Oman has made it far easier for expatriates to bring their families, cutting the salary needed to sponsor a spouse and children. This guide covers the current salary rule, the documents and medicals involved, ROP fees and the step-by-step process in 2026.
The salary rule has been relaxed
For years, an expatriate needed to earn at least OMR 600 a month to sponsor family members. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has since cut that threshold by more than half, and the widely reported minimum now sits around OMR 300 a month for a dependent visa. The exact figure applied to your case can still depend on your occupation and how many dependents you want to sponsor: a spouse and one child is generally comfortable at the lower end, while sponsoring several children or extended family such as parents is assessed individually and usually expects a higher income. Treat the OMR 300 figure as the general floor rather than a guarantee for every family size.
Who you can sponsor
- Your spouse (with an attested marriage certificate)
- Dependent children, typically sons under 18, and up to older ages if in full-time education
- Unmarried daughters, subject to the usual documentation
- Parents, subject to a higher income assessment
Documents you need
The paperwork is where most delays happen, so prepare it early:
- Sponsor’s labour card and Omani resident card
- Salary certificate confirming you meet the income requirement
- Marriage certificate, apostilled and attested, to sponsor a spouse
- Children’s birth certificates, apostilled and attested
- Passport copies for every dependent, with adequate validity
- Tenancy contract or proof of suitable accommodation, where requested
Because certificates from your home country usually need apostille and attestation, start that process before you travel, it is the single most common bottleneck.
Fees and the medical
Government fees for dependent visas are modest, but they stack up across a family. Adult dependents also complete a medical fitness test as part of residency; young children are generally exempt. Budget for the fee per dependent plus the resident card issuance for each person, and for the medical test where required.
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Sponsor minimum salary | Around OMR 300/month (occupation- and size-dependent) |
| Dependent visa fee | A per-person government fee, modest per year |
| Resident card | Issued for each dependent |
| Medical fitness test | Required for adult dependents; young children usually exempt |
Fee schedules are set by the ROP and can change, so confirm the current amounts on the ROP portal before you pay. As a rule of thumb, plan your budget around the salary requirement and the attestation costs back home, which usually dwarf the modest government visa fees themselves, legalising and couriering documents through embassies and foreign ministries is where families most often underestimate the spend.
Step by step via the ROP portal
- Confirm your salary meets the threshold and gather attested documents.
- Apply for the family joining visa through the ROP e-services portal.
- Pay the visa fee and, once approved, arrange your dependents’ travel.
- Complete the medical fitness test for adult dependents after arrival.
- Apply for each dependent’s resident card to finalise residency.
Once your family holds resident cards, they can access services that require one, from banking to signing contracts. Our guide to the Oman resident card covers that final step, and if a dependent plans to drive, see how to convert a foreign driving licence.
Validity, renewal and dependents working
A dependent’s residency is linked to the sponsor’s, so it is renewed alongside your own residence permit rather than on a separate clock, if your permit lapses, so does theirs. Keep an eye on passport validity for each family member too, as a passport close to expiry can hold up issuance or renewal. A sponsored dependent is not automatically allowed to work: taking up employment requires the appropriate transfer to a work permit under the usual labour rules, so a spouse who wants a job should plan for that separately rather than assuming the family visa permits it.
Avoiding common delays
- Un-attested certificates: marriage and birth certificates without apostille and attestation are the top cause of rejection, complete this in your home country first.
- Salary just under the line: if your basic pay sits near the threshold, ask HR to reflect allowances correctly on the salary certificate.
- Name mismatches: ensure spellings on passports, certificates and your labour card match exactly.
- Missing accommodation proof: have your tenancy contract ready in case it is requested.
Bottom line
Reuniting your family in Oman is more affordable than it used to be, with the sponsor salary cut to roughly OMR 300 a month for most cases. The real work is document attestation, so get marriage and birth certificates apostilled early, then run the application through the ROP portal. For the wider relocation picture, read our guide to working and living in Oman.
Read next: Oman Investor Residency 2026: 5-Year vs 10-Year Golden Card Compared
Primary source: the Royal Oman Police eVisa portal.
