Obtaining an Omani driving licence: expatriates welcome relaxed rules

By Kabeer Yousuf - MUSCAT — The recently relaxed rules for expatriates to obtain the Omani driving licence has been well received by people of different nationalities. As per the new rule, an expatriate can secure an Omani driving licence without going through the drum and slope tests provided their national driving licence is duly attested by their embassy and attached along with the application for the licence. People have been exchanging this news ever since the Observer first carried it in January hinting at the removal of drum and slope tests for expatriates with a valid driving licence from their home countries.

Until recently, the conventional procedures for an expatriate employee to apply for an Omani driving licence were to submit a consent letter from the sponsor and to undergo all the procedures including drum and slope tests. But recently, the traffic department has eliminated the requirement of a letter from the sponsor as it was found the applicants were taken for a ride for want of letter by their sponsors. Instead, just a copy of his/her valid resident card along with a couple of passport size photographs would suffice the need.

Several posts on the blog 'Oman Forum' suggest that a number of their members have succeeded in securing a driving licence without the aforesaid two tests. Shaji, a receptionist with Buraimi Hotel, Al Buraimi, was cheerful indeed to gain his licence in the second test without clearing the drum and slope tests. "I'm happy that I managed to get my licence in the second test itself in a short span of time because I hadn’t had to clear the prelims. A couple of my friends in and around Buraimi are in the process of getting their licence attested by the Honorary Consul of India in the wilayat to apply for their licence", an elated Shaji revealed to the Observer.

Meanwhile, Vinod Kumar, Community Welfare Officer at the Indian Embassy, pointed that they have been receiving at least 30-40 licences for attestation every day. Sources close to Pakistan embassy also showed a number of nationals getting their driving licences attested, but sources close to the Embassy of Philippines said many of their nationals are refraining from getting their licence attested in view of the lengthy procedures and additional expenses incurred thereof.

Those who have a valid driving licence from their country and want to secure an Omani driving licence should get their licence attested from their embassies and get it counter-attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Al Qurum, traffic sources said. The applicants can then approach the licence section with the attested licence and two passport-size photos to get a file opened in their name after paying the stipulated fee. Later, they can proceed with the vision test and signal test which usually take less than a day and finally to the driving test (road test).