His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik issued Royal Decree 17/2025 promulgating the Omani Nationality Law after reviewing the Basic Law of the State, and the Omani Nationality Law issued by Royal Decree No 38/2014, and based on what the public interest requires.
Article 3: Applications related to nationality issues shall be submitted to the Ministry of Interior, which shall study and decide upon them by the procedures and controls
specified in the regulations. The Ministry may reject any application without giving reasons.
Article 4: The courts do not have jurisdiction to consider matters of nationality and related disputes.
Article 5: It is not permissible to combine Omani nationality with any other nationality except by a Royal Decree, based on the Minister’s recommendation.
Article 6: The Minister issues a decision approving the Omani’s renunciation of his Omani nationality to acquire another nationality after ensuring that he has fulfilled his obligations towards the Sultanate of Oman.
Renunciation of Omani citizenship does not result in minor children losing Omani citizenship due to their father, except upon his request and provided that the law of his foreign citizenship grants it to them.
Article 7: A Royal Decree shall be issued to grant, withdraw, revoke, or restore Omani citizenship, based on the recommendation of the Minister.
Article 8: It is permissible - as an exception, and under a Royal Decree - to grant or restore Omani citizenship without being bound by the terms and conditions contained in this Law.
Article 9: Anyone who has been granted Omani citizenship, or who has had it restored to him under the provisions of this law, may exercise civil rights as per the laws and regulations in force from the date of the entry into force of the Royal Decree granting him Omani citizenship or restoring it to him.
Article 10: The regulation specifies the applications, documents, and certificates related to citizenship issues, their conditions, and procedures, and also specifies the fees due for them after the approval of the Ministry of Finance.
Chapter Two
Original nationality and its recovery
Article 11: An Omani by origin is anyone born to an Omani father in the Sultanate of Oman or outside it before the date of the implementation of this law.
Article 12: The person shall be Omani by origin under the provisions of this law:
1 - Anyone born in the Sultanate of Oman or abroad to an Omani father by birth.
2 - A grandson born in the Sultanate of Oman or abroad to an Omani father and a grandfather who acquired Omani citizenship by grant, provided that the grandson has reached the age of 50 years.
3 - Anyone born in the Sultanate of Oman or abroad, whether to an Omani or foreign mother, if his father is originally Omani and becomes stateless.
Article 13: An Omani by origin who has renounced his nationality under the provisions of this law and acquired the nationality of another country may request the restoration of Omani nationality if he meets the following conditions:
That his normal residence is in the Sultanate of Oman, or that he has returned to it and declared his desire to settle there in writing.
Have good conduct and behavior.
Must not have been previously sentenced to a final penalty for a felony or a crime that violates honor or trust, unless his reputation has been restored.
To declare in writing the desire to renounce the nationality of the country of which he holds nationality, and that he does not hold the nationality of another country other than the country of which he will renounce nationality.
Minor children regain Omani citizenship according to their father.
Article 14
A child who has lost his Omani nationality as a result of his father’s renunciation of his nationality may request its recovery under the following conditions:
1 - His father must be Omani by origin.
2 - To apply within 5 years following reaching the age of majority.
3 - To meet the conditions stipulated in Article (13) of this law.
Chapter Three
Granting citizenship
Article (15)
Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles (11) and (12) of this Law, the following shall be considered Omani:
1 - Anyone who is granted Omani citizenship under the provisions of this law.
2 - Anyone born in the Sultanate of Oman or abroad to an Omani mother, and whose lineage to a father has not been legally proven.
3 - Anyone born in the Sultanate of Oman to unknown parents.
Article 16
Omani citizenship shall not be granted under the provisions of this law more than once.
Article 17
A foreigner may apply for Omani citizenship if he meets the following conditions:
1 - His application must be preceded by his lawful and continuous residence in the Sultanate of Oman for no less than 15 years, and his absence during one year for a period not exceeding 90 days shall not prevent his residence from being considered continuous.
2- To be fluent in reading and writing Arabic.
3- To have good conduct and behavior.
4 - He must not have been previously sentenced to a final penalty for a felony or a crime that violates honor or trust, even if his reputation has been restored.
5 - To be in good health and free from infectious diseases, as specified in the regulations.
6 - He must have a legitimate source of income that provides him with enough to meet his needs and the needs of those he supports.
7 - To declare in writing his desire to renounce the nationality of the country of which he holds nationality, and that he does not hold the nationality of another country other than the country of which he will renounce nationality.
Minor children acquire Omani nationality according to their father if they were born in the Sultanate of Oman or their normal residence is in it.
Article 18
A foreigner who is the husband of an Omani woman may apply for Omani citizenship if he meets the following conditions:
1 - That he has been married to an Omani woman and has resided with her in the Sultanate of Oman for a period of no less than (10) ten years, and his residence shall not be considered continuous if he is absent during one year for a period not exceeding (90) ninety days.
2- He must have a child from his Omani wife.
3- To be fluent in reading and writing Arabic.
4- To have good conduct and behavior.
5 - He must not have been previously sentenced to a final penalty for a felony or a crime that violates honor or trust, even if his reputation has been restored.
6 - To be in good health and free from infectious diseases, as specified in the regulations.
7 - He must have a legitimate source of income that provides him with enough to meet his needs and the needs of those he supports.
8 - To declare in writing his desire to renounce the nationality of the country of which he holds nationality, and that he does not hold the nationality of another country other than the country of which he will renounce nationality.
Minor children acquire Omani nationality through their father if they were born in the Sultanate of Oman or reside normally in it.
