Hiring a Domestic Worker in Oman: Contract and Recruitment Rules

Hiring a household worker in Oman is governed by Ministerial Decision 574/2025, issued by the Ministry of Labour under the Labour Law (Royal Decree 53/2023) and reported in the press from 12 October 2025. It replaced the old Decision 189/2004. Our checks on 6 November 2026 found no later amendment, but the full text sits behind a subscription on decree.om, so some details below rest on press reports. For daily conditions such as hours, leave and pay, see our companion post on treating domestic workers.

Who counts as a domestic worker

The Oman Observer lists these jobs as covered: child carers, private drivers, gardeners, agricultural workers, residential building guards, home health assistants, private nurses, home cooks and animal handlers such as camel, cattle and horse keepers. The Decree blog says the decision's list has 12 categories. We could not read that list, so if your worker has a less common job title, ask the Ministry whether it is covered.

What you must do when hiring

• Check the age. The worker must be at least 21.
• Do not charge recruitment fees. The decision bars employers from charging them.
• Use legal workers only. Employing unlicensed or undocumented workers is prohibited.
• Sign a written contract in Arabic. An approved translation may sit alongside it. The contract states hours, wage and rest periods, and is registered electronically with the Ministry.
• Respect the minimums. Any clause that cuts the worker's rights below the decision is void. You may give more than the minimum.

Work permit validity and fees

Separately, Ministerial Decision 602/2025 on work permits lengthened permit validity for non-Omani workers from 15 to 24 months, according to the Oman Observer and Waya. Households that qualify for social support can be exempt from permit fees for one worker. The groups named are people with disabilities, elderly people who cannot look after themselves, people who need special care, and families receiving family income support. Reports differ on whether the exemption covers recruitment fees or permit fees, so confirm with the Ministry before relying on it. Our posts on the 2025 permit reforms and permit types and fines explain the rest.

Where the rules sit in the law

Sources disagree on one point. The Decree blog describes domestic workers as outside the Labour Law's general provisions, while the Times of Oman commentary, written by a law firm partner, says disputes are handled under the Labour Law and