Expat insurance and health insurance in Oman

The Omani system relies on a public sector run by the Ministry of Health, with a reference public hospital in each wilayat (sub-district) and a leading hospital network concentrated in Muscat — foremost among them the Royal Hospital, the country's main referral and emergency centre, and the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, the tertiary-level university hospital centre. Free or heavily subsidised public care in practice remains reserved for Omani citizens; a dense private sector, widely used by expats, rounds out the offering in Muscat and the main cities.

A foreign resident in principle only has access to public facilities in a life-threatening emergency or when the treatment required is not available in the private sector, for a non-Omani rate of around 5 to 10 OMR per consultation depending on the Ministry of Health facility. Most expats therefore turn to the private network (GP consultation of around 15 to 30 OMR), covered depending on their status by Dhamani cover provided by the employer or by international insurance taken out individually.

Legal basis: the Capital Market Authority (CMA, since renamed the Financial Services Authority, FSA) established the unified health insurance policy "Dhamani" through decision No. 34/2019 (24 March 2019), further specified by the health insurance rules of decision No. 78/2019 (2 October 2019) then extended to domestic workers by decision No. 98/2019 (December 2019); Sultani decrees No. 44 and 45 of 2021 subsequently reclassified health insurance as an independent line of business. The rollout, announced in phases by company size since 2019-2020, is presented by several professional sources as effective since January 2023 for the obligation itself; its technical implementation via the e-Dhamani platform (officially launched on 1 October 2024, integration of private clinics and pharmacies targeted for end 2025) remains, according to the latest available sources, in the process of being finalised.

• Foreign private-sector employees (all nationalities) and their dependants (spouse, children under 21): the employer must enrol them with an approved insurer and fund the premium, for cover capped at 4,500 OMR per year (including 3,000 OMR for hospitalisation, 500 OMR for outpatient care and up to 1,000 OMR for repatriation of remains in the event of death), excluding pre-existing conditions and, according to the sources consulted, maternity.
• Domestic workers employed by an Omani or foreign household: mandatory cover since end 2019, with a separate annual cap of 4,000 OMR borne by the employer.
• Foreign students: health insurance is generally required to issue the student visa, arranged through the university or host institution rather than the Dhamani scheme itself.
• Retirees, self-employed people, investors (investor visa, "Golden Visa" relaunched in August 2025, residency linked to a property): without a sponsoring employer to arrange Dhamani, these profiles must take out equivalent private health insurance themselves.
• Visitors on an on-arrival visa or e-visa (the common case for a French tourist stay): no Omani legal health insurance requirement has been identified in the official sources consulted for this specific category; France Diplomatie nonetheless recommends "checking that you are properly insured" before departure, without this being an entry condition imposed by the Omani authorities.

There is no bilateral social security agreement between France and Oman: the country does not appear on the list of agreements in force published by CLEISS, like the other Gulf monarchies.

• No coordination or totalisation of affiliation periods for pension purposes.
• No reimbursement of care by French health insurance, except through voluntary enrolment with CFE.
• Dhamani cover depends on residency status and the employer, not on French nationality.

• Before departure: take out insurance covering medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation, recommended by France Diplomatie; costs are settled on site and are never covered by the embassy.
• Check your passport: validity of more than six months from the date of entry.
• For a short stay: free on-arrival visa (passport stamp) for a stay of under 14 days, or an e-visa via evisa.rop.gov.om (20 OMR online, 21 OMR at the airport for 30 days) beyond that.
• For a private-sector employee: check with the employer that enrolment in the Dhamani scheme happens from the start of employment, and that the spouse and children under 21 are effectively covered.
• For a resident without a sponsoring employer (retiree, self-employed, Golden Visa, property-based residency): take out equivalent cover yourself before applying for or renewing the residence permit.
• Within 6 months: register with the roll of French nationals living abroad (free, recommended).