Oman – Maternity and Giving Birth

What maternity care options are available in Oman?

Healthcare in Oman is structured across two parallel systems: public and private. Omani nationals and citizens of other GCC countries are entitled to free treatment in government hospitals. Foreign nationals are expected to cover their own costs, and in practice are typically only admitted to public facilities in genuine emergencies or when their condition cannot be managed within the private sector. For routine pregnancies and planned deliveries, expatriates therefore rely almost entirely on private hospitals throughout the process.

As an expat mother in Oman, your default path is to deliver at a private hospital. The exception arises if complications develop that demand specialist care only found in a government facility — in that scenario, your private hospital or clinic will arrange a referral. This contrasts with systems such as those in France or Australia, where all legal residents may routinely use public maternity services. In Oman, that boundary is considerably more firmly defined.

Hospital births are the norm across the country. Mothers are attended by a combined team of midwives, nurses, and doctors, and pain relief options including epidurals are available, along with medical interventions as needed. It is standard practice in Oman for a doctor to be present for the delivery itself — unlike some countries where a midwife may independently manage an uncomplicated birth.

Routine antenatal check-ups do not always require a visit to a large hospital; many can be carried out by a midwife at a local private clinic, with the main diagnostic ultrasound scans conducted at hospital level. If you manage your antenatal care through a private clinic, you will be directed to a partnered hospital for delivery, and your gynaecologist may attend the birth.

Home births and water births are not part of the mainstream maternity offering in Oman, and freestanding midwife-led birthing units of the kind found in parts of Europe and Australasia are not currently established here. Nevertheless, straightforward hospital deliveries are handled with considerable competence.

Among the most prominent public hospitals in Oman are the Royal Hospital of Oman and Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, both situated in Muscat. On the private side, Muscat Private Hospital is the city’s largest, with a medical team trained in Western and Asian institutions. Starcare Hospital and Atlas Hospital are other well-regarded private options in the capital. Elsewhere in the country, private maternity provision becomes noticeably thinner, so expats living in more rural or outlying areas should plan their care arrangements — including potential travel — well in advance.

How much does it cost to give birth in Oman?

Since expatriate mothers in Oman are almost exclusively reliant on private facilities, building a clear financial plan before pregnancy is essential. Costs vary meaningfully from one hospital to another and are influenced by the mode of delivery, how long you remain in hospital, and whether any complications arise.

Comprehensive private maternity packages begin at around RO 900 and may cover all ultrasound scans, blood tests, and any additional investigations required alongside antenatal appointments, delivery, and postnatal care. This figure is indicative as of 2024; individual hospitals may price their packages quite differently, and you should always approach your chosen provider for current, itemised pricing. Caesarean sections are generally priced higher than vaginal deliveries; while older community-sourced estimates have suggested a significant difference between the two, these figures are outdated and should not be used for budgeting — request a written quote from the hospital you intend to use.

Both government and private hospitals maintain strong clinical standards, so there is no reason for alarm if a complication during labour leads to a transfer to a public facility. Be aware, however, that such a transfer could involve additional charges. Before your due date, confirm with your insurer precisely what cover exists for emergency treatment in a government hospital.

Private health insurance that covers maternity costs is available, but almost all policies include a waiting period between joining the plan and becoming eligible to claim for pregnancy-related expenses — commonly around twelve months. This requirement is standard practice globally, not unique to Oman, but it reinforces the importance of taking out cover long before you intend to conceive. Oman-based employers are under no legal obligation to provide health insurance to expatriate staff, though a good number do include it in their employment packages. Where it is absent, expats should arrange independent private medical cover without delay.

For the most reliable, current cost information, contact your preferred private hospital directly to request a detailed breakdown of their maternity packages, and refer to the Oman Ministry of Health for any published fee schedules.

What is the standard of maternity and neonatal care in Oman?