Article (19)
A foreign woman who is the wife of an Omani man may apply for Omani citizenship if she meets the following conditions:
1 - That she has been married to an Omani and has resided with him in the Sultanate of Oman for a period of no less than (8) eight years, and her absence during one year for a period not exceeding (90) ninety days does not prevent her residence from being considered continuous.
2- She has a child from her Omani husband.
3- To be fluent in spoken Arabic.
4- To have good conduct and behavior.
5 - She must not have been previously sentenced to a final penalty for a felony or a crime that violates honor or trust unless her reputation has been restored.
6 - To declare in writing her desire to renounce the nationality of the country of which she holds nationality, and that she does not hold the nationality of another country other than the country of which she will renounce nationality.
Article 20
A foreign widow of an Omani may apply for Omani citizenship if she meets the following conditions:
1 - That she has been widowed and has resided in the Sultanate of Oman for not less than 6 years, and her absence during one year for a period not exceeding (90) ninety days shall not prevent her residence from being considered continuous.
2- She has a child from her Omani husband.
3- She must not be married to a non-Omani.
4- To be fluent in spoken Arabic.
5- To have good conduct and behavior.
6 - She must not have been previously sentenced to a final penalty for a felony or a crime that violates honor or trust unless her reputation has been restored.
7 - To be in good health and free from infectious diseases, as specified in the regulations.
8 - To declare in writing her desire to renounce the nationality of the country of which she holds nationality, and that she does not hold the nationality of another country other than the country of which she will renounce nationality.
Article 21
A foreign woman divorced from an Omani man may apply for Omani citizenship if she meets the following conditions:
1 - She has been married to an Omani and has resided with him in the Sultanate of Oman for no less than eight years, before the divorce. Her residence shall not be considered continuous if she is absent for one year for a period not exceeding 90 days.
2- She has a child from her Omani husband.
3- She must not be married to a non-Omani.
4- To be fluent in spoken Arabic.
5- To have good conduct and behavior.
6 - She must not have been previously sentenced to a final penalty for a felony or a crime that violates honor or trust, even if her reputation has been restored.
7 - To be in good health and free from infectious diseases, as specified in the regulations.
8 - She must have a legitimate source of income that provides her with enough to meet her needs and the needs of those she supports.
9 - To declare in writing her desire to renounce the nationality of the country of which she holds nationality, and that she does not hold the nationality of another country other than the country of which she will renounce nationality.
Article 22
Omani citizenship may be granted to a minor child born to an Omani mother and her foreign husband, if the following conditions are met:
1 - That the mother be a widow or divorced, provided that five (5) years have passed since the widowhood or divorce, or that her husband has been absent from her or has abandoned her for an unknown reason for no less than ten (10) consecutive years, and this absence or abandonment shall be proven by a court ruling.
2 - His mother has custody of him, under a court ruling.
3 - That he has resided in the Sultanate of Oman for a period of not less than (5) five years if his mother is a widow or divorced, and (10) ten years if her husband has been absent from her or abandoned her. In both cases, his absence during one year for a period not exceeding (90) ninety days shall not prevent his residence from being considered continuous.
4- To have good conduct and behavior.
5 - He must not have been previously sentenced to a final penalty for a felony or a crime that violates honor or trust, unless his reputation has been restored.
6 - The written consent of the minor’s guardian - if any - to obtaining Omani citizenship, and that he does not hold the citizenship of another country other than the country whose citizenship he will renounce.
Chapter Four
Loss, revocation, and withdrawal of nationality
Article 23
An Omani shall lose his Omani nationality by operation of law if he acquires the nationality of another country in violation of the provisions of this law.
Article 24
A foreigner who was granted this nationality due to his marriage to an Omani woman shall lose Omani nationality if their marital relationship ends due to divorce or desertion before the expiration of (5) five years from the date of granting him this nationality. The loss of Omani nationality shall be from the date of divorce or desertion.
In this case, the father’s loss of Omani nationality does not result in his children losing this nationality.
Article 25
A foreign woman who was granted Omani citizenship due to her marriage to an Omani loses her Omani citizenship if their marital relationship ends due to divorce and she marries a non-Omani. She loses her Omani citizenship from the date of this marriage.
Article 26
Omani nationality is revoked from an Omani by origin in the following cases:
If he insults the Sultanate of Oman or the Sultan himself by word or deed.
2 - If he belongs to a group, party, or organization that embraces principles or beliefs that harm the interests of the Sultanate of Oman.
3 - If he works for a foreign country in a job that conflicts with the interests of the Sultanate of Oman, whether his work is inside or outside the Sultanate of Oman, and he does not comply with the request of the Omani government to leave this job within the specified period.
4 - If he works for a hostile country that works against the interests of the Sultanate of Oman.
Omani citizenship may be restored to a person whose citizenship was revoked if the reasons for revocation no longer exist.
Article 27
Omani citizenship shall be withdrawn from anyone to whom it was granted in the following cases:
1 - If any of the cases stipulated in Article (26) of this law are met.
2 - If he acquired Omani nationality through illegal means, and this applies to all those who acquired it as a result of him.
3 - If he is finally convicted of a crime against state security.
4 - If he is finally sentenced to a custodial sentence that must be executed for more than one felony within the five (5) years following his acquisition of Omani citizenship.
5 - If he resides outside the Sultanate of Oman during the years following his obtaining Omani citizenship for a period exceeding (24) twenty-four consecutive months without justification, under the procedures specified in the regulations.
Chapter Five
Penalties
Article (28)
whoever provides false information to the authorities, or submits incorrect documents to them, to obtain Omani citizenship for himself or another, or deny it to himself or for another, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year, and not exceeding three years, and a fine of not less than R05,000, and not exceeding RO10,000, or by one of these two penalties.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
