Muscat: Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Al Bu Saidi, Secretary-General at Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has urged citizens to wait for an official announcement regarding the easing of UK visa procedures for citizens of the country.
According to reports in London, the British government has decided to significantly ease visa application procedures for Omanis intending to visit the country for medical treatment or tourism purposes. Those who wish to study or work in the country will still need to follow the conventional procedures.
Media reports said Omanis travelling to the UK for tourism or treatment will need to send an email to the website of the British embassy in Muscat and wait for approval within 48 hours. The traveller then has to take a printout of the approval, which will be considered as a visa, when travelling to the UK. Upon arrival at any of the UK airports, fingerprints will be taken.
This new facility is also applicable for citizens of Qatar, UAE, and Kuwait, according to the same media reports.
Last week Al Bu Saidi, during his visit to Paris for the ‘Oman and Sea’ Exhibition, had said that Omanis would soon be able to apply for UK visas online.
However, after media reports on Sunday, the top Omani official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged citizens through his Twitter account to wait for an official announcement.
“Yes it is true, but wait for the formal announcement by the British authority as there is a mechanism that will have to be followed,” he Tweeted in reply to a query on the microblogging portal.
Last week Al Bu Saidi had also said that the Sultanate was working with some European countries on the exchange of visas for those who hold diplomatic and special passports.
