the Labour Law issued by Royal Decree 53/2023,
the approval of the Council of Ministers,
and the approval of the Ministry of Finance,
and in pursuance of public interest,
it is hereby decided
Article I
The provisions of the attached Regulation Governing Labour Authorisation and Work Permit hereby apply.
Article II
The mentioned Ministerial Decision 340/2016 is hereby repealed, as well as all that is contrary to the attached regulation or in conflict with its provisions.
Article III
This decision must be published in the Official Gazette, and comes into force after 3 (three) months from the date of its publication.
Issued on: 29 Rabi Al-Thani 1447
Corresponding to: 22 October 2025
Dr Mahad bin Said bin Ali Baowain
Minister of Labour
Published in Official Gazette 1619 issued on 26 October 2025.
The Regulation Governing Labour Authorisation and Work Permit
Chapter One
Definitions and General Provisions
Article 1
In the application of the provisions of this regulation, words and phrases provided have the same meaning stipulated in the mentioned Labour Law, and the following words and phrases have the meaning assigned to each of them, unless the context requires otherwise:
1. Labour authorisation:
The written approval issued by the ministry to the employer to recruit non-Omani manpower to work in a specific occupation.
2. Work permit:
The written approval issued by the ministry to the worker to practise work in a specific occupation.
Article 2
The validity period of the labour authorisation is 24 (twenty-four) months, non-renewable, and the work permit is for a period not exceeding 24 (twenty-four) months, renewable.
It is permitted to issue a labour authorisation and a work permit for a period of less than 24 (twenty-four) months, in the event that the application is for temporary work.
Article 3
It is permitted to amend the occupation specified in the labour authorisation and the work permit from a lower category to a higher category, provided that the approval of the ministry is obtained and the fee difference between the two categories is paid.
Chapter Two
Fees and Delay Fines
Article 4
The fees for the labour authorisation and the fees for the work permit for a non-Omani worker are determined in accordance with annexes 1 and 2 attached to this regulation.
Article 5
The fees for the services provided by the ministry in the implementation of the provisions of this regulation are determined in accordance with annex 3 attached to this regulation.
Article 6
The fees for the temporary labour authorisation and work permit are determined in accordance with annex 4 attached to this regulation.
Article 7
The fees for labour authorisations and work permits for the recruitment of a non-Omani worker for clubs, civil society institutions, mosques, and churches are 101 (one hundred and one) Rial Omani.
Article 8
The fees stipulated in annexes 1 and 4 attached to this regulation are reduced by 30% (thirty percent) if the employer complies with the prescribed Omanisation percentages, and they are doubled if he does not comply with those percentages. The provisions of the first paragraph of this article do not apply to the fees for the labour authorisation and work permit for the category of investor occupations.
Article 9
The payment of the fees stipulated in this regulation must be made after the approval of the ministry on the application for the issuance of the labour authorisation, or the application for the issuance or renewal of the work permit. The fee is non-refundable except in the cases stipulated in article 13 of this regulation.
Article 10
A delay fine of 10 (ten) Rial Omani must be imposed on the employer for each month in which he is late in renewing the work permit or registering the details of the worker, provided that the amount of the fine does not exceed 500 (five hundred) Rial Omani for each worker. The delay period is calculated from the date of the arrival of the worker or from the date of expiry of the permit, as the case may be.The fine is multiplied by the number of workers in respect of whom the violation is committed.
Article 11
A delay fine of 15 (fifteen) Rial Omani must be imposed on the employer if he is a natural person, and 20 (twenty) Rial Omani if he is a legal person, for each month in which he is late in rectifying the status of the worker, from the date of expiry of the authorisation until the date of rectification of the status of the worker, by his departure or the transfer of his services, the registration of a work abandonment report against him, the registration of his death, or the change of his visa.In all cases, the amount of the fine must not exceed 500 (five hundred) Rial Omani for each worker.
Article 12
The employer is not required to pay the fees and delay fines stipulated in this regulation in the following cases:
1. The worker—after the end of the employment contract—submits a labour complaint to claim his entitlements, from the date of submitting the complaint until a final judgment is issued in regard to it.
