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Travel bans and exit rules in Oman

How travel bans arise in Oman, how to check if you have one, how they are lifted, and the sponsorship rules that affect leaving or changing jobs.

Exit permit needed?
Not stated
Main way to check a ban
See below
Information checked
27 October 2026

Why a travel ban is issued

  • Court orders under the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law. Decree.om, a publisher of Omani legislation, summarises a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that a travel ban is valid only if all the conditions in Article 427 of the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law are met. That law was issued by Royal Decree 29/2002. The conditions themselves were not available in the free text reviewed.6,7

Exit rules

No source reviewed states whether Oman has an employer exit permit, and none describes one. Labour Law 53/2023 gives non-Omani workers a return air ticket home, according to Gulf News, and Article 6 bars employers from keeping a worker's passport or private documents without written consent, according to a guide by MRRORS (formerly Migrant-Rights.org). Human Rights Watch said in January 2020 that, after Qatar's reform, Saudi Arabia remained "the only country to require exit permits for all its migrant workers." Saudi Arabia has since changed its rules for private sector workers.

3,4,5

Private sector employment is governed by the Labour Law issued by Royal Decree 53/2023. Residence of foreign workers is regulated under the Foreigners' Residence Law and its Implementing Regulation, administered by the Royal Oman Police (ROP). Domestic workers are covered by Ministry of Labour Ministerial Decision No. 574/2025, which replaced Decision No. 189/2004.

Changing employer

CMS reported in June 2020 that ROP Decision 157/2020, set to take effect on 1 January 2021, removes the requirement for a No Objection Certificate from the current employer to change jobs. A worker must show that the previous contract has ended or been terminated, that the competent government authority approved the new contract, and that the new employer is licensed to recruit workers. The MRRORS guide describes the same conditions under Article 24 of Decision 157/2020.

Absconding reports

The Ministry of Labour website lists an individual service to appeal against an absconding report. The sources reviewed do not describe how employers file such reports or what follows.

1,2,4,8

Reforms

  • ROP Decision 157/2020 was set to take effect, removing the No Objection Certificate requirement to change employers, according to CMS.1
  • New Labour Law issued by Royal Decree 53/2023, including a ban on keeping passports without written consent and a ban on recruitment fees.3,4
  • Gulf News reported Ministerial Decision No. 574/2025 on domestic workers, replacing Decision No. 189/2004, with a three month grace period to comply.2

Domestic workers

Gulf News reported in October 2025 that Ministerial Decision No. 574/2025 sets a maximum of 12 working hours a day with at least 8 hours of rest, one paid weekly day off, at least 21 days of paid annual leave and up to 30 days of paid sick leave. Wages must be paid within seven days of the due date by bank transfer or signed receipt. Confiscating passports or personal documents and charging recruitment fees are prohibited. Workers may end employment without notice in cases of abuse, fraud or wage delays, and are exempt from legal fees in disputes. The minimum age for domestic workers is 21.2

Wage protection

According to the MRRORS (formerly Migrant-Rights.org) guide, Article 87 of Royal Decree 53/2023 and Ministerial Decision 299/2023 require wages to be paid into a bank account or other financial institution through the Wage Protection System, and Article 90 requires payment within three days of the due date. For domestic workers, Decision No. 574/2025 requires payment within seven days of the due date, as reported by Gulf News.4,2

Fees workers should not pay

The MRRORS (formerly Migrant-Rights.org) guide, reviewed by Clyde and Co, says Article 31 of Royal Decree 53/2023 and Article 23 of Ministerial Decision 1/2011 make it illegal for employers and recruitment agencies to charge recruitment fees, and that employers may not deduct wages to cover employment or visa costs. Gulf News reports Decision No. 574/2025 bars employers of domestic workers from charging recruitment fees.4,2

Where to complain or get help

BodyForContact
Ministry of Labour call centre and website8,9,4The Ministry's website lists 80077000 as its call centre and offers services to submit labour complaints and to appeal against an absconding report. A 2023 MRRORS guide lists the same number for the Dispute Settlement Department.80077000, https://www.mol.gov.om
Competent authority, dismissal complaints3Gulf News reports dismissed employees can submit a complaint to the competent authority within 30 days of notification under Labour Law 53/2023.https://www.mol.gov.om

Sources

  1. CMS, ROP Decision removes NOC requirements for expatriate employees in Oman starting 2021 (16 June 2020)
  2. Gulf News, New labour law: Oman announces major reforms for domestic workers (12 October 2025)
  3. Gulf News, Employers in Oman no longer allowed to keep passports of employees (28 July 2023)
  4. MRRORS (formerly Migrant-Rights.org, reviewed by Clyde and Co), Know Your Rights: Oman Labour Law (September 2023)
  5. Human Rights Watch, Qatar: End of Abusive Exit Permits for Migrant Workers (20 January 2020)
  6. Decree.om, Case summary: Supreme Court contestation 30/2015, conditions for issuing a travel ban (16 December 2015)
  7. Decree.om, Royal Decree 29/2002 issuing the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law (17 March 2002)
  8. Ministry of Labour, Oman, Ministry of Labour, Sultanate of Oman (homepage) (2026) · official
  9. Ministry of Labour, Oman, General Guidance for Expatriate Manpower in the Sultanate of Oman (undated) · official