Entry protocols for tourists entering the Sultanate of Oman

New Delhi: The Sultanate of Oman has prepared to combat COVID-19 in accordance with His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s high directives to form a Supreme Committee to deal with the pandemic. The committee has issued multiple decisions on various aspects of reacting to the pandemic and has recommended precautionary measures. In order to minimise the transmission of the virus at any stage of the pandemic, standard measures must be followed in the preparation for the gradual restoration of tourism activity following the slow receding of COVID-19.

In support of these initiatives, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and travel and tourism agencies, has developed a set of preventative measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19 when the tourism industry reopens. The pre-arrival procedures are as follows:

• Make sure that COVID-19 safety information is included in tourist marketing and booking procedures.
• Tourists entering the Sultanate of Oman are required to provide a medical certificate or other permit.
• The Sultanate must be visited for no more than two weeks.
• A hotel or resort reservation is necessary in advance.
• Prior to arriving in the Sultanate, register in the Ministry of Health’s (Tarassud+) system.
• Upon arrival in the Sultanate, tourists will be subjected to a PCR test and be quarantined in a hotel until the test results are negative.
• A room or a separate area will be provided in the hotel or resort for each tourist or family.
• Making reservations online or through an electronic platform is preferable. Avoid using paper documents and limit cash transactions as much as possible.
• It is mandatory to have international health insurance that covers the cost of COVID-19 treatment for the duration of your stay.

The guidelines are required to safeguard the health and safety of tourists as well as the tourism agencies’ workforce. In collaboration with the competent authorities, such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Manpower, Competent Municipalities, Royal Oman Police, and Public Authority for Civil Defense and Ambulance, the Ministry will monitor the continuous compliance of these agencies with the proposed measures. The rules will be updated on a regular basis to meet the needs of responding to COVID-19.

It is noteworthy that these preventative measures do not take precedence over any decisions or directions issued by the Supreme Committee and/or the Ministry of Health. In the case of a conflict between the preventative actions outlined in the guidelines and any decision made by the authorities, the Supreme Committee and the Ministry of Health’s directives must be followed.