The Omani passport and the Omani nationality are closely interlinked topics, but they are governed by two separate pieces of legislation: The Law of the Omani Passport and the Omani Nationality Law. A passport is a travel document given by a state, but it does not equate to nationality. In this blog post, we are going to highlight the six different kinds of passports or travel documents available in Oman and the conditions for obtaining them, which as will be illustrated below, does not always require Omani nationality.
The types of passports are determined by the Law of the Omani Passport. However, due to the fact that some types of passports are issued by the Foreign Ministry, and not the Royal Oman Police, certain provisions relating to those passports are also governed by the Law Governing the Foreign Ministry.
Ordinary Passports
The only substantive provision for obtaining an ordinary Omani passport is that the person making the application is an Omani national. Its period of validity is 10 years and it is issued by the Royal Oman Police. This is the most common type of passport that the majority of Omanis hold.
Diplomatic Passports
The diplomatic passport is the most powerful Omani passport, it is issued by the Foreign Ministry, and not the Royal Oman Police, and it is governed in detail by the Law Governing the Foreign Ministry. The law specifies categories of high-level government officials, including the prime minister, deputy prime ministers, high-ranking members of the royal family, ministers, diplomats, and other high-ranking government officials who qualify for obtaining this passport.
With the exception of high-ranking members of the royal family, the spouse and children of a holder of a diplomatic passport also qualify for obtaining a diplomatic passport.
Technically speaking, there is no legal requirement for an Omani diplomatic passport to be issued to an Omani national, so—in theory—if a non-Omani person qualifies and is appointed to a high-rank government position, that person would qualify for having a diplomatic passport.
Special Passports
Special passports are a unique category of passports that are not found in many countries around the world. In Oman, like diplomatic passports, these are issued by the Foreign Ministry and not the Royal Oman Police, and it is also governed in detail by the Law Governing the Foreign Ministry. They are primarily given to members of the royal family who do not qualify for diplomatic passports, members of the Council of Oman, undersecretaries, and other high-ranking government officials who do not qualify for diplomatic passports.
The spouse and children of a holder of a special passport also qualify—in certain cases—for a special passport.
Similar to diplomatic passports, there is no requirement for a holder of a special passport to be an Omani national, and—in theory—it can be given to non-Omanis who meet the criteria for having this passport.
Service (Mission) Passports
A service passport, formally named a mission passport in the Law of the Omani Passport, is another passport issued by the Foreign Ministry and not the Royal Oman Police, and it is also governed in detail by the Law Governing the Foreign Ministry. This passport is given to government officials on missions to represent the government in official meetings and conferences based on the recommendation of the head of the unit on which the government official works. Unlike diplomatic and special passports, the spouse and children of the holders of service passports do not qualify in any situation to hold this passport. However, similar to diplomatic passports, there is no requirement for a holder of a special passport to be an Omani national, and it can be given to non-Omanis who meet the criteria for having this passport.
Travel Documents
A travel document is a temporary passport-like travel document that is issued by the Royal Oman Police to non-Omanis who live in Oman and do not have a nationality to allow them to leave the country in certain circumstances.
Laissez Passer
A laissez passer is a temporary travel document given only to Omanis usually with the objective of allowing an Omani person who has lost his passport abroad to return home.
Objectives of Different Passports
While the objectives of a travel document and a laissez passer are obvious, the benefits of diplomatic, special, and service passports might not seem very obvious. A diplomatic passport can be understood to mean that a person enjoys a diplomatic status and therefore enjoys certain protections and immunities when traveling aboard in countries that recognise such products. However, a more practical value for all these passports is that Oman very frequently signs bilateral visa exemption agreements with other countries that specifically allow the holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports to travel to these countries without the need to obtain a visa. Examples of such countries include Switzerland, Italy, Greece, and many other countries to which an Omani person would require a visa to travel, but holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports would be able to travel on official business without the need to obtain a visa.
You can learn more about the Omani passport by reading the Law of the Omani Passport on the link below:
