Print

cockchin07:06 UTC11 Sep 2011

hi,
i went to oman via ras al kaimah for a visa change from visit to residence thru a private car but i was refused since i didn't have an oman visa at hand. i really was confused why i need an oman visa in the first place! i called oman embassy here in dubai but they don't give for visa for this purpose and that i have to contact a tourist bus as they are authorized to go to the oman border.
my question is can i travel thru a tourist bus to oman thru hatta border and have a status change of my visa? i heard that only tourist bus companies are authorized to take passengers for visa change. i am trying to save some expenses by traveling to the border for visa change.
thanks for any help you can give me.

cockchin

camelicious10:15 UTC11 Sep 2011

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to do here...

You cannot change a visa from visit visa to residence visa by crossing a border!

A residence visa is issued through your employer - if you are not employed, you cannot have a residence visa. If you are employed, your employer will guide you through the process and should organise the required health checks etc.

To visit Oman, you need to obtain an Omani visit visa, which you can get by filling in the necessary forms when you arrive at the border, if your passport is one that allows a visa on arrival.

However, depending on your passport, this may mean that you need to re-apply for a UAE visit visa to re-enter the UAE. This can be expensive depending on your passport and I believe you would need to have this organised in advance if you are not eligible for visa on arrival.

You may have heard of people crossing the Oman border for a 'visa run'. If, for example, you hold a UK passport and are not working, you will enter the UAE with visit visa on arrival, which is valid for 30 days. If you cross into Oman and then re-enter UAE, your passport is stamped again and you have a new UAE visit visa that lasts another 30 days - but is still a visit visa, you cannot change the type of visa by crossing into Oman, it is just a way of extending a visit to the UAE beyond 30 days.

I hope this helps!

cockchin15:40 UTC11 Sep 2011

thanks for the clarification.
cockchin

cockchin15:41 UTC11 Sep 2011

thanks for the clarification.
cockchin

visa change in oman Country forums / Middle East / United Arab Emirates
cockchin07:06 UTC11 Sep 2011	hi, i went to oman via ras al kaimah for a visa change from visit to residence thru a private car but i was refused since i didn't have an oman visa at hand. i really was confused why i need an oman visa in the first place! i called oman embassy here in dubai but they don't give for visa for this purpose and that i have to contact a tourist bus as they are authorized to go to the oman border. my question is can i travel thru a tourist bus to oman thru hatta border and have a status change of my visa? i heard that only tourist bus companies are authorized to take passengers for visa change. i am trying to save some expenses by traveling to the border for visa change. thanks for any help you can give me. cockchin
camelicious10:15 UTC11 Sep 2011	I'm not quite sure what you're trying to do here... You cannot change a visa from visit visa to residence visa by crossing a border! A residence visa is issued through your employer - if you are not employed, you cannot have a residence visa. If you are employed, your employer will guide you through the process and should organise the required health checks etc. To visit Oman, you need to obtain an Omani visit visa, which you can get by filling in the necessary forms when you arrive at the border, if your passport is one that allows a visa on arrival. However, depending on your passport, this may mean that you need to re-apply for a UAE visit visa to re-enter the UAE. This can be expensive depending on your passport and I believe you would need to have this organised in advance if you are not eligible for visa on arrival. You may have heard of people crossing the Oman border for a 'visa run'. If, for example, you hold a UK passport and are not working, you will enter the UAE with visit visa on arrival, which is valid for 30 days. If you cross into Oman and then re-enter UAE, your passport is stamped again and you have a new UAE visit visa that lasts another 30 days - but is still a visit visa, you cannot change the type of visa by crossing into Oman, it is just a way of extending a visit to the UAE beyond 30 days. I hope this helps!	1
cockchin15:40 UTC11 Sep 2011	thanks for the clarification. cockchin	2
cockchin15:41 UTC11 Sep 2011	thanks for the clarification. cockchin	3

visa change in oman