Saturday 24 / October / 2026
Oman’s Ministry of Labour has newly promulgated Ministerial Decision No. 390/2026, issuing the Regulation Governing the Practice of the Activity of Recruiting Non-Omani Manpower. Based on the Labour Law issued by Royal Decree 53/2023, the Regulation sets licensing requirements and obligations for recruitment offices and employers. The Decision repeals the Regulation issued by Ministerial Decision No. 1/2011 and takes effect on 1 January 2027.
Speaking to the Times of Oman, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zadjali, Chairman of Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm, said “the Regulation makes a licence from the Ministry of Labour mandatory for recruitment offices. Eligibility conditions include that the owner, partners and authorised signatories are Omani, registration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, and a financial guarantee of OMR5,000. Recruitment offices must meet prescribed requirements for their premises and workers’ accommodation.”
“Licensed offices must use prescribed forms for job offers and service contracts. They must give employers workers’ personal details, skills and experience, conduct pre-entry medical examinations, and provide insurance coverage for each service contract. They must use external agencies accredited by the relevant diplomatic mission in Oman and attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; recruitment from countries without a diplomatic mission in Oman requires coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Oman Police. They must not collect any amounts or fees from recruited workers for recruitment or employment, and must not retain workers’ passports or official documents except with their written consent,” he said.
He added that “recruitment offices must recruit workers within 45 days of the service contract, unless a shorter period is agreed. In specified circumstances, offices must refund employers or, if agreed in writing, provide replacement workers, although the right to a refund is forfeited in certain cases, such as fraud by the employer about the conditions of work, non-payment of wages for more than two consecutive months or three non-consecutive months in a year, or harassment or violence against the worker.”
He further noted that “under the prescribed contract forms, the service guarantee period is two years for domestic workers and their equivalents, and 90 days for workers recruited for establishments, calculated from the commencement of work. Temporary labour authorisations are valid for 180 days and are non-renewable.”
“Non-compliance may result in a warning, administrative fines, suspension or cancellation of a licence, without prejudice to criminal penalties under the Labour Law. Existing licences remain valid until expiry, provided that they are renewed in accordance with the Regulation,” he concluded.
(Mohammed Ibrahim Law Firm ([email protected]), (+968 244 87 600) was established on 14th December 2006 and is serving clients through its offices in Muscat and Sohar, as well as operating on a request basis in other areas. It offers legal representation across a wide range of practice areas that include Labour Law, Corporate, Commercial, Contracts, Banking and Finance, International Trade, Foreign Investment, Maritime Law, Construction and Engineering Contracts, International Arbitration, Intellectual Property and more).
