification. The Directorate General of Civil Status initiates background checks in coordination with the Royal Oman Police, the Ministry of Labour, and other relevant government agencies to confirm residency history and other pertinent records.
5. Committee assessment and interview. A dedicated nationality committee examines the application, weighing the applicant’s level of integration into Omani society, Arabic language ability, financial standing, and overall suitability. The committee may call for supplementary documents or arrange a face-to-face interview.
6. Outcome and notification. Applicants whose submissions are approved receive formal notification from the Directorate General of Civil Status. Before the citizenship certificate and national identity card are issued, the applicant must formally renounce their prior nationality.
7. Collect your passport. Following the grant of citizenship, new nationals must return to the Ministry to complete the procedure for an Omani passport — including for any minor children who acquire citizenship simultaneously — within six months. Article 16 of the law sets out this requirement explicitly.

The time required to process a naturalisation application varies from several months to a number of years, depending on the complexity of the individual’s circumstances and the workload of the reviewing authorities. No official processing timeline has been published. Those seeking current guidance are advised to contact the Ministry of Interior directly.

What tests, interviews, or ceremonies are required as part of the citizenship process in Oman?

The application process involves an interview with an immigration official and an assessment covering knowledge of the Arabic language and familiarity with Omani history and culture. Unlike countries such as the UK or Australia — where language tests and civic knowledge assessments are typically completed at independent testing centres before the application is even submitted — in Oman these evaluations are conducted at the Ministry itself.

Applicants are required to take an Arabic language examination, which may take either a written or conversational format and is administered at the Ministry. Those who are unsuccessful in their first attempt may retake the exam after a six-month interval and are permitted up to four attempts in total.

Beyond the language assessment, applicants must demonstrate good character, satisfactory health, and freedom from infectious diseases. They must also show evidence of their ongoing life and employment in Oman, and confirm that no legal proceedings are pending against them. A medical certificate attesting that the applicant does not carry any communicable diseases must be submitted as part of the documentation.

There is no formal public ceremony comparable to the citizenship ceremonies held in countries such as Canada or Australia. The process is predominantly administrative in nature, concluding with the issuance of a citizenship certificate and a national identity card by the Directorate General of Civil Status. New Omani citizens are restricted from spending more than six consecutive months abroad during the first ten years following the grant of their citizenship, unless they have secured prior permission from the Ministry of Interior.

What are the benefits of citizenship in Oman?

Omani citizenship grants the unconditional right to live and work in the country without the need for a visa, work authorisation, or periodic residency renewal. For those who have spent years managing employer-linked sponsorship arrangements and residency permits, this represents a substantial and tangible improvement in their day-to-day circumstances.

As of 2025, Omani citizens enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 86 countries and territories, placing the Omani passport 60th globally according to the Henley & Partners Passport Index. By July 2025, that figure had risen to 88 countries, with destinations including Malaysia, Turkey, Thailand, Russia, China, and all fellow GCC member states accessible without a prior visa.

Citizens benefit from government subsidies covering electricity, water, and fuel costs. The Oman Vision 2040 development strategy incorporates incentives targeted at businesses and investors to foster economic expansion and diversification. Citizens also have access to state-provided services including education and scholarship programmes.

Holding Omani citizenship opens the door to positions in the public sector and government bodies that are reserved exclusively for nationals, as well as rights to acquire land and property on terms unavailable to foreign residents. Citizens are entitled to participate in Oman’s political processes, including the right to vote. Collectively, these rights place citizens in a fundamentally stronger legal position than long-term residents, who remain tied to sponsor-dependent visa arrangements and lack the same security and permanence of status.

Does Oman allow dual citizenship, or will you have to renounce your existing nationality?

Omani law prohibits its citizens from holding any other nationality simultaneously unless the Sultan has personally granted an exemption by Royal Decree. Combining Omani citizenship with that of any other country is therefore unlawful under the current legislation, save for those rare instances where a Royal Decree authorises an exception. This is a firm stance — quite unlike countries such as France, Australia, or the United Kingdom, which broadly permit their nationals to hold more than one passport — and renunciation of the prior nationality is a condition that must be fulfilled before Omani citizenship is formally issued.

Applicants should take care not to take any irreversible steps with regard to their existing nationality until they have received written confirmation that their Omani citizenship application has been approved. The law maintains the principle that dual nationality may only be permitted in exceptional circumstances by Royal Decree, based on a recommendation from the Minister of the Interior, but provides no further specification of the conditions under which such an exception might be granted.