Over recent decades, Oman has committed significant resources to building and modernising its healthcare infrastructure, and clinical standards — particularly across the major cities — are genuinely high. Hospitals are equipped with contemporary technology, and labouring women in hospital settings benefit from the close involvement of midwives, nurses, and doctors. A number of Oman’s top private hospitals have drawn favourable comparisons with luxury hotel accommodation in terms of the comfort and service they offer.

Private hospitals are fully capable of managing the most common complications that arise in childbirth. Where a more serious situation occurs — for example, a significantly premature birth requiring advanced neonatal intensive care — not all private facilities will have the specialist equipment or capacity to handle every contingency, and a transfer to one of the major government hospitals would be arranged. In Muscat, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, the Royal Hospital (Ghubra), and Khoula Hospital (Wattayah) are well regarded for complex and emergency clinical care.

Mothers aged over 35, or those whose pregnancies carry a higher statistical risk of foetal spinal or neurological conditions, will be offered a range of diagnostic screening tests. This mirrors standard practice in many other healthcare systems worldwide. You should speak with your obstetrician early in pregnancy to understand your individual risk profile and the specific screening options available at your chosen facility.

Outside Muscat and the larger cities of Sohar and Salalah, private maternity facilities become significantly less varied. Expatriates based in rural or remote locations are strongly advised to make plans well ahead of their due date — this may involve temporarily relocating to a city as the birth approaches, or choosing to return to their home country for the delivery.

Language is a practical consideration worth addressing early. Medical staff at Muscat’s private hospitals generally work in both Arabic and English, and many have received training overseas. If you are most comfortable communicating in a third language, check with your chosen hospital in advance whether members of their obstetric team use that language, and whether interpreter services are available when needed.

What should expats know about maternity rights and leave in Oman?

In recent years, Oman has introduced a series of meaningful and forward-looking reforms to its parental leave legislation, placing it among the most progressive in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region — and crucially, these entitlements now extend to foreign nationals who are legally employed in the country.

From July 2024, Oman began rolling out a new social insurance maternity benefits framework that applies to both Omani and non-Omani mothers in employment, making it the sole GCC country to meet all three core requirements of ILO Convention No. 183 on maternity protection — offering 14 weeks of leave, compensated at 100 per cent of prior earnings, delivered through a social insurance mechanism.

The paid maternity leave entitlement was extended from 50 calendar days to 98 calendar days (as of 2024), with provision for up to 14 of those days to be taken before the birth itself. The reform also removes the former cap on the number of pregnancies for which this leave can be claimed, and full pay is maintained throughout the entire 98-day period.

In a regional first, Oman has simultaneously introduced seven days of paid paternity leave at full salary for all employed fathers, regardless of whether they are Omani or non-Omani nationals. This is a statutory floor, and individual employers may choose to offer more generous terms.

Royal Decree No. 53/2023 additionally created a one-year unpaid childcare leave entitlement for female employees, giving parents who wish to spend extended time at home after the paid leave period ends a legally protected route to do so.

Female employees in Oman are also entitled to one paid nursing break of up to one hour per day for twelve months following the birth, to allow them to breastfeed. Employers with more than 25 staff on their premises are required to provide a dedicated nursing facility.

It is important to note that domestic workers are specifically excluded from Oman’s general labour legislation and are instead subject to separate ministerial regulations that do not cover maternity leave or related employment protections. Individuals who are self-employed or engaged under certain types of contractual arrangements should carefully verify their own position. For the most current information, consult the Oman Ministry of Labour or the Social Protection Fund, which administers the maternity leave insurance programme.

How do you register a birth in Oman?

The registration of births in Oman falls under the remit of the Directorate General of Civil Status at the Royal Oman Police (ROP), with the Ministry of Health also playing a role in the notification process. A Central Birth and Death Registry system covers all births occurring in or reported through healthcare facilities — whether Ministry of Health institutions, other government hospitals, or private hospitals — and this system feeds directly into the ROP’s National Civil Registration system, enabling records to be transmitted to the ROP registry electronically.

