Oman Labour Ministry Introduces New Rules For Recruiting Non-Omani Workers

Oman’s Ministry of Labour has issued Ministerial Decision No. 390/2026, introducing a new Regulation Governing the Practice of Recruiting Non-Omani Manpower. Issued under the Labour Law promulgated by Royal Decree No. 53/2023, the regulation establishes licensing conditions, operational requirements and compliance obligations for recruitment offices and employers. It replaces the previous framework introduced under Ministerial Decision No. 1/2011 and will take effect on January 1, 2027.

 

Under the new framework, recruitment offices must obtain a licence from the Ministry of Labour before undertaking recruitment activities. The eligibility requirements include Omani ownership, partnership and authorised signatories, registration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, and submission of a financial guarantee of OMR5,000. Recruitment offices must also comply with prescribed standards governing their premises and workers’ accommodation.

 

Licensed recruitment offices are required to use approved formats for job offers and service contracts. They must provide employers with relevant information about recruited workers, including their personal details, qualifications, skills and work experience. The requirements also include conducting medical examinations before workers enter Oman and arranging insurance coverage for each service contract.

 

Recruitment offices must engage overseas recruitment agencies accredited by the relevant Omani diplomatic mission and ensure that the necessary documents are attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Where recruitment takes place from countries without an Omani diplomatic mission, the process must be coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Oman Police.

 

The regulation expressly prohibits recruitment offices from charging workers any fees or collecting payments from them in connection with recruitment or employment. It also prohibits the retention of workers’ passports and official documents, except where workers have given their written consent.

 

Recruitment offices are generally required to complete the recruitment process within 45 days of the service contract being concluded, unless the parties agree to a shorter period. The regulation also establishes circumstances in which recruitment offices must refund employers or provide replacement workers, where this alternative has been agreed in writing.

 

However, an employer's entitlement to a refund may be forfeited in specified circumstances. These include providing misleading information about working conditions, failing to pay wages for more than two consecutive months or three non-consecutive months within a year, and subjecting a worker to harassment or violence.

 

The prescribed contractual arrangements also introduce different service guarantee periods depending on the category of worker. For domestic workers and equivalent categories, the guarantee period is two years, while the period for workers recruited by establishments is 90 days, calculated from the commencement of employment.

 

The regulation further provides for temporary labour authorisations valid for 180 days, which cannot be renewed. This establishes a defined period for temporary recruitment arrangements and places limits on their continuation.

 

Non-compliance with the new requirements may attract administrative action, including warnings, financial penalties, suspension or cancellation of recruitment licences. These measures are without prejudice to any criminal penalties that may apply under the Labour Law.

 

Recruitment offices holding valid licences when the new regulation comes into force may continue operating until their licences expire. However, subsequent renewals must comply with the requirements and procedures prescribed under the new framework.