Oman will be visa-free for visiting Filipinos by 2026 —envoy

Oman will be visa-free for Filipino tourists by 2026, according to the Oman Embassy.

During the National Day celebration for Oman at Makati City on Wednesday, Oman Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Nasser Said Abdullah Al Manwari shared that Filipinos who would visit Oman for around two weeks would no longer need visas.

He said the new rule would begin in 2026.

“This is the first country in the Middle East that will waive the visa for the Filipino people. So you can enjoy Oman anytime without visa. Next year, it will be around two weeks without visa,” he told reporters in an interview.

Manwari expressed hope that the easing of requirements would help boost the number of Filipino tourists in Oman.

“I think the number of the tourists will increase dramatically after the waiving of the visas of the Filipino,” he said.

Currently, direct flights are being offered between Manila and Muscat, but Manwari said they are now looking to expand the travel options.

“We are ready to increase the number of flights. There is a plan to have another direct flight to Cebu. It’s not only Oman Air, but we have other airlines. We are working on that, we are looking to increase the flights from Manila but the capacity of NAIA… maybe in the future, in the coming years,” he continued.

Meanwhile, the ambassador encouraged the public to visit Oman as they are “unique in the Middle East.”

“We have mountains, by the coast. We have sands… For our Filipino friends, please visit Oman. It is something amazing. It is unique in the Middle East,” Manwari said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News