Good News! Oman’s Expat Residency Card Is Now Valid For Up To 10 Years!

Oman recently announced that there will be a major change to its expat residency regulation. As a result of this change, the validity of the expat residency card has been extended from three to 10 years! So, if you happen to be an expat living in Oman, here’s all you need to know about this development relating to the sultanate.

Oman Extends Expat Residency Card Validity For Up to 10 Years

As per the decision, which was issued by Lieutenant General Hassan bin Mohsin Al Shuraiqi, who is the Inspector General of Police and Customs, the regulations of the civil status law have been amended. Yes, this was mentioned in a report of the Gulf News. It was revealed that under the new rules, residency cards will now be valid for up to 10 years.

More About Renewal & Fees

Cardholders will have to renew their IDs within 30 days of expiry. It should be noted that the report also mentions how the regulation sets the issuance and renewal fees at OMR5 per year. Additionally, the replacement fee has been set at OMR20 in case the card is lost or damaged. Previously, according to the decision, which was issued the previous August, residency cards were valid for one, two, and three years only.

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Another Important Decision By Oman

This development comes at a time when Oman has also expanded the cultural visa and residency system. As a result, now family and first-degree relatives of foreign artists, writers and cultural entrepreneurs could live and work in Oman. This was revealed in another report of Gulf News, which quotes Oman News. The updated system added several visa and residency categories under the regulations that would govern the entry and stay of foreigners in Oman.

So, with these major updates to the residency of expats in Oman, you can expect life to be a lot easier for people from other countries.

Cover Image Courtesy: CanvaPro/ Baiju Jose from Getty Images (Image is for representative purposes only)