Entry restrictions extended to travellers from 16 countries

Passengers from up to 16 countries are now prohibited from entering Oman, as part of measures announced to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Egypt and the Philippines are the latest countries to be included in Oman’s no entry list, under steps taken by the Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19).

Starting 9 am on Friday, May 7, passengers intending to fly to Oman from either of these countries, as well those who have passed through either of them in the last 14 days, will not be permitted to enter.

India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are also included in the list, with their entry ban having come into effect on April 24. The remaining are Sudan, Lebanon, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and the United Kingdom.

To protect individuals of society from more exposure to this disease and, to maintain the capability of the health system and enable health workers to keep the situation under control, the Supreme Committee took the decisions.

The decision exempts incoming travellers who are Omani citizens, diplomats, health workers and their families. These exempted segments will undergo the prescribed procedures upon arriving in the Sultanate.

Airlines operating from these countries to Oman have been informed of the decision and the measures will be in place until further notice.

The entry ban only affects passengers looking to arrive/return to Oman: those who wish to travel to these 16 countries are still free to do so.

Although the wider ban is to soon come into effect, expats from these countries are still happy they can go home in case of an emergency.

“My flight home is in the early hours of Wednesday morning – I had already booked my tickets because I have to go see my family… it is urgent,” said Arnold Ramos, a Filipino national in Oman.

“I had put off a number of things I needed to do at home, but it looks like the pandemic situation around the world is not going to change for a while.

“It is best I finish this work right now, because we do not know what will happen in the coming months,” he added.