Oman to extend tourist visas until March 2021; protocols to reopen airports complete

Oman has decided to extended the validity of tourist visas until March 2021, Times of Oman reported, citing Ahmed Al Mehrazi, the minister of Tourism.

The minister said that all tourist visas issued from March 1, 2020 until August 31, 2020 will be eligible for the extension.

All tourist establishments are allowed to benefit from the 4 per cent tourist fees during December 1, 2019 until August 31, 2020, by postponing their payment until after the state of recovery, he added.

the Minister of Tourism confirmed that the validity of tourist visas will be extended. @OmanTourism #الموتمر_الصحفي_للجنه_العلياhttps://t.co/b5ounXzosq

— Times of Oman (@timesofoman) June 11, 2020

Other Gulf states have issued similar directives in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In May, Saudi Arabia announced that it would automatically renew all tourist visas that expired during the suspension of international flights free of charge for three months.

Read: Saudi extends tourist visas for three months free of charge

Saudi Arabia started issuing tourist visas to foreign visitors in late September last year.

In a similar move, the UAE also decided to waive visit visa fines for all expats whose documents expired in early March, granting these individuals, a three-month grace period to exit the country starting May 18th.

Read more: All visa fines for UAE expats waived

Oman’s minister of Health added that all requirements and protocols for the operation of aviation and airports have been completed. Meanwhile, coordination on when to open borders with the UAE is ongoing, the minister of Transport noted.

Oman’s Ministry of Health has registered 1,067 new coronavirus cases on June 11, spiking the total infection count to 19,954.