Salalah Visas Decoded: Types, Eligibility, Documents and Tips

Known as the “Green City” and “Arabian Petra”, Salalah is Oman’s lush tropical jewel that draws visitors with its beauty and wonder, archaeological sites, cultural festivals, and UNESCO-listed landmarks. Its cooler climate and idyllic beaches give you the perfect escape from desert heat.
An essential item on the checklist for your journey essentials is securing the right type of visa for easy entry into Oman and making the most of your Salalah tour.

I. Types of Salalah Tourist Visas: Pick What Suits You Best

Salalah offers single-entry short-stay options for a short getaway along with multi-entry visas for long vacations and complete and detailed stays in the Middle East.

1. 10 Days Single Entry Tourist Visa

The 10 days single entry e-Visa allows one entry into Oman for a small, but fulfilling trip to experience all that Salalah has to offer, this includes attractions like Al Mughsayl’s volcanic blowholes, ruins of the wealthy medieval port city of Samhuram, Dhofar’s iconic frankincense bazaars, museums and more within a well-planned schedule. This visa suits first-time visitors.

2. One Month Single Entry Tourist Visa

This visa is for travelers with more time to spare, who want to experience Salalah in its full glory, the 30-day entry visa permits allow the traveler to explore Salalah over a month with one entry.
You can experience bottle-green meadows of Khor Rori Creek, spend a night under star-studded skies in the Wahiba Sands desert, attend the Khareef Festival celebrating the monsoon, feast on traditional Omani cuisine and take a trip through Salalah’s culture, soul and architecture.

3. Multiple Entry Tourist Visa

For frequent visitors and digital nomads staying for longer periods, this renewable multiple-entry visas sanction repeated entries and exits over the 1-year validity it provides.
It gives the traveler access to multi-city tourism covering Muscat, Nizwa, Sur, Duqm, and Salalah in addition to other premier attractions. The catch is that you need to enter every 30 days.

4. Exclusive Salalah Visa for GCC Residents

Citizens of neighboring Gulf countries have exclusive dedicated visas for entering Oman’s Dhofar region.
The 28-day visa gives expats flexibility for a short regional getaway to escape the summer heat. As GCC locals share good relations with Oman, it only seems likely for them to have a specific visa for their own travel needs.

II. Visa On Arrival

Salalah also provides on-arrival tourist visas at Salalah International Airport, Ports of Mirbat, and Mazyunah to help travelers begin their trips as and when they get there.
At Oman's entry checkpoints, special desks quickly check your documents and issue visas right there, usually within 10-15 minutes. This saves time and your entry into Salalah easier, do make sure that all of this is done with security issues and checks in mind..

Types of Visas On Arrival

Oman issues both single and multiple entry visas upon arrival valid for 30 days and 10 days respectively. As a thumb rule, solo travelers coming just for Khareef prefer single entry while group tourists on Middle East sojourns choose multi-entry facilities.

Countries Eligible for Visa on Arrival

If you're not from a country with special rules, you can usually get a visa when you arrive at your destination. Just double-check which countries are allowed before you go to save yourself any trouble!

Step-by-Step Guide to Acquiring Visa on Arrival

Head over to the counters for Royal Oman Police. They'll be the ones with the official signs. Have your passport, fill out your form, photos, and hotel bookings ready at hand. Be polite and answer any or all questions. If everything goes well, you'll get your visa right then and there!

III. Prerequisite Documentation

1. Valid Passport

All tourists going to Salalah, including those from GCC countries, are supposed to carry a valid international passport with at least 6 months left before it expires. Make sure your passport has blank pages for visas and stamps.

2. Passport Size Photographs

Submit two recent color passport-size photographs with white backgrounds for visa purposes, as per international specified dimensions. Photos with glasses aren’t accepted.

3. Return Confirmed Tickets

Immigration wants to be sure your Oman trip is just a visit, not a permanent move. Show them confirmed return tickets with set dates back home to prove it. Open tickets that don't say for sure when you're leaving could get you denied entry.

4. Hotel Accommodation Vouchers

Go paperless by storing digital copies of confirmed hotel room bookings on emails/cloud services as backups for showing during visa applications.

5. Sufficient Tour Funds

Having internationally recognized credit/debit cards, traveler's checks, and enough local cash to show you're prepared to handle your trip finances. Aim for a budget of $100-150 per day or more.

6. Get Your COVID-19 Docs Sorted

Make sure your latest vaccination certificates are on hand. Get them verified by your home country's health officials. If you haven't taken the shots, a pre-travel RT-PCR test is necessary.

IV. Visa Fees and Payments

Visa fees in Salalah can range anywhere between 5 and 20 Omani Riyals all subject to your nationality, age, and visa type (like 10/30 day tourist, business, or transit). It does however work differently for the GCC citizens - you get to have free visas! People from Europe and America usually pay the most, and arrival visas cost extra. The payment system is very easy to follow and convenient to use. You can use either the eSalsal credit cards or Omani cash as per your preference

V. Visa Extensions For Prolonging Your Stay

Every type of visa offers you a time window for you to explore Salalah, now if you are faced with a situation where you might need to extend your stay duration, you can always apply for an emergency visa extension online with help from the Royal Oman Police. Just make a convincing case for why you need the extra time (family visit, business deal, etc.). Once approved, they will charge you a renewal fee which can fall anywhere between 20 to 50 OMR depending on your visa category (family, business, or tourist).

VI. Visa Application Tips

1. Check if you're eligible: Before you start applying for a visa make sure that you're allowed to apply for the visa, don’t be scared of that statement so easily, all this means is checking if you come from an eligible country and fit all given criteria. You can find this information on the embassy's website, and it's a good idea to double-check if there are any travel restrictions or blacklists in place that might put your travel plans on hold.
2. Don't wait until the last minute: It's best if you apply for your visa at least 2-3 weeks before your trip to give it enough time for processing. This will help you avoid delays, which could mess up your travel plans.
3. Fill out the forms carefully: Make sure all the information you fill out on the application forms is correct and matches the details on your passport. Mistakes could slow down the approval process, and you’ll probably have to do the whole thing again.
4. Choose the right visa type: If you're planning multiple trips within the visa's validity period, go for a multiple-entry visa. This will save you the time and hassle of applying for a visa again and again.
5. Have your documents ready: When you go for your visa interview or submit your application, you should have both hard copies and digital copies of all the required documents. Keep these things in hand- hotel bookings, flight tickets, passport photocopies, and any other documents specified by the embassy.

VII. Contact Information in Case of Assistance