Being one of the most beautiful countries in the Middle East, Oman is on every traveler’s bucket list. To make tourism much easier for those afflicted with wanderlust, the Government of Oman has relaxed its visa rules. It will now grant visa on arrival (also called unsponsored visa) to tourists from certain countries and that too electronically.
There are a few visa-exempt countries who can avail the facility of visa on arrival. Citizens of India, China and Russia residing in or holding a valid entry visa to Canada, the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, or the Schengen States are eligible for the unsponsored tourist visa. The others will have to get a sponsored visa prior to entering Oman.
The process of initiating a visa on arrival was quite a cumbersome process. It was difficult for the tourists as well as the authorities to handle all the paperwork in an airport queue. To make the process simpler as well as easier, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has announced that from 21st March, 2018 onwards, all the visas, whether sponsored or unsponsored, have to be submitted by the visitors, as well as granted by the authorities electronically. This migration to e-visa, or electronic visa, is effective in its simplicity and adheres to the modern electronic world.
The system, being thoroughly tested among a number of users, has already garnered appreciation from over 12000 users. It boasts of being one of the safest and confidential in the world, and has already achieved an ISO certification to prove it.
Revised prices are on the horizon. Citizens will have to keep their eyes and ears open, and get visa prices checked if they are planning on going for a holiday.
The process for applying for an e-visa is quite simple. Tourists just need to visit the site https://evisa.rop.gov.om, fill out the application form, as well as fill in travel document details, and attach required documents. The payment of the visa fees can then be done through a debit card. The e-visa approval note is then sent to the applicant’s mailbox, one just needs to print this out, and present it to the passport staff on arrival.
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