Oman hikes visa fee; eases visa rules for India, three other countries

Tourists entering Oman for a short stay will need to pay OMR20 instead of the existing OMR5. It was implemented by ROP (Royal Oman Police). Lauding the new move, Riaz Kuttery, COO of Mazoon Travels, was quoted by Times of Oman as saying that he did not think that this move would prevent people from visiting the Arab country. According to him, their neighbouring nations charge foreign visitors OMR35 for the same. The change states that even as visa’s validity is one month, tourists can stay longer by extending it.  Visas will be granted by qualified authorities at all of Oman’s legal ports. Meanwhile, Oman has eased visa rules for tourists coming from India, Iran, Russia and China with a new e-visa model. Tourists coming from these countries and through hotels and tourism offices will be allotted the requisite facilities for the granting of tourist visas. The Ministry of Tourism’s statement said that the agreement on the new e-visa Facilitation Initiative and Visa Procedures were reached with the ROP. The Ministry of Tourism is said to be targeting these new tourist markets, which are a component of the National Program for the Promotion of Economic Diversification’s 15 tourism initiatives. If you are looking to travel to Oman, get in touch with Y-Axis, one of the well-known immigration consultancy companies, to apply for a visa from one of its various offices.