Now that it has been established that obtaining an Omani passport does not equate to obtaining Omani nationality, this post will explore the paths set by the Omani Nationality Law promulgated by Royal Decree 38/2014 for obtaining Omani nationality. Pursuant to this law, there are three paths for obtaining nationality in Oman: by origin, by reinstatement, and by grant from His Majesty the Sultan. This post will provide details on each one of these three paths.
Pre-requisites
Before exploring the paths through which nationality can be obtained, it is important to note that the law in Oman does not generally permit a person to hold Omani nationality except by a specific royal decree permitting this. The law does not provide any details on the grounds for obtaining this royal exception, but this appears to be an extremely rare thing to obtain as only 18 number of people were allowed to simultaneously hold Omani with another one in the last 20 years.
Moreover, all applications to acquire Omani nationality must be submitted to the Ministry of Interior, which reviews and decides on them in accordance with the legal procedures and controls. Unlike most other government decisions, the decisions of the Ministry of Interior in this area are not subject to challenge through the administrative judiciary.
Nationality by Origin
Omani nationality can be acquired by origin, which is the most common and easiest way of getting a nationality. Whoever is born by an Omani father, be it in Oman or abroad, is deemed an Omani by origin.
The law states that those born by an Omani father and a non-Omani mother are deemed Omani by origin on the condition that the marriage has been approved by the Ministry of Interior. However, after the issuance of the Royal Decree 23/2023 regarding the Marriage of Omanis to Foreigners which removed the requirements to obtain government approval to permit an Omani to get married to a non-Omani, it is assumed that this requirement for the approval is no longer required for the Omani father to pass nationality to his children.
Moreover, whoever is born in Oman to unknown parents or born to an Omani Mother (in Oman or abroad) and his lineage to his father cannot be legitimately proven is deemed an Omani by origin and qualifies for obtaining Omani nationality.
Nationality by Reinstatement
Omanis who lose their nationality by renouncing it may obtain their Omani nationality again by reinstatement. This process requires the person to make an application and to meet several conditions, such as that he is of good behaviour and conduct, is habitual residence is in Oman or has returned to it, and declares in writing his desire to settle in it, and that he is free of communicable diseases.
Nationality by Grant
It is also possible for foreigners to obtain Omani nationality by submitting an application to the Ministry of Interior. The criteria for obtaining nationality here depend on whether the person is a foreigner, a foreign wife of an Omani person, a foreign widow or divorcee of an Omani, or a minor child of an Omani woman from her foreign husband.
For a foreigner who does not meet any of the other conditions, they are required to prove legitimate continuous residency in Oman for a period no less than 20 years (or 15 years if he is a man married to an Omani woman), they must be fluent in Arabic, and they must have a legitimate source of income to meet his needs and other conditions.
For a wife of an Omani, she must have a child from that husband, must speak Arabic, and must be married to him for a period no less than 10 years.
For a widow or divorcee of an Omani, she must also have a child from that husband, must not be married to a non-Omani, must speak Arabic, and must be resident in Oman for a continuous period of 15 years.
For a minor child of an Omani woman from a non-Omani husband, there are a different set of conditions including that the mother is widowed or divorced and that the child has lived in Oman for a period no less than 10 continuous years.
It is worth noting that meeting the prescribed criteria does not mean the automatic approval to obtain the nationality, as the Ministry of Interior would have decide on each case on its own. It is also worth noting that in all cases, it is possible to acquire an exemption by virtue of royal decree to obtain Omani nationality without complying with all the nationality criteria set by this law.
The Omani Nationality Law is a very interesting piece of legislation to read. You can read it in full in English on the link below:
