Oman’s Sultan grants citizenship to 157 expats

Dubai: His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik has issued a Royal Decree granting the Omani citizenship to 157 expats in the country.

It is not the first time Oman’s Sultan grants expats the citizenship. Earlier in December last year, he granted the citizenship for 32 expats.

Expats who are looking to get Omani citizenship and obtain an Omani passport will have to file an application that costs OMR600, while the spouses or previous spouses of Omani citizens will need to pay OMR300, according to the Ministry of Interior.

Applicants will need to prove that they live and work in Oman, and that they have not had any legal cases brought against them. They will also need to present a medical certificate to prove that they do not have communicable diseases, or risk not being able to gain a citizenship.

Documents required

Executive regulation 92/2019 released by the ministry stated: “The application for Omani Citizenship will cost OMR600, while the application for the expat wife, widow, or divorcee of an Omani citizen will cost OMR300, as does the citizenship for an underage child of an Omani woman.”

Applying to give up Omani citizenship or to have it returned will cost OMR200, according to the law.

Expats applying for Omani citizenship have to fulfill a number of criteria in order to be considered, and must present 12 documents with them.

According to the law, “The foreigner must present the following documents when applying for the citizenship: A copy of the passport with a valid visa, a copy of the personal identification card or similar identification, a copy of a valid residency card, a copy of the marriage certificate if he is married, as well as copies of the wife’s passport and that of any children. If married to an Omani woman, a copy must be presented of his certificate for marriage of a foreigner, a certificate of good conduct from Oman and another from the country from which he comes, a valid medical certificate proving that he is fit and free of transmittable diseases, an income document from his employer, a certificate from the embassy of his country proving that he is allowed to forfeit his original passport, a written proof of intent to forfeit his current passport, a written declaration at the ministry that includes the names of all his underage children and their documents.”

Long-term resident

Anyone who gains the Omani citizenship must report to the ministry to receive an Omani passport, and must remain a long-term resident of Oman.

Article 16 of the law states: “Any who receive the Omani citizenship must visit the ministry to complete the procedures required for an Omani passport for him and underage children who will automatically receive it, within six months.”

The expats who begin this procedure will have to undergo an Arabic language exam. The exam can be written, or it can be an interview in Arabic, at the ministry itself. Expats who fail the exam can repeat it once six months have passed, although they have four chances to repeat it.

The new citizens of Oman will not be able to spend six months outside the country at once during the ten years after they gain their citizenships, unless they receive a permit from the Ministry of Interior.

People can apply for Omani citizenship at the Sultanate’s Ministry of Interior.