Oman flag Oman: Buying and Selling

International convention and customs procedures of Oman

International Conventions
Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
International Economic Cooperation
Oman is a member of the Arab League. The country is also part of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) Agreement, a pact of the Arab League entered into force in January 2005 which aims to form an Arabic free trade area.

Member of the WTO (since Novembre 2000)

Member of the Gulf Council Cooperation

Non Tariff Barriers
The licensing of business activities can be complicated and can significantly add to the time it takes to get goods to or out of market. Companies looking to import goods to Oman must register with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. A special license must be obtained for the importation of certain classes of goods, such as alcohol, livestock, poultry, firearms, pharmaceutical products and explosives.

Media imports are subject to censorship by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture for morally or politically sensitive material. The Ministry of Information delays or bars publications if their content is deemed morally suspect or politically sensitive.
Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports
Foreign, non-American/GCC goods are imported according to Oman’s tariff schedule, which imposes modest duties generally not exceeding 10%. According to data from the 2016 World Bank, the average rate of import taxes is 3.2%.
With the entry into force of the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement in January 2009, bilateral trade in industrial and consumer products, with the exception of certain textile and apparel products, is now duty free. Oman provided duty free access on virtually all products in its tariff schedule and will phase out tariffs on the remaining handful of products within a few years.
There is no VAT on the sales.
Customs Classification
Oman is a member of the World Customs organisation and does comply with the harmonised customs system.
Import Procedures
According to the Royal Oman Police Customs Directorate (ROP Customs), the following are required for clearance of imported goods:

-    An accredited copy of commercial registration and an activity form or permission for importing if such a form doesn’t exist.
-    A valid copy of the affiliation certificate to Oman Chamber of Industry and Commerce (OCIC).
-    A valid certificate from the manufacturer.
-    A valid quotation list.
-    Packing lists.
-    Bill of lading at sea and air custom offices only.
-    A manifest of the shipment (a document which contains a detailed description of the cargo).
-    A permission of deliverance from the shipping agent.
-    A comprehensive valid written authorization from the person in charge for custom clearance.
-    Paying the required taxes and custom fees for the total value of the shipment including cargo and insurance (CIF).

All imports into Oman above RO 1,000 must be accompanied by: an accredited copy of commercial registration, a copy of the affiliation certificate to the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), a commercial invoice, a bill of lading or airway bill, the relevant certificate or permit for restricted imports (section 3.2.6), and a certificate of origin for preferential imports.
Importing Samples
There is no specific procedures for samples shipments. Sample shipments require the same set of documents as a normal shipment. The value of goods should still appear on the commercial invoice indicating "for customs clearance purpose only'' on the invoice. Zero value invoices are not acceptable.
 

To go further, check out our service Import controls and Export Controls.

 
For Further Information
Royal Oman Police Customs Office

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Latest Update: December 2023