Practical information Oman

Yes, French, Belgian and Swiss nationals must obtain a tourist e-visa before departure via the official Royal Oman Police portal (evisa.rop.gov.om). Two main options: a 10-day non-renewable visa for 5 OMR (approximately 12 euros), or a 30-day renewable visa for 20 OMR (approximately 48 euros). The application is completed online with a photo and passport scan, with a response typically received within 24 to 72 hours. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your entry date and have two blank pages. Print the authorization and keep it with your passport to present upon arrival at Muscat or Salalah airport.

No vaccine is mandatory to enter Oman from Europe, except yellow fever if you arrive from a country where it is endemic. We recommend being up to date with universal vaccinations (DTP, MMR, pertussis) and considering hepatitis A and B, typhoid if you eat street food. Rabies may be advised for long stays in rural areas. Good news: there is no malaria on Omani territory, nor significant dengue. A consultation at an international vaccination centre 4 to 6 weeks before departure remains the safest option to adapt based on your itinerary and medical profile.

Count between 120 and 200 euros per day and per person excluding international flights, based on two travelers sharing a 4x4 with an English-speaking driver-guide and 4-star hotels. Main expenses: accommodation (60 to 120 euros per person in a standard double room, more at Jebel Akhdar or in a premium desert lodge), private 4x4 transport (around 150 to 200 euros per day with driver, fuel included), meals (15 to 40 euros per person depending on location). A night in a Bedouin camp with dinner is around 100 euros per person. Domestic flights Muscat-Salalah cost approximately 80 to 130 euros one way.

The most pleasant period runs from October to April, with temperatures between 25 and 32°C during the day across most of the country, cool nights in the desert and mountains (5 to 15°C in December-January at Jebel Akhdar). Avoid June to September in the north and interior, where temperatures regularly exceed 40°C in Muscat and 45°C in the desert. Special case of Dhofar around Salalah: the khareef monsoon from mid-June to mid-September transforms the region into a verdant plateau, a unique experience that attracts many Gulf travelers. November, February and March offer the best overall compromise.

A 4x4 is the suitable means of transport for virtually all itineraries. The main roads (Muscat-Nizwa, Muscat-Sur, highway to Salalah) are excellent, wide and well-signposted. However, the tracks in the Wahiba desert, access to Jebel Akhdar (mandatory 4x4 ramp enforced by police at the foot of the climb) and most of the wadis require an all-terrain vehicle. We operate private circuits with English-speaking driver-guides, which makes managing the considerable distances easier (Muscat-Salalah is 1,000 km). To save time, there are two regular domestic flights: Muscat-Salalah (1h30) and Muscat-Khasab for Musandam (1h).

Oman is among the safest countries in the Middle East and the world, with very low crime rates, including in Muscat at night. Omani society is stable, and the tolerant, Ibadi Islam practiced locally is open to foreigners. Solo travelers, couples, and families do not need to take special precautions beyond common sense. Wear clothing that covers shoulders and knees outside hotel beaches, remove your shoes before entering a local home or mosque, and ask permission before photographing people. The Yemeni border in the southwest of Dhofar remains advised against by French authorities, and our circuits do not approach it.