A birth must be registered within 30 days of the child’s delivery. Registration takes place at any civil status office in the country, and both parents are ordinarily required to attend in person. Where one parent is unable to be present, a notarised authorisation allowing the attending parent to act on their behalf may be accepted.

The step-by-step process for registering an expatriate child’s birth in Oman is as follows:

1. Obtain the hospital birth notification: Immediately following the birth, the hospital will provide you with a written confirmation of the delivery. This letter forms the basis for every subsequent registration step.
2. Obtain an official birth certificate from the Ministry of Health: Present the hospital’s letter at the appropriate government clinic or civil registry point (in Muscat, the clinic in Darsayt has historically handled this). An official birth certificate will be produced; a guide fee of RO 6 has been cited for this, though you should verify the current charge directly with the issuing authority.
3. Have the birth certificate attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The official birth certificate must then be submitted for attestation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation office, which in Muscat is located in the Shatti Al-Qurum district.
4. Gather supporting documents: Before proceeding with formal registration, assemble all required paperwork: a completed application form, the birth notification from the Ministry of Health, valid resident cards or passports for both parents, and the parents’ marriage certificate.
5. Register with your home country’s embassy or consulate: Once the birth certificate has been attested, take it to your home country’s embassy or consulate in Oman, who will guide you through obtaining a passport for your newborn. Make contact with the embassy early in the process to understand their particular requirements and realistic timescales for processing.
6. Apply for a residence visa for the newborn: After your baby’s passport has been issued, you will need to secure a residence visa through the standard Royal Oman Police immigration process. A grace period is usually permitted to allow time for passport and visa arrangements — consult the Royal Oman Police immigration authority directly for precise current timelines.

Additional complications may arise if the mother was herself born outside her country of origin, or if her home country has no embassy representation in Oman. In those circumstances, contact the nearest consulate or embassy of your country in a neighbouring country for assistance. For the most accurate and current registration requirements, refer to the Royal Oman Police civil status directorate and your home country’s embassy or consulate in Oman.

What nationality will my child have if born in Oman?

Simply being born on Omani territory does not automatically make a child an Omani citizen. Oman does not apply a jus soli (birthplace) rule of the kind that grants automatic citizenship in countries such as the United States or Canada. Instead, Omani citizenship law is set out in Royal Decree 38/2014 and operates on a jus sanguinis (bloodline) basis, meaning citizenship is transmitted through parentage — specifically through having Omani parents — rather than through the geographical location of birth.

A child born to an Omani father acquires Omani citizenship automatically, irrespective of where the birth takes place or whether the mother is a foreign national. The position for children of Omani mothers is more constrained. An Omani man can pass his nationality to his children regardless of his wife’s nationality, whereas an Omani woman may only transmit citizenship to her children in a narrow set of defined circumstances — for instance, where the couple has been widowed, divorced, or the father has been absent or has abandoned the family for a continuous period of at least ten years.

Under Article 18 of Oman’s Nationality Law, further conditions apply in relevant cases: the child must have resided in Oman for at least ten uninterrupted years, must be of sound conduct and character, and must not have been convicted of certain categories of offence.

Where both parents are foreign nationals, a child born in Oman will not obtain Omani citizenship. That child will hold the nationality or nationalities of their parents, determined by the laws of each parent’s country of origin. Expatriate parents must register the birth with their home country’s embassy or consulate as quickly as possible to confirm the child’s nationality and begin the process of obtaining travel documents.

Nationality law is inherently complex, and circumstances differ from family to family. Always confirm your specific situation with your home country’s embassy or consulate in Oman and, where necessary, seek advice from a lawyer with expertise in both Omani nationality law and the law of your own country.

What are the laws and attitudes around abortion in Oman?

The legal position on abortion in Oman is highly restrictive, and anyone planning to move to the country should familiarise themselves with this reality before arriving.

