Oman has opened its real estate market to foreign buyers and created a sponsor-free residence permit for foreign property owners, marking a shift from its previous restriction of foreign ownership mainly to designated tourism developments.
The new Real Estate Registry Law allows non-Omanis, foreign companies, and legal entities to own property in Oman. The change extends foreign ownership nationwide, subject to forthcoming executive regulations.
The registry law took effect last month. Related residency amendments were issued by the Royal Oman Police under Decision No. 87/2026, published in the Official Gazette on June 21, and came into force the following day.
Owner residence permit
The amendments formalize a property owner residence permit separate from Oman’s Investor Residency program.
The new “Owner” permit:
- Is sponsor-free
- Runs for six months to one year
- Is renewable
- Allows holders and their first-degree relatives to live in Oman while they continue to hold the asset
- Does not appear to have a minimum investment threshold
The permit has narrower benefits than Oman’s Investor Residency options.
By comparison, Oman’s Golden and Silver Residency permits run for five or 10 years and require investment thresholds of:
- OMR 500,000, approximately US$1.3 million
- OMR 250,000, approximately US$650,000
Those investor permits include wider rights that the Owner permit does not, including visa-free movement across the GCC, the ability to sponsor domestic staff, and business-ownership privileges.
In practical terms, owning a home can now provide residency tied to the property, while meeting the Investor Residency thresholds still provides longer duration and broader benefits.
Foreign property ownership and off-plan sales
The new law allows non-Omanis to register land and property in their own name. It also gives electronic records and digital contracts the same legal force as paper deeds.
Until now, foreign ownership in Oman mainly operated through the Integrated Tourism Complex framework, which was an exception to the general restriction on non-Omani ownership.
The new registry system creates a clearer route based on registered title, including electronic and legally enforceable title. Property may also be held through a corporate vehicle.
The law also recognizes a preliminary registry for off-plan sales and development projects. This means the framework applies not only to completed, registered property, but also to:
- Buyers of unregistered land
- Buyers of off-plan units
- Purchasers of land designated for construction
- Purchasers of units still undergoing registration
These buyers may also qualify for the Owner permit.
The law also expands who may sponsor a foreign resident. Sponsors may now include Omani citizens, GCC nationals, licensed foreign investors, foreign real estate owners in Oman, and expatriates employed by government entities.
Why Oman is changing the rules
The reforms are presented as part of Oman’s long-term economic diversification strategy and its effort to attract non-oil capital through a more accessible and better-governed real estate market.
Other Gulf states, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, have removed restrictions on foreign access to property and residency in recent years. Oman’s reform is described as part of the same regional shift, but with emphasis on legal clarity and title certainty rather than only investment thresholds.
One key change is the digital property registry, which is intended to give international buyers clearer title and more reliable legal documentation.
Oman’s advantages are described as political neutrality and stability, a lower-density lifestyle with open space and nature, visa processing times of roughly three to six weeks, and no family-size limit for first-degree relatives.
Oman currently has no personal income tax, but that is set to change in 2028, when it becomes the first GCC state to tax personal income.
Who may benefit
The most immediate beneficiaries are expected to be foreigners already living in Oman. Expatriates who have built their lives in the country may now be able to own homes directly and secure sponsor-free residence for themselves and their families.
The reform may also appeal to GCC-based investors diversifying their holdings, as well as entrepreneurs and family offices that can now hold Omani assets through a clearer legal structure.
The timing may matter because regional tensions could increase demand for stable bases. Oman’s reputation for neutrality and calm is presented as one reason it may attract cautious buyers.
The expected market response is described as measured rather than speculative, with growth likely to depend on legal clarity and the details of implementation.
The full scope of the reform will become clearer once authorities publish the executive regulations for the Registry Law.
Source article: www.imidaily.com