2. The death of the worker, the change of his visa, his departure from the Sultanate of Oman, or the expiry of his visa after his departure from it, from the date of the death of the worker, the change of his visa, his final departure from the Sultanate of Oman, or his departure from it and the expiry of his visa while outside the Sultanate of Oman, provided that the residence is cancelled by the Royal Oman Police.
Article 13
The employer may, in the following cases, recover the fees for the labour authorisation or the fees for the work permit stipulated in annexes 1, 2, and 4 attached to this regulation, or apply for the issuance of a new worker authorisation, provided that it is for a fee of 1 (one) Rial Omani for each non-Omani worker:
1. The worker fails to pass the medical examination.
2. The failure of the Royal Oman Police to approve the issuance of a work visa or the renewal of a resident card for any reason, provided that proof of this is submitted.
3. The death of the worker within 90 (ninety) days from the date of his arrival in the Sultanate of Oman, or from the date of renewal of his work permit or the transfer of his services.
4. Repatriating the worker within 90 (ninety) days from the date of his arrival to the employer, with the exception of the authorisations stipulated in annex 4 attached to this regulation.
5. Transferring the services of the worker within 90 (ninety) days from the date of his arrival to the employer, with the exception of the authorisations stipulated in annex 4 attached to this regulation, provided that this is for one time only.
6. The death of the employer, the owner of the one-person company, or the sole authorised partner in the establishment, without benefiting from the authorisation.
7. The cancellation or suspension of the labour authorisation or work permit by the ministry due to an administrative error or technical malfunction.
Chapter Three
Exemptions
Article 14
The employer is exempted from paying the delay fines stipulated in this regulation in the following cases:
1. The death of the employer if he is a natural person, or the death of the owner of the one-person company or the sole authorised partner if the employer is a legal person, until the completion of the procedures for transferring the services of the worker to others, until the termination of his services and his departure from the country, or until the status of the worker is rectified, provided that the period of exemption does not exceed 1 (one) year from the date of death.
2. If it is found from the medical examination of the worker upon his arrival in the Sultanate of Oman or upon the renewal of his work permit that he is sick, and his treatment requires a period exceeding 30 (thirty) days, provided that proof of this is submitted by the Ministry of Health.
3. The seizure of the passport of the worker by a government entity or by the embassy of the state of which he holds nationality for any reason, provided that proof of this is submitted, and that the exemption from the fine is limited to the period during which the passport is seized.
4. The issuance of a final judgment declaring the bankruptcy of the establishment.
5. Registering the application for liquidation of the establishment with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, from the date of registering the liquidation application until the completion of one year from this date.
6. The issuance of a court judgment to imprison the worker. The exemption is from the date the worker enters prison until his release from it.
Article 15
The following categories are exempt from paying the fees stipulated in annex 2 attached to this regulation, when recruiting a domestic worker, a nanny, a personal driver, a private nurse, and a home health aide.
1. Persons with disabilities, provided that a disability card issued by the competent entity is submitted.
2. Any person whose health condition requires special care, provided that proof of this is submitted from the social research conducted by the Ministry of Social Development.
3. An elderly person who is unable to take care of himself, provided that proof of this is submitted from the social research conducted by the Ministry of Social Development.
4. Those entitled to the family income benefit, provided that proof of this is submitted from the Social Protection Fund.
In all cases, the exemption of the mentioned categories from paying the fees stipulated in annex 2 attached to this regulation is for one worker only. If it is necessary to recruit a second worker, the ministry may exempt from these fees, provided that proof of this is submitted from the social research conducted by the Ministry of Social Development.
