Just Landed in Oman? Your First 7 Days

Coverage is strong across Muscat and the main coastal towns and reliable along the interior highways, with 4G everywhere and 5G in the capital. Prepaid tourist SIMs activate in minutes on your passport, but a permanent postpaid line and home fibre both require your Resident Card once it is issued.

Typical cost: Prepaid data bundles from around 3-6 OMR/month; unlimited postpaid plans roughly 12-20 OMR/month; home fibre broadband from about 25 OMR/month depending on speed.

The Omani Rial is pegged to the US dollar at roughly 1 OMR = 2.60 USD, making it one of the strongest currencies in the world, so a price that reads as a small number is often larger than it looks. There is no personal income tax on salaries. Card and phone payments are widely accepted in cities, but cash still rules for small everyday purchases.

Opening an account: Open a salary account once your Resident Card is issued; your employer usually nominates a bank. Bank Muscat, National Bank of Oman (NBO), Sohar International and Bank Dhofar are the main foreigner-friendly banks, all with strong mobile apps. Bring your passport, Resident Card and a salary or employment letter, and expect the account to be opened within a few days.

Cash: Cities are increasingly card- and app-friendly, and contactless is common in supermarkets and restaurants, but taxis, baqalas (corner shops), traditional souqs and rural areas remain cash-only. Keep baisa coins and small notes for daily use, and do not assume a small vendor can break a large note.

Tipping: Tipping is appreciated but not obligatory. Round up taxi fares to the nearest rial, leave around 10% in restaurants if a service charge is not already included, and 500 baisa to 1 OMR for hotel porters or a helpful delivery rider.

Foreign workers do not self-register a home address the way you might in Europe, but you are legally required to hold a valid Resident Card (Bitaqa Muqeem) tied to your employer-sponsored work visa. The card must be issued shortly after you arrive on an employment visa and carried at all times, as police can ask to see it. It is also the master document that unlocks a bank account, a postpaid SIM, home broadband and a registered tenancy, so treat obtaining it as your single most important early task.

Deadline: Residency and medical formalities are typically completed within about 30 days of arrival on an employment visa; your employer's PRO drives the timeline, so chase them if it stalls.

Where: Royal Oman Police (ROP) directorates handle residency and the Resident Card; in practice your employer's PRO submits the paperwork and takes you for the medical and biometrics on your behalf.

Muscat is car-dependent and sprawling, and public transport is limited to Mwasalat buses on the main corridors, so most residents drive or use ride-hailing apps. Metered taxis exist, but many older orange-and-white taxis are unmetered, so agree the fare before getting in or use an app for a fixed price. Roads are generally excellent, but speed cameras and radar enforcement are strict.

From the airport: Muscat International Airport (MCT) sits about 30 to 40 minutes from the city centre. Options are the official Marhaba metered taxi desk in arrivals (roughly 8 to 15 OMR to central Muscat depending on district), a ride-hailing app such as OTaxi or Marhabtain, a Mwasalat public bus to the city, or a pre-booked hotel or company car.

Most expats rent unfurnished or semi-furnished flats and villas, arranged through an agent, a broker's listing or a company housing allowance. Leases usually run 12 months, and utilities such as electricity and water are typically billed separately on top of rent. Popular expat areas include Al Khuwair, Ghubra, Qurum, Azaiba and Muscat Hills, with Al Mouj and Muscat Hills at the premium, freehold-friendly end.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom flat in Muscat runs roughly 200-350 OMR/month; a two- to three-bedroom flat or small villa 400-700 OMR/month, higher in prime coastal or gated developments.

Deposit norm: Expect one month's rent as a security deposit plus post-dated cheques or advance rent; some landlords ask for several months upfront, so negotiate and always sign a proper written tenancy contract, ideally registered with the municipality.

Oman has good private healthcare in Muscat and government hospitals nationwide, and standards in the main private hospitals are high. Foreign residents generally rely on employer-provided private health insurance, which is being made mandatory for private-sector expats under the national Dhamani unified health insurance scheme now rolling out across the country.

How to access it: For non-emergencies, book directly at a private hospital or clinic such as Muscat Private Hospital, Badr Al Samaa or Aster clinics, or any provider in your insurer's network, and bring your insurance card. For emergencies dial 9999 for an ambulance, or go straight to a hospital A&E, where private hospitals will stabilise you regardless of paperwork.

Insurance: Private-sector employers are required to provide health insurance under the Dhamani scheme, which sets a basic minimum coverage (currently up to around OMR 4,500 a year for essential inpatient, outpatient, emergency and diagnostic care). Confirm your policy card, provider network and annual limit on arrival, and check specifically whether dependants and maternity are included.

• Dress modestly in public: cover shoulders and knees, and dress conservatively when visiting mosques, government offices or traditional areas.
• Use your right hand for eating, greeting and giving or receiving items, as the left is considered unclean.
• Greetings matter: a warm 'As-salaamu alaikum' and a little unhurried small talk before getting to business is expected and valued.
• Accept coffee (kahwa) and dates when offered in homes or offices, as hospitality is central and refusing outright can seem rude.
• During Ramadan, do not eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours out of respect, and expect shorter working hours.
• Ask before photographing people, especially Omani women, and be discreet with cameras around private homes.
• Friday is the holy day and the quietest of the week, with many shops opening late; plan errands around prayer-time closures.

• Public displays of affection, drunkenness and swearing can lead to fines or arrest; Oman is conservative and rules are enforced.
• Alcohol is legal only in licensed hotels and restaurants, or at home with a personal liquor licence; never drink and drive, as penalties are severe.
• Do not photograph government buildings, military sites, airports, ports or people without permission.
• Criticising the Sultan, the government, the ruling family or Islam publicly or online is illegal and taken seriously.
• Cohabitation and relationships outside marriage sit in a legal grey area, so be aware and discreet about your living arrangements.