Oman OM
Oman built one of the region's few tourist-friendly drone schemes in 2025: the CAA-linked Serb platform sells visitors an 'AirPass' — a 30-day drone licence bundled with an import-authorisation letter and access to 155+ designated 'green zones'. But CAA suspended all drone and aerial-activity permits nationwide (recreational, commercial and government) indefinitely on 3 March 2026 after regional security incidents, including drone/missile attacks on Omani infrastructure, then reinstated green-zone permits from 25 May 2026. At least one September 2026 source still describes recreational flying as not permitted, and the regional security situation remains active, so a tourist can realistically only fly by getting an AirPass and should re-verify the live status within days of travel, not rely on any pre-trip guide.
Your plan
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1 thing to sort out before you fly
- Register your drone in Oman
A February 2026 CAA circular centralised drone registration and sales tracking through the AirPortal and Serb platforms; any drone with a camera/sensors reportedly needs registration regardless of weight, while camera-free micro drones under 250 g were previously exempt. Tourists register through Serb's AirPass bundle rather than a separate CAA registration step. Allow about 2 days before your trip.
Open official page - Bringing your drone in
No drone-specific duty-free personal allowance was found. Every drone import — including a single one for personal/tourist use — needs a Royal Oman Police import permit (about OMR 5, typically approved within about 2 hours) submitted before the drone leaves its country of origin; tourists usually get this bundled into the Serb AirPass as an 'import authorisation letter'. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) requires type approval for radio-transmitting equipment, which covers a drone's control/video link. Type approval for a model with no existing approval takes about 3–5 weeks; a TRA Customs Release Permit for already-approved equipment takes about 2–5 business days. Batteries: Carry-on only for spare lithium batteries, standard airline limits apply (typically up to 100 Wh freely, 100–160 Wh with airline approval, max 2 spares).
- Before each flight
Recreational/tourist flying requires a Serb 'AirPass' — a CAA-linked drone licence, import-authorisation letter and green-zone access bundle bought online before you fly · Fly only inside one of 155+ designated 'green zones' (e.g. Jabal Al Akhdar, Ras Al Hadd, Salalah) shown on the Serb/AirPass platform · All drone and aerial-activity permits (recreational, commercial and government) were suspended nationwide from 3 March 2026 to 25 May 2026 amid regional security tensions; they were reinstated for green-zone flying from 25 May 2026, but at least one September 2026 source still describes recreational flying as 'not permitted' — verify the live status close to your travel date
Flying
- Recreational/tourist flying requires a Serb 'AirPass' — a CAA-linked drone licence, import-authorisation letter and green-zone access bundle bought online before you fly
- Fly only inside one of 155+ designated 'green zones' (e.g. Jabal Al Akhdar, Ras Al Hadd, Salalah) shown on the Serb/AirPass platform
- All drone and aerial-activity permits (recreational, commercial and government) were suspended nationwide from 3 March 2026 to 25 May 2026 amid regional security tensions; they were reinstated for green-zone flying from 25 May 2026, but at least one September 2026 source still describes recreational flying as 'not permitted' — verify the live status close to your travel date
- Stay at or below roughly 400 ft (122 m) AGL, keep the drone within visual line of sight, and stay at least 30 m from people not involved in the flight
- No flying within 3 nautical miles (5.5 km) of a controlled aerodrome's movement area or along runway approach/departure paths, over populous areas, or over fire/police/emergency-operation zones without approval
- No explicit night-flying rule was confirmed; sources describe the altitude/operating rules as applying to 'daytime operations', so treat night flying as restricted/needing separate approval
- Micro drones under 250 g without a camera or sensors are reportedly exempt from registration up to about 100 m altitude, but this predates the 2026 AirPortal/Serb registration overhaul — confirm before relying on it
Commercial use: Foreign commercial operators need a CAA RPA Operator Permit applied for at least 15 days before the flight and received before entering Oman, submitting pilot details, flight objective, coordinates and drone description. Domestically, drones over 25 kg or flown commercially need a CAA Remote Pilot Licence (minimum age 18, valid 1 year, renewable, competency must be demonstrated) plus civil liability insurance for the licence period. All permit types were subject to the March–May 2026 nationwide suspension described above.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (from 250 g or camera) A February 2026 CAA circular centralised drone registration and sales tracking through the AirPortal and Serb platforms; any drone with a camera/sensors reportedly needs registration regardless of weight, while camera-free micro drones under 250 g were previously exempt. Tourists register through Serb's AirPass bundle rather than a separate CAA registration step. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Sometimes (mixed, from 25 kg) CAA Remote Pilot Licence / Serb AirPass safety-training certification. A standard CAA Remote Pilot Licence applies to drones over 25 kg or commercial operations (minimum age 18, 1-year validity, competency must be demonstrated), but the exact exam format wasn't published. The tourist AirPass bundle includes a 'safety training certification' whose format/content wasn't detailed in public sources. |
| Remote ID | No No Remote ID broadcast mandate was found for any operator category; Oman instead tracks drones through the AirPortal/Serb registration system and green-zone geofencing. |