Individuals who are nationals of a country that does not allow voluntary renunciation will face practical complications that need to be addressed before or during the Omani application process. It is equally important to investigate the rules of your country of origin before proceeding: some states treat the acquisition of another nationality as grounds for automatic loss of the original, while others require a formal renunciation submission. Consulting the relevant immigration or foreign affairs authority in your home country before taking any steps is strongly advisable.

Under Article 23 of the law, any Omani national who acquires a foreign nationality in contravention of the legislation will automatically forfeit their Omani citizenship. Additionally, a foreigner who obtains Omani citizenship through marriage to an Omani woman will lose that citizenship if the marriage ends in divorce or desertion within five years of the grant.

How long does it typically take to become a citizen of Oman?

The total journey from arriving in Oman to receiving citizenship is a lengthy one. The qualifying residency period alone — which must be completed before an application can even be submitted — stands at a minimum of 15 years for most foreign nationals under Royal Decree No. 17/2025 as of 2025. For foreign wives of Omani men, the minimum combined period of marriage and residence is eight years before an application may be made.

Maintaining continuous residence means the applicant must not be absent from Oman for more than 90 days in any given year. This threshold — a maximum of 90 days’ absence per year over a period of at least 15 years — is comparatively strict when set against systems such as those in Spain or Portugal, where absence tolerances are in some cases more generous.

Once an application has been submitted, processing can take anywhere from several months to multiple years, depending on the applicant’s individual circumstances and the volume of cases being handled at the time. No official processing benchmark has been published. In practice, the realistic total timeframe from first arriving in Oman as a resident to receiving citizenship spans a minimum of 15 to 20 or more years in most cases, and may extend further if the application requires prolonged committee review.

For the latest information on processing times, applicants should contact the Ministry of Interior directly, as no official figures are published and timelines may shift in response to changes in application volumes or government policy.

What are the main reasons an application for citizenship in Oman might be refused?

All applications are examined and decided upon by the Ministry of Interior in accordance with the procedures set out in the relevant regulations. The Ministry is entitled to refuse any application without offering reasons for its decision — a significant contrast to many other naturalisation systems, where a refusal must be reasoned and the applicant has recourse to an appeal.

The most common grounds likely to result in an unsuccessful application include:

• Insufficient residency: Failure to establish lawful, uninterrupted residence in Oman for a minimum of 15 years, with absences not exceeding 90 days in any single year.
• Criminal history: A previous conviction for a felony or any offence involving dishonour or breach of trust, even if the applicant’s standing has since been restored.
• Language deficiency: Inability to demonstrate adequate proficiency in reading and writing Arabic.
• Health grounds: Failure to meet the standard of good health required by the regulations, including freedom from infectious diseases.
• Inadequate income: Insufficient evidence of a legitimate income capable of meeting the applicant’s own needs and those of their dependants.
• Inaccurate or incomplete documentation: Submitting false information in support of a citizenship application constitutes a criminal offence punishable by one to three years’ imprisonment and fines of between OMR 5,000 and OMR 10,000.
• Failure to renounce existing nationality: Applicants must provide a written declaration of their intention to relinquish the nationality they currently hold and confirm that they do not hold citizenship of any other country.

The courts have no jurisdiction over nationality matters or related disputes. As a result, there is no formal judicial appeals pathway available to a refused applicant — the Ministry’s decision is final. Those who are turned down may reapply at a future point if their circumstances change, but there is no statutory right to have a refusal reconsidered within any defined period.

Where can you find reliable, up-to-date information about citizenship in Oman?

Given that Oman’s Nationality Law underwent substantial revision as recently as February 2025, it is essential to rely exclusively on official government sources when seeking current information on requirements, fees, and procedures. The key authoritative sources are listed below:

• Ministry of Interior: The primary body responsible for all citizenship applications. The official website at www.moi.gov.om provides access to application forms, procedural guidance, and official announcements.
• Directorate General of Civil Status: This directorate operates under the Ministry of Interior and is the specific body charged with processing and determining nationality applications.
• Royal Oman Police (ROP): The ROP is responsible for residency records, background checks, and related documentation. Its official portal is accessible at www.rop.gov.om.
• Official Government Portal of Oman: The Sultanate’s central government portal at www.oman.om publishes the full text of official legislation, including the Omani Nationality Law.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs: For consular matters and information relating to international agreements, the relevant portal is www.fm.gov.om.