Abortion is criminalised under Articles 315–318 of the Omani Penal Code and is permitted only in circumstances where it is strictly necessary to preserve the mother’s life. Grounds that are recognised in many other jurisdictions — including foetal abnormality, pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or socioeconomic hardship — do not constitute lawful grounds for abortion in Oman under the current legal framework as of 2025.

Both a woman who consents to an abortion and the individual who performs it may face imprisonment of between six months and three years. The broader cultural and religious climate in Oman is deeply conservative on this matter, and the government provides no services or support related to abortion.

This stands in stark contrast to the legal frameworks of many other nations, including the majority of European countries, where abortion is permitted on request or on broad grounds within defined gestational limits. Anyone relocating from a country where access to abortion services is relatively open should understand clearly that equivalent access does not exist in Oman.

Any person facing a complicated or high-risk pregnancy should speak with a qualified medical professional to fully understand their options and, where appropriate, seek independent legal advice. The Oman Ministry of Health is the governing authority for healthcare regulation in the country, and your home country’s embassy is available to offer consular assistance in a medical emergency. Given the sensitivity of this subject, professional medical and legal guidance specific to your own circumstances is essential.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreign nationals give birth in Oman’s public hospitals?

For expatriate mothers in Oman, a private hospital is the standard setting for giving birth. Access to public hospitals is generally restricted to situations where complications develop that cannot be managed in the private sector, in which case a referral will be made by your private provider. Routine planned deliveries in government hospitals are not routinely available to non-nationals.

Do I need health insurance to give birth in Oman?

Taking out comprehensive private health insurance that includes maternity cover is very strongly recommended. Employers in Oman are not legally required to extend health insurance to expatriate employees, though many choose to do so. The majority of international health insurance policies with maternity benefits require a waiting period — typically approximately one year of continuous enrolment — before maternity claims become eligible. It is therefore important to arrange cover well before you begin trying to conceive.

How long do I have to register my baby’s birth in Oman?

The deadline for registering a birth in Oman is 30 days from the date of delivery. Registration is handled at any civil status office in the country, and both parents are normally expected to be present. Allowing this deadline to pass can create difficulties with official documentation, so the process should be started as promptly as possible after the birth.

Will my child be an Omani citizen if born in Oman?

No. Oman does not grant citizenship on the basis of birthplace alone. The country operates a jus sanguinis system, under which nationality is determined by the parents’ citizenship rather than the location of birth. A child born in Oman to two non-Omani parents will not acquire Omani nationality and must be registered with the relevant home country embassy to establish citizenship and obtain travel documents.

What documents do I need to register my baby’s birth in Oman?

Registration with the Omani authorities requires a completed application form, a birth notification from the Ministry of Health, valid resident cards or passports for both parents, and the parents’ marriage certificate. Once an official birth certificate has been obtained, it must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before being presented at your home country’s embassy for further processing.

What maternity leave am I entitled to as an expat worker in Oman?

Under the social insurance maternity scheme introduced from July 2024, both Omani and non-Omani employed mothers are entitled to 98 days of maternity leave paid at 100 per cent of their previous earnings. All employed fathers — whether Omani or expatriate — are entitled to seven days of paid paternity leave at their full salary. For details of current entitlements, contact the Ministry of Labour or the Social Protection Fund.

Is it safe to give birth in Oman as a foreign national?

The large majority of expatriate mothers give birth in Oman without difficulty, although the range of choices around birth planning may be narrower than in your home country. Clinical standards across both government and private hospitals are high. Women with high-risk pregnancies or particular medical considerations should raise these with a specialist obstetrician at the earliest opportunity in their pregnancy.

Do I need to register my baby with my home country’s embassy as well?

Yes. Once you have completed the Omani civil registration process and hold an attested birth certificate, the next step is to register your child’s birth at your home country’s embassy or consulate in Oman. The embassy will assist with the documentation required to obtain a passport for your baby. Your child will subsequently need a residence visa in order to live in Oman, which you apply for through the standard Royal Oman Police immigration channels. Contact your embassy as early as possible to understand their specific requirements and how long the process is likely to take.