Oman Business Visa - Everything You Need To Know - (Indian Passport Holders)

There are different kinds of visas for different purposes. An Oman business visa is a permit granted to the business person who is willing to carry out business in the country. It is basically a short term visa that has a validity of about 6 months. A business visa for Oman can be issued for various causes, which include attending business conferences, meetings with the employees or the clients, expand your business or open a new branch in the country. Without this permit, you will not be allowed to carry out any kind of business-related errand. The business visa is valid for 6 months.

The process of applying for Oman business visa is online. It is an e-visa which can be obtained through an application process online. The procedure is mentioned as follows:

• Visit the official website and fill the online visa application form.
• Pay the business visa fees in full online.
• Get the visa application form and the payment receipt printed.
• Submit the form to the embassy along with all the related commercial documents.

After the completion of the above process, you can mail the application form and passport to the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman. When this is done, your documents will be processed and mailed back to you by the embassy along with your passport.

While you are at it, it is quite essential to keep in mind that the documents being submitted are genuine and reliable. The submission of wrong or false documents will cause the visa application to get rejected. Such a visa rejection can influence your future visa application processes.

There are certain parameters that are to be kept in mind in order to get the business visa issued. If you are applying for the visa, you must take care of the following criteria:

• You must have proof of business ownership and purpose of visit

• You must have proper proof of your business enterprise to show it to the authorities.
• If you have been invited to a business conference or to attend a business or client meeting, an invitation letter from the company must be provided to the embassy.
• You must meet the health requirements

• You must be healthy enough to travel to Oman.
• You must perform a medical test before traveling to the country and provide relevant documentary proof.
• You must meet the character requirements

• You must be of good character and have genuine intentions behind doing business in Oman.
• You need to provide relevant documentary proof for the same as well (if asked) in the form of a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC).
• You must have sufficient funds
• You must possess or have access to sufficient funds to be able to cover your stay and other expenses in Oman.
• A bank statement or any equivalent document is to be submitted as well as proof of the same.

There is a list of documents that are required for the issuance of the Oman business visa. The documents necessitated along with the visa application form are as follows:

• Passport with the validity of 6 months ahead of the date of travel.
• Visa application forms, completely filled and signed.
• 2 passport size photos (35x45mm) with 80% face coverage and white matt finish background.
• Proof of accommodation - Hotel Bookings, Invitation letter, etc.
• Confirmed airway tickets.
• Proof of travel insurance.
• Letter of invitation from the host company (if applicable).
  
  

• White background
• Oman visa photo size - 4x6 cm
• Facing straight into the camera
• No headwear, except for religious reasons
• Glasses of any kind are not permitted
• Recent photograph, not older than three months

The processing time for the Oman business visa is 3 to 4 business days. The process for obtaining the visa is mainly online and therefore it doesn’t require longer processing time. However, there may be some factors that affect the processing time, for instance, if the embassy has a large number of applications or has a limited staff, the time may differ.

The business visa fee for Oman includes the price paid online for the visa application form and to the embassy. It might even include the fees paid to the visa application centre if you are applying through one.

A considerable period of time is taken for the processing of the visa. When the form is submitted along with the fees, -

• The visa will be emailed to the applicant on the registered email ID. 
• The process is convenient as the Oman business visa is an e-visa and can be acquired by Indians in a much easier manner.
• If there are any other requirements to be fulfilled or if there are any mistakes in the application, the embassy or the agency must be informed.
• If there are any changes related to the application, for instance, change in marital status or birth of a child, you must inform the embassy/agency.
• You can even check the status of the application and the processing in the meantime. 
• If there is a change of plans, you can withdraw the application.
• The visa fee is generally not refundable.

Being an online visa, it is easy to check the status of your Oman business visa online. What you have to do is visit the official website of the Sultanate of Oman, enter your visa application number and you can check the processing status of your visa. An alternative can be that you can directly call on the contact number provided by the embassy and ask for the status of your visa.

Given that the visa application form is submitted and processed, you have your Oman business visa within the processing time. When you have the visa, 

• Before you travel
• Make a note of the visa expiry date, as well as the number of entries permitted. You must not stay in the country beyond this period.
• You should travel to Oman within the validity of your visa.
• Make sure to carry a copy of your passport and other travel documents while you are in the country.
• Issue health insurance and travel insurance from a certified company.
• At the Border

• Get your documents checked and your passport verified.
• Obtain the entry stamp on your passport.
• Consult the airport authorities for any kind of assistance required.
• Check your visa copy for other guidelines and rules to be followed.
• When you enter Oman

• You need to make sure that you take precautions to not get the visa cancelled. 
• Causes for this can be breaking the rules like entering foreign people prohibited areas or conducting any kind of illegal activities in the country. 
• Oman is a country with culture, even if you are there for business, it does not mean that you can neglect the customs and beliefs of the people.
• Ensure not to get involved in any kind of employment. You can, however, do volunteer work.
• The business visa does not permit you to employ the residents or reside in the country.
• It is a permit that allows you to only perform business and business-related operations in the country. You are still permitted tourism.
• The tourist prohibited areas must be stayed out of.
• Make sure you don’t overstay and apply for the visa extension in time.