Expat retirement visas to boost tourism in Oman

Expat retirement visas to boost tourism in Oman

Published 08 Nov,2021 via Muscat Daily - Offering eligible expatriates residence visas to stay in the sultanate beyond their working lives and the introduction of new visa options are key to tourism. These new polices are expected to facilitate new activities and entertainment avenues and make the country a more attractive destination. This will be one of the topics discussed at the Arabian Travel Market 2022, scheduled on May 8 to 11.

It is estimated that there are currently over 35mn expatriate workers in the GCC countries, a sizeable proportion of white-collar professionals among who may want to retire in the GCC, even if only for a short period of time.

A step in that direction was recently taken in Oman. Expatriate retirees can now get a five-year renewable visa if they are 60 years old. The applicant must provide proof of work in Oman with employment of not less than two years and must submit a bank statement in Oman of not less than six months showing monthly income of at least RO4,000.

According to Dr J Retnakumar, a long time Muscat-based expatriate who works in the insurance sector, providing expat workers the option to stay beyond their working lives and