Oman

Mandatory pre-marital medical examination to take effect in 2026

Published: 08:12 AM,Dec 31,2025 | EDITED : 12:12 PM,Dec 31,2025

 

Muscat: The third phase of the pre-marital medical examination will be a must in 2026, with the issuance of a legislative framework that mandates the screening as a prerequisite for completing marriage procedures. 
The Council of Ministers has endorsed the implementation of these important programs in three phases. The first phase, during the years 2024-2025, made the pre-marital examination optional, along with efforts to raise community awareness about the importance of pre-marital medical examination. The second phase involved the continuation of the optional examination, expanding the scope by including screening for students at the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year. 

Meanwhile, the premarital tests conducted in the Sultanate of Oman increased from 15 percent in 2024 to 43 percent in 2025, said Dr. Said bin Harab al Lamki, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for Health Affairs, in a radio interview.

There has been an increase in the percentage of those opting for premarital screening due to awareness campaigns conducted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other competent agencies. 

The plans include screening 11th-grade students to provide them sufficient time for making crucial decisions in coordination with relevant authorities.

He added that decisions made before marriage can sometimes be very difficult due to emotional and familial factors that concern both parties. 'However, with awareness campaigns, society will fully accept the importance of this screening in the coming years.'

As for screening students, the intention is to give them ample time for decision-making right from the early stage in coordination with the Ministry of Social Development. The screening is recorded on their ID cards, and all diseases are identified. Students at this stage have early awareness.

Dr. Jamila bint Taisir Al-Abri, Public Health Consultant and Director of the Women's and Children's Health Department, stated that a national media campaign was launched under the slogan “Start Right”. A comprehensive action plan has been developed to implement the campaign throughout 2025 as a preparatory phase for the mandatory examination in 2026. 

It may be noted that the pre-marital medical screening service was introduced in the Sultanate of Oman in 1999 as an optional service at all government primary healthcare institutions.
The Ministry of Health has adopted the program as an effective preventive measure to reduce the spread of hereditary blood disorders and lower the incidence of maternal and child deaths caused by these diseases.
The pre-marital medical screening program aims to reduce the spread of certain disorders such as sickle cell anemia and beta-thalassemia.