Can non-Omani spouses get citizenship?

Muscat: 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.

Applications related to nationality issues shall be submitted to the Ministry of Interior, which shall study and decide upon them. The Ministry may reject any application without giving reasons.

Here is what the law says about granting citizenship to foreign spouses of citizens.

Article 18

A foreigner who is the husband of an Omani woman may apply for Omani citizenship if he has been married to an Omani woman and has resided with her in the Sultanate of Oman for no less than 10 years, and his residence shall not be considered continuous if he is absent during one year for a period not exceeding 90 days.

The applicant must have a child from his Omani wife, must be fluent in reading and writing Arabic, must 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, even if his reputation has been restored, must be in the good health and free from infectious diseases, as specified in the regulations, must have a legitimate source of income that provides him with enough to meet his needs and the needs of those he supports and must 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 has been married to an Omani and has resided with him in the Sultanate of Oman for no less than 8 years, and her absence during one year for a period not exceeding (90) ninety days does not prevent her residence from being considered continuous, she has a child from her Omani husband. She must be in spoken Arabic, must 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 her reputation has been restored, and must 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 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, she has a child from her Omani husband, She must not be married to a non-Omani, must be fluent in spoken Arabic, must 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 her reputation has been restored, must be in good health and free from infectious diseases, as specified in the regulations and must 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 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. She has a child with her Omani husband. She must not be married to a non-Omani, must be fluent in spoken Arabic, must 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, even if her reputation has been restored. must be in good health and free from infectious diseases, as specified in the regulations. She must have a legitimate source of income that provides her with enough to meet her needs and the needs of those she supports and must 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 the mother is a widow or divorced, provided that five 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. His mother has custody of him, under a court ruling and he has resided in the Sultanate of Oman for not less than five years if his mother is a widow or divorced, and 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. He must have good conduct and behavior, and 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. There must be 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.