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Obtain a Business License in Oman

Obtain a Business License in Oman

To lawfully do business in Oman companies have to apply for and obtain an Omani business license. In some cases, this is the Omani trade license, while for other activities the applicant will register for different purposes.

Investors can obtain information about the Omani trade license and the free zone license costs from our local team of experts.

Read this article to find out more about the Omani business license and the requirements for registration. For complete solutions when setting up a company in Oman do not hesitate to reach out to our team.

Types of business licenses in Oman

Companies that need to apply for an Omani business license choose between the following:

  1. The auto license which is used for flexible business activities;
  2. The procedural license used for restricted, integrated business activities;
  3. The procedural license for restricted, non-integrated business activities.

Each license is issued for specific purposes. The total number of business activities included per license type is the following:

  • 406 business activities for the auto license;
  • 1,019 activities for the procedural license for restricted, integrated activities;
  • 663 business activities for the procedural license issued for restricted, non-integrated business activity.

Examples of business sectors that require licensing include the following:

  • commercial and industrial;
  • telecommunications;
  • transport;
  • tourism;
  • financial services.

The trade license in Oman

To engage in commercial activities, companies will need to apply for a trade license. This is used for activities performed for the purpose of buying, selling, or exchanging goods or services.

If you want to apply for an Omani trade license, our team will give you more details about the conditions. Upon request, we can give you updated information about the Omani trade license cost.

Investors will follow different requirements when they set up a company in a free zone. Some of these areas for doing business are listed below:

  • Salalah Free Zone;
  • SOHAR Port and Freezone;
  • Al Mazunah Free Zone;
  • Khazaen Economic City, etc.

Our experts in company formation in Oman can give you more details about these zones and the Omani free zone license cost.

How to apply for a business license in Oman

Commercial registration is mandatory before a company can start the license application process. The following steps are relevant for business owners who apply for an auto license for flexible business activities:

  1. A new type of licensed activity for the business is added via the company’s registration page with the Commercial Registry;
  2. Prepare the rental agreement for those types of activities that will be performed at the company’s place of activity – Ourlawyers in Oman can give you more details about this requirement.
  3. Update the company’s online details with the Commercial Registry by including the rental agreement for the place of activity.

The process includes a more complex application in the case of the procedural license (both for integrated and non-integrated restricted business activities).

The Omani business platform used for licensing is generally integrated with the different entities that issue specific licenses, such as the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, or the Ministry of Tourism. However, the application process may involve different steps, depending on the entity with which you submit the documents.

Investors who want to know more about the Omani business license or the Omani trade license can reach out to our local team.

Other services offered by our team

Our attorneys can help you understand the legal requirements for licensing and obtaining a business license and they can also assist you with Omani immigration once you decide to move to Oman.

For a complete list of services offered by our team, including support for obtaining an Omani trade license or counsel from our immigration lawyers in Oman, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our lawyers can also help you company formation in Oman with no minimum share capital required for LLC. If you need to get a business license in another country, such as the Cayman Islands, our specialists at BridgeWest Cayman Islands can help you.