Employment contracts in Oman should be written in Arabic, and the salaries should be in the legally circulating currency. However, if the contract was in any other language, an attached Arabic translation document is required to be given to both employer and employee. In cases of illiteracy, or if the employee is not fluent in the language of the contract, certification of the contract is required from the Labor Office. The employer is to issue a receipt to the employee of all documents given by the employee.

There are two types of contracts in Oman: indefinite full-time and definite part-time. A full-time employment contract has an indefinite period with a fixed minimum number of hours per day, while a part-time employment contract contains a period that has a maximum number of hours per day. The latter is used for types of work that are either temporary or casual that must not exceed six months. If a definite contract continues to be executed after the expiration of its period, the contract will be deemed renewed as an indefinite full-time contract.

All foreign employees require a permit to work in Oman. The petitioning employer must have entered the country by lawful means and have satisfied the conditions provided for in the Expatriates Residence Law before being eligible to apply for a foreign worker permit.

In Oman, the minimum wage is 325 OMR per month of which 225 OMR must be salary and the remaining 100 OMR must be paid as a bonus.

In Oman, the standard work week consists of 45 hours per week, nine hours a day. However, work hours are reduced to 30 hours a week, 6 hours a day during Ramadan.

Overtime

All work above the standard weekly hours is paid as overtime and regulated by employment contracts/collective agreements. When an employee is requested to work overtime or on holidays, the maximum is set at 12 hours a day. Overtime expectations should be stated in the employment agreement. It is not possible to include overtime pay within the salary.

Managers are exempt from overtime limits and do not need to receive additional pay.

All overtime hours in excess of 45 hours a week are paid at an overtime compensation rate of 125% of the employee’s regular wage for daylight hours and 150% for hours worked at night.

An employee is entitled to 10 days of sick leave compensated by the employer at 100% of their regular income. Any sickness in excess of two weeks is paid by Social Security at a reduced rate as follows:

• Week 3-4 of sickness – 75% of their wages

• Week 5-6 of sickness – 50% of their wages

• Week 7-10 of sickness– 25% of their wages

Maternity Leave

Per Article 83, Part 5 of the Labor Law of Oman, women working in the private sector are entitled to 50 days of maternity leave covering periods before and after delivery, with compensation at 100% of their regular income. An employee is entitled to maternity leave three times throughout her employment in one organization. Civil Service Law No. 120/2004 allows female employees working in the public sector to take maternity leave up to five times throughout their service.

Paternity Leave

In Oman, there are no provisions in the law regarding paternity leave.

Parental Leave

There are no provisions in the law regarding parental leave.

Employees have the right to an annual leave of 30 calendar days paid at 100% of their regular salary. Employees earn the entitlement following six months of consecutive employment at one organization. Unused leave can carry over into the next year.

Bereavement leave: for the death of a father, mother, spouse, sibling, grandparent, or child, an employee is entitled to three days of leave. For the death of an aunt or uncle, two days’ leave is granted. In the event of a working Muslim woman losing her husband, the leave entitlement is increased to 130 days.

Wedding leave: an employee is entitled to 3 days.

Hajj Pilgrimage: an employee gets 15 days of leave to perform the Hajj Pilgrimage once during their employment following one year of service.

Exam leave: granted to employees in Oman for the opportunity to study in one of the schools, institutes, colleges, or universities. The leave entitlement for study leave is 15 days.

The local government decides each year if holidays falling on the weekend are lost or moved to a working day in lieu.

Religious holidays are determined by the lunar cycle and will show as tentative until they are confirmed nearer the date of the holiday.

Date Day Holiday Note

1 Jan 2024 - Monday - New Year
8 Feb 2024 - Thursday - Isra and Mi’raj
9 Apr 2024 - Tuesday - Eid al-Fitr Holiday
10 Apr 2024 - Wednesday - Eid al-FitrHoliday
11 Apr 2024 - Thursday - Eid al-Fitr Holiday
12 Apr 2024 - Friday - Eid al-Fitr Holiday
13 Apr 2024 - Saturday - Eid al-Fitr Holiday
17 Jun 2024 - Monday - Eid al-Adha - Tentative
18 Jun 2024 - Tuesday - Eid al-Adha Holiday - Tentative
19 Jun 2024 - Wednesday - Eid al-Adha Holiday - Tentative
20 Jun 2024 - Thursday - Eid al-Adha Holiday - Tentative
8 Jul 2024 - Monday - Muharram - Tentative
16 Sep 2024 - Monday - The Prophet’s Birthday - Tentative
18 Nov 2024 - Monday - National Day

Oman provides cost-free universal healthcare to citizens.

The termination process varies according to the employment and collective agreement in place and on the type of contract and reason for termination. Employers must have sufficient grounds for terminating an employee and must provide a formal notice period and end-of-service gratuity.

An employer may terminate an employment contract without notice and without payment of end-of-service gratuity on the grounds of gross misconduct in circumstances specified in Article 40 of the Labor Law. An employer may not terminate an employment contract without good cause.

Notice Period

The notice period in Oman is a minimum of one month where the employee receives a monthly salary and 15 days in all other cases unless a longer period is agreed upon in the employment contract. All notices must be provided in writing. During the probation period, there is no notice period required.

Severance Pay

In Oman, employers must pay severance pay based on the employee’s years of service:

• 15 calendar days’ basic pay for each year of service for the first three years

• 30 calendar days’ basic pay for each year of service above three years

Probation Period

In Oman, probation periods are outlined in the employee’s employment contract/collective agreement. The probation period must not exceed three months. During the probation period, no notice is required.

Employer Payroll Contributions

10.50% Social Security

1.00% Occupational Injury and Disease

1.00% Job Security Fund

12.50% Total Employment Cost

Employee Payroll Contributions

7.00% Social Security

1.00% Job Security Fund

8.00% "Total Employee Cost - *There are no payroll contributions for foreign/expatriate workers"

Employee Income Tax
Oman does not have personal income tax.

Payroll Cycle

In Oman, the payroll frequency is typically monthly. The employer must make salary payments at least once a month.

13th Salary

There is no legal requirement for employers to pay a 13th-month payment.

Foreigners are usually requested to obtain entry visas to travel to Oman. Visas for Oman are broadly categorized as a tourist visa, employment visa, relative/friend visit visa, family joining/resident visa, investor and student resident visa, and transit visa.

They can be issued as single-entry, double-entry, or multiple-entry visas for visits up to 90 days in periods of 180 days. The single-entry visa grants one-time entrance, whereas double-entry visa holders may travel twice in predetermined timeframes. A multiple-entry visa allows for consecutive visits to the country.

The standard rate of VAT in Oman is 5%.