Investing in Oman Property: What You Need to Know
Updated November 8, 2026 · By Waleed Al Abri, Real Estate Advisor
Short answer
Foreigners can buy in named areas only, mostly Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITCs).
On top of the price, budget about 4 to 5% for a resale unit. For a new unit from a developer, add 5% VAT as well.
Golden Residency starts at OMR 200,000, for a finished unit with a title deed.
Oman has no personal income tax today. From January 2028, a 5% tax applies to income above OMR 42,000 a year, and it can include rent and gains from property.
Want to check a project?
Send me the project name and your budget on WhatsApp. I will tell you if you can buy there, the real total cost, and whether it gives residency.
Send on WhatsAppWhere foreigners can buy
- • Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITCs): for example Al Mouj Muscat, Muscat Bay, Jebel Sifah and Hawana Salalah. Al Mouj is the same place that used to be called The Wave.
- • Future cities and named neighbourhoods: such as Sultan Haitham City. In June 2026 the Ministry of Housing confirmed that foreign ownership stays limited to the named areas.
- • Duqm Special Economic Zone: land is given as a usufruct of up to 50 years, renewable. It is not freehold, and it is mainly for business use.
Inside an ITC, not every project gives the same title. Always ask whether it is freehold or usufruct before you book. More detail: Can foreigners buy property in Oman?
ITC freehold has rules
- • A sale to a non-Omani is registered with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, through its "Sale for Non-Omanis" service.
- • If you rent the unit out, the lease must be registered with the municipality.
- • Holiday letting needs a licence from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.
- • If you buy a plot, you must build on it within 4 years, and you cannot sell it before then.
What it costs on top of the price
- • Registration: 3% of the value, paid to the Ministry of Housing, plus small fixed fees.
- • VAT: 5% on the first sale of a new residential unit by a developer. A resale has no VAT.
- • Lawyer: if you use one for the contract.
- • Total: about 4 to 5% for a resale paid in cash. For a new unit with a mortgage, about 9 to 12%.
- • If you rent it out: the landlord pays a 3% lease registration fee on the rent in Muscat.
Tax and mortgages
Income tax from 2028. Royal Decree 56/2025 brings a 5% personal income tax on income above OMR 42,000 a year, from 1 January 2028. Rental income and gains from selling property can count. Your main home is exempt. Check your own case with a tax adviser.
Mortgages for expatriates. At National Bank of Oman (June 2026), an expatriate can borrow up to 70% of the value, so at least 30% down, for up to 20 years, from age 21. Other banks have their own terms. Ask the bank before you book.
Residency
- • Owner Residency (ROP Decision 87/2026): sponsor-free residency for the owner of a qualifying unit. It lasts while you own it.
- • Golden Residency: from OMR 200,000 of qualifying investment, 10 years, renewable, and it can cover your family. For the property route, the unit must be finished, with a title deed. It is a separate application from the owner visa. This single tier started in September 2025. Older guides show other amounts. They are out of date.
Full rules: Oman residency by property.
The steps
- Check before you choose. Is the area open to your nationality? Freehold or usufruct? For off-plan, how are your payments protected before handover?
- Reserve. Developers usually ask 5 to 10% to book a unit.
- Read the contract. Check the handover date, what happens if it is late, and the payment plan.
- Pay and register. The sale is registered at the Ministry of Housing, and the title deed is issued in your name.
- Apply for residency if your unit qualifies.
What about returns?
I do not give one yield for "Oman". It changes a lot by area, by unit, and by the price you pay. For one area with sourced numbers, see my Al Mouj guide. For how prices moved from 2025 to 2026, see my off-plan price tracker.
One warning: the NCSI "real estate price index" measures the value of deals traded, not prices. A headline like "villas up 17%" from that index does not mean a villa costs 17% more.
Sources
- Gulf News, Oman launches the 10-year Golden Residency (Aug 2025)
- Gulf News, foreign ownership stays in designated areas (28 Jun 2026)
- Times of Oman, legal framework for foreign ownership in ITCs (25 Jul 2026)
- gov.om, title deed based on a sale contract (Sale for Non-Omanis)
- Deloitte, Oman VAT guide for the real estate sector
- Oman Observer, rental contracts must be registered (3% fee)
- KPMG, Oman personal income tax from 1 January 2028
- PwC, Oman introduces personal income tax
- National Bank of Oman, housing loan key facts (Jun 2026)
- SEZAD Duqm, investment incentives
Sources checked 11 October 2026. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. If you see something here that is wrong or old, tell me on WhatsApp and I will check it.
Waleed Al Abri
Real Estate Advisor
Waleed Property - Founder & Principal Advisor
Focus areas:
Waleed works with foreign and GCC buyers in Oman's property market. Most of the work is the part non-Omani buyers get stuck on: which areas allow foreign ownership, the difference between ITC freehold and usufruct, whether a property gets you residency, and how off-plan payments are protected.
Covers: Al Mouj Muscat, Sultan Haitham City, designated foreign-ownership areas, and residency through property.