Alcohol regulations in Oman

Licences needed

Not available / prohibited in practice

Authority

Royal Oman Police (ROP) and Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MOCIIP)

Documents

not confirmed

Fees

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Only a limited number of specialized, government-authorized commercial entities licensed by the Royal Oman Police (primarily African & Eastern Oman and Oman United Agencies/OUA), as well as authorized airport duty-free concessionaires.

Licences or registrations

Alcohol Import Permit issued by ROP Directorate General of Customs/Licensing, registration on the Bayan Customs single-window system, and Excise Tax Registration with the Oman Tax Authority.

Authority

Royal Oman Police (ROP) Directorate General of Customs and Oman Tax Authority (OTA)

Documents

Commercial Registration (CR) with authorized liquor code, ROP import clearance approval, commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading/airway bill, certificate of origin, and conformity/test certificate.

Fees

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Required

yes

Process

Import consignments must be declared and cleared via ROP Customs Bayan portal with prior ROP import permission. Products subject to excise must be registered under the Oman Tax Authority's Digital Tax Stamp (DTS) system, and packaging must comply with Directorate General for Specifications and Measurements (DGSM) food safety norms.

Authority

Directorate General of Customs (ROP), Oman Tax Authority (OTA), and Directorate General for Specifications and Measurements (DGSM) under MOCIIP

Documents and samples

Product specification sheet, Certificate of Analysis (CoA), Certificate of Origin, label artwork/proof, and inspection samples if requested by port authorities.

Fees

not confirmed

Renewal

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Alcohol can only be imported by designated licensed entities with advance ROP authorization per consignment. Clearance requires clearance through the Bayan electronic single-window system. Excisable products must be registered and fitted with Digital Tax Stamps (physical marks or direct-to-product digital coding). Inbound non-Muslim travelers aged 21+ may bring up to 2 bottles (or 2 liters) of spirits or wine duty-free.

100% ad valorem customs duty on CIF value under the GCC Unified Customs Tariff for HS 2208 (qualifying U.S.-origin spirits enter duty-free under the U.S.–Oman Free Trade Agreement, although domestic taxes remain applicable).

100% Excise Tax (Selective Tax) levied on alcoholic beverages (Royal Decree 23/2019) calculated based on the retail selling price (RSP) or statutory tax authority benchmark price, plus 5% standard Value Added Tax (VAT) (Royal Decree 121/2020).

Strictly limited off-premise sales via authorized distributor retail shops (African & Eastern and OUA) and airport duty-free shops. Non-Muslim residents aged 21+ require a digital liquor permit (issued via the ROP 'Ibraz' mobile application) with a monthly purchasing cap restricted to 10% of basic monthly income. On-premise sales are strictly limited to tourist-rated 4- and 5-star hotels, licensed private clubs, and first-grade restaurants licensed by the ROP and Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.

Banned; home delivery and e-commerce sale of alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited. Permit holders must purchase in person from licensed retail shops and carry proof of purchase/receipt directly to their residence.

Labels must clearly declare product brand and designation, net volume in metric units, alcohol by volume (% ABV), country of origin, batch/lot identification, and manufacturer/bottler details. While general food imports mandate Arabic or bilingual Arabic/English labelling, spirits distributed through closed licensed hotel and bonded retail channels are permitted with English text. Physical or digital Tax Stamps (DTS) must be affixed to individual packaging.

Banned; public advertising, billboard displays, media broadcasts, internet ads, and commercial sponsorships for alcoholic beverages are strictly forbidden under Omani law. Branded visual displays and menus are restricted entirely to internal areas within licensed venues and liquor shops.

not confirmed

All public outdoor areas, public beaches, parks, and unlicensed dining venues nationwide are completely dry. Licensed venues must not be located within a 1-kilometer radius of a mosque or near sensitive residential settings. The commercial sale and service of alcohol are suspended nationwide during the Holy Month of Ramadan and certain Islamic holidays.

• Full implementation and nationwide enforcement of the mandatory Digital Tax Stamp (DTS) system for all excisable beverages, including spirits, blocking the customs clearance and local retail sale of unstamped units (enforced progressively between 2025 and 2026).
• Complete transition of consumer personal liquor permit applications and monthly quota monitoring to the Royal Oman Police digital 'Ibraz' mobile application, replacing paper permit booklets.

Oman represents a specialized, high-margin market concentrated in premium international spirits brands serving luxury tourism, international hotel chains, and expatriate communities through authorized institutional distributors. Exporters can maximize margins by partnering with established distribution license holders capable of managing ROP clearance and digital tax stamp compliance.

• Royal Oman Police (ROP) - Directorate General of Customs
• Oman Tax Authority (OTA)
• Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MOCIIP)
• Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT)

1. U.S. Department of Commerce - International Trade Administration: Oman Import Tariffs and Regulations
2. Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP: Overview of Alcohol Regulation in Oman
3. US TTB: International Affairs - Food and Agricultural Import Regulations for Oman
4. Oman Penal Code - Royal Decree No. 7/2018 (WIPO Lex / Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs)
5. RAQAM Regulatory Compliance: Oman Digital Tax Stamp Expansion