| Insurance | Depends Proof of liability insurance covering the drone for the full licence period is explicitly required to obtain a Serb AirPass, and civil liability insurance is required during CAA pilot-licence validity periods. It is not required for micro drones falling under the registration exemption. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Tourists apply through Serb's AirPass at least 48 hours before arrival for the bundled drone licence, import-authorisation letter and green-zone access (30-day validity, proof of liability insurance required). Foreign commercial operators instead need a CAA RPA Operator Permit applied for at least 15 days before the flight, submitting pilot details, flight objective, coordinates and drone description, received before entering Oman. All permits, including tourist AirPasses, were suspended nationwide from 3 March to 25 May 2026 amid regional security tensions and were reinstated for green-zone flying from 25 May 2026; at least one September 2026 source still describes recreational flying as 'not permitted', so treat the tourist route as fragile and reconfirm shortly before travel. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Micro drones, no camera/sensors | < 250 g, camera-free | Reportedly exempt from registration/licensing, capped around 100 m altitude — confirm this still applies after the 2026 AirPortal/Serb overhaul. |
| Registered drones (recreational/tourist) | ≥ 250 g, or any camera drone | Must be registered/licensed via CAA's AirPortal/Serb system; tourists use the Serb AirPass (drone licence + import letter + green-zone access, 30 days, liability insurance required). |
| Over 25 kg or commercial | > 25 kg, or for hire/reward | Needs a CAA Remote Pilot Licence (minimum age 18, 1-year validity) and civil liability insurance; foreign commercial operators need an RPA Operator Permit applied for at least 15 days before the flight. |
Import & export
- No drone-specific duty-free personal allowance was found. Every drone import — including a single one for personal/tourist use — needs a Royal Oman Police import permit (about OMR 5, typically approved within about 2 hours) submitted before the drone leaves its country of origin; tourists usually get this bundled into the Serb AirPass as an 'import authorisation letter'.
- The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) requires type approval for radio-transmitting equipment, which covers a drone's control/video link. Type approval for a model with no existing approval takes about 3–5 weeks; a TRA Customs Release Permit for already-approved equipment takes about 2–5 business days.
- Batteries: Carry-on only for spare lithium batteries, standard airline limits apply (typically up to 100 Wh freely, 100–160 Wh with airline approval, max 2 spares).
- You may reportedly import up to three drones under one Royal Oman Police import permit, but each permit is granted for one import only.
- All drone-related permits, including import authorisation, were suspended nationwide from 3 March to 25 May 2026 amid regional security tensions; the same could recur given continued regional drone/missile incidents reported through September 2026 — check the live status close to your travel date.
- Oman applies 5% VAT and the GCC 5% common external customs tariff, giving a combined effective rate of roughly 10% on dutiable imports; no drone-specific exemption was confirmed.
Export
- No drone-specific export ban was confirmed for Oman; general Royal Oman Police/customs controls and dual-use export rules may still apply to advanced UAV components — check with Oman Customs before shipping a drone out of the country, particularly given the 2026 regional security situation.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: The tourist AirPass is a 30-day licence from issuance. The standard CAA Remote Pilot Licence (25 kg+/commercial) is valid 1 year and renewable. No separate CAA drone-registration fee schedule was confirmed beyond the AirPass price and the Royal Oman Police import-permit fee (OMR 5). |
|---|---|
| CAA Remote Pilot Licence / Serb AirPass safety-training certification | Unknown |
| Import taxes | 5 % duty + 5 % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying a drone in Oman as a tourist (AirPass) Visitors
- Check the live status first
Oman suspended all drone permits, including tourist ones, for about 11 weeks in 2026 amid regional security tensions. Confirm with CAA/Serb that green-zone flying is currently open before you plan around it. Open
- Buy an AirPass at least 48 hours before arrival
Apply on Serb's platform for the 30-day tourist AirPass, which bundles a drone licence, an import-authorisation letter and access to Oman's 155+ green zones. Open
- Arrange liability insurance
Proof of liability insurance covering the drone for the full licence period is required before Serb issues the AirPass.
- Fly only in green zones
Stay inside a designated green zone (e.g. Jabal Al Akhdar, Ras Al Hadd, Salalah), at or below about 400 ft (122 m), within visual line of sight, and at least 30 m from uninvolved people.
- If the AirPass route is suspended when you travel
Hire a CAA-licensed local commercial drone operator for photography/video instead of trying to fly your own drone.
Sources
- Oman Customs – Permit to Import Aerial Drones · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Serb – AirPass (drone licence, import letter and green-zone access for Oman) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Gulf News – Oman suspends all drone and aerial activity permits indefinitely (3 Mar 2026) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Muscat Daily – CAA announces reinstatement of drone and paragliding permits (25 May 2026) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com – Drone Laws in the Sultanate of Oman (2026) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−10
- Pilot test (mixed)−8
- Mandatory insurance−3
- Night flight restricted−3
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Import permit−40
- Duty + VAT ≈ 10 %−6
- Radio / type certification−12
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works