Annex 1
Fees for Labour Authorisation and Work Permit for the Employer (Legal Person)
|
No |
Service |
Licence Issuance/Renewal Fee (in Rial Omani) |
Worker Details Registration Fee (in Rial Omani) |
Total Fee/Per Worker (in Rial Omani) |
|
1 |
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of worker details for the occupations of the first category, whose classification is approved by the Ministry of Labour |
1 (one) |
300 (three hundred) |
301 (three hundred and one) |
|
2 |
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of worker details for the occupations of the second category, whose classification is approved by the Ministry of Labour |
1 (one) |
250 (two hundred and fifty) |
251 (two hundred and fifty-one) |
|
3 |
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of worker details for the occupations of the third category, whose classification is approved by the Ministry of Labour |
1 (one) |
200 (two hundred) |
201 (two hundred and one) |
|
4 |
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of details for the occupations of the investor category |
1 (one) |
300 (three hundred) |
301 (three hundred and one) |
Annex 2
Fees for Labour Authorisation and Work Permit for the Employer (Natural Person)
|
No |
Service |
Licence Issuance/Renewal Fee (in Rial Omani)
|
Registration Fee Worker Details (in Rial Omani) |
Total Fee Per Worker (in Rial Omani) |
|
1 |
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of worker details for a domestic worker, a nanny, a personal driver, a gardener, a home health aide, and a private nurse (from one worker up to 3 (three) workers) |
1 (one) |
100 (one hundred) |
101 (one hundred and one) |
|
2 |
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of worker details for a domestic worker, a nanny, a personal driver, a gardener, a home health aide, and a private nurse (from 4 (four) workers and more) |
1 (one) |
140 (one hundred and forty) |
141 (one hundred and forty-one) |
|
3 |
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of worker details for farmers, camel breeders, horse grooms, livestock breeders, residential building workers, and other occupations specified by the ministry (from one worker up to 3 (three) workers for each occupation) |
1 (one) |
140 (one hundred and forty) |
141 (one hundred and forty-one) |
|
4 |
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of worker details for farmers, camel breeders, horse grooms, livestock breeders, residential building workers, and other occupations specified by the ministry (from one worker up to 4 (four) workers or more for each occupation) |
1 (one) |
240 (two hundred and forty) |
241 (two hundred and forty-one) |
|
5 |
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of worker details for the occupation of a seafarer, a ship mechanic (general), and a ship electrician (general) |
1 (one) |
200 (two hundred) |
201 (two hundred and one) |
Annex 3
Fees for Services Related to Labour Authorisations, Work Permits, and the Employment Contract
|
No |
Service |
Fee Value in Rial Omani |
|
1 |
Amendment of the occupation in the work permit |
5 (five) |
|
2 |
Amendment of wage and allowance data in the employment contract |
1 (one) |
|
3 |
Transferring the services of a worker to another employer (paid once in the event that the visa is stamped by the Royal Oman Police for the same employer) |
5 (five) |
|
4 |
Registration and amendment of employment contract data with the ministry |
1 (one) |
Annex 4
Fees for Temporary Labour Authorisation and Temporary Work
|
No |
Category |
Duration in Months |
Licence Issuance/Renewal Fee (in Rial Omani) |
Worker Details Registration Fee (in Rial Omani) |
Total Fee/Per Worker (in Rial Omani) |
|
1
|
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of worker details for the occupations of the first category, whose classification is approved by the Ministry of Labour |
4 (four) |
1 (one) |
50 (fifty) |
(51) fifty-one |
|
6 (six) |
1 (one) |
75 (seventy-five) |
76 (seventy-six) |
||
|
9 (nine) |
1 (one) |
115 (one hundred and fifteen) |
116 (one hundred and sixteen) |
||
|
12 (twelve) |
1 (one) |
150 (one hundred and fifty) |
151 (one hundred and fifty-one) |
||
|
2
|
Issuance of a labour authorisation or issuance and renewal of a work permit and registration of worker details for the occupations of the second category, whose classification is approved by the Ministry of Labour |
4 (four) |
1 (one) |
42 (forty-two) |
43 (forty-three) |
|
6 (six) |
1 (one) |
63 (sixty-three) |
64 (sixty-four) |
||
|
9 (nine) |
1 (one) |
95 (ninety-five) |
96 (ninety-six) |
||
|
12 (twelve) |
1 (one) |
125 (one hundred and twenty-five) |
126 (one hundred and twenty-six) |
||
|
3
|
Authorisation to recruit or renew a work permit and registration of worker details for the occupations of the third category, whose classification is approved by the Ministry of Labour |
4 (four) |
1 (one) |
34 (thirty-four) |
35 (thirty-five) |
|
6 (six) |
1 (one) |
(51) fifty-one |
52 (fifty-two) |
||
|
9 (nine) |
1 (one) |
75 (seventy-five) |
76 (seventy-six) |
||
|
12 (twelve) |
1 (one) |
100 (one hundred) |
101 (one hundred and one) |