Online forums, personal blogs, and third-party immigration websites may offer useful general context, but they frequently lag behind legislative changes and should not be treated as definitive sources. The updated Omani Nationality Law, which came into force in February 2025, introduced revised rules on acquiring nationality through birth, marriage, and residence, along with new provisions on revocation — and overall represents a tightening of the criteria for obtaining, holding, and losing Omani citizenship. Any specific detail — including fees, residency requirements, and document specifications — should be verified against the official sources above before any action is taken.

Frequently asked questions about citizenship in Oman

Do children born in Oman automatically acquire citizenship?

Birth on Omani soil does not in itself confer citizenship on a child. An exception applies to children born in Oman to parents who are both unknown, who are treated as Omani citizens. Minor children otherwise acquire Omani nationality through their father, provided that the father is an Omani national and the child was born in Oman or has their ordinary residence there. Oman does not operate a birthright citizenship system based purely on place of birth.

Can Omani citizenship be lost or revoked?

The law empowers the Omani authorities to revoke citizenship in defined circumstances: where a citizen verbally or physically insults the Sultanate or the Sultan; where a citizen joins an organisation whose principles are contrary to Oman’s interests; or where a citizen works on behalf of a foreign state in a manner that conflicts with Oman’s national interests. Under Article 27, citizenship may also be revoked where an individual is convicted of crimes against state security or receives multiple felony convictions within five years of naturalisation. Extended absence from Oman — specifically, remaining outside the country for more than 24 consecutive months without a legitimate justification — similarly carries the risk of nationality being stripped.

What happens if I move abroad during the application process?

Continuous residence requires that the applicant does not spend more than 90 days outside Oman in any one year. Departing Oman for an extended period while an application is under review could interrupt the continuity of residence on which eligibility depends, potentially requiring the qualifying period to recommence. It is therefore strongly recommended that applicants do not leave Oman for prolonged periods during the review process, and that they obtain legal advice before doing so.

Is there a citizenship by investment programme in Oman?

No formal citizenship by investment scheme exists in Oman, and no foreign national acquires an automatic entitlement to citizenship by virtue of financial contribution or duration of residence alone. While Oman does not offer such a programme, alternative residency arrangements have been introduced to attract long-term investors and skilled professionals, though these do not represent a direct pathway to citizenship.

Can a former Omani citizen reclaim their nationality?

The law does provide a route by which individuals who previously held Omani nationality may seek its restoration. Omani nationals by birth who have relinquished their citizenship and obtained the nationality of another country may apply to have their Omani nationality reinstated, provided they are ordinarily resident in Oman, submit a written declaration of their intention to settle permanently, and formally declare their willingness to renounce the foreign nationality they currently hold.

Does a foreign man who marries an Omani woman automatically get citizenship?

No. Foreign men who marry Omani women do not benefit from any accelerated or reduced residency pathway and must satisfy the standard 20-year continuous residency requirement. Marriage to an Omani woman confers no automatic or expedited right to citizenship for a foreign national husband.

What happens to citizenship acquired through marriage if the marriage ends?

A foreign national who obtained Omani citizenship through marriage to an Omani woman will lose that citizenship if the marriage is dissolved through divorce or desertion within five years of the grant. The law specifies that in such circumstances the father’s loss of nationality does not affect any children of the marriage, who continue to hold Omani citizenship. Similarly, a foreign woman who acquired Omani nationality through marriage to an Omani man will forfeit that nationality if she subsequently divorces and remarries a non-Omani.

Is there a formal appeals process if my citizenship application is refused?

No. The Ministry of Interior may refuse any application without being required to state its reasons, and the courts are excluded from jurisdiction over nationality disputes. There is therefore no formal judicial avenue through which a refusal can be challenged. Applicants who are turned down may consider reapplying at a later stage if their circumstances have changed, and should seek advice from a qualified Omani legal practitioner regarding the options available to them.

Can I hold an Omani citizenship certificate and a foreign passport at the same time?

No. The 2025 Omani Nationality Law maintains the prohibition on dual nationality, which may only be waived in exceptional cases by Royal Decree. Once Omani citizenship is formally issued, the holder is required to have surrendered their previous nationality and is expected to travel exclusively on their Omani passport. Decisions on citizenship are not subject to judicial review.

Are there any post-citizenship residence requirements?

Yes. During the first ten years after obtaining Omani citizenship, new nationals may not spend six consecutive months outside the country unless they have obtained express permission from the Ministry of Interior. Furthermore, absences exceeding 24 consecutive months without an accepted justification carry the risk of loss of nationality. These conditions reflect Oman’s intent that citizenship be granted only to those who genuinely plan to make the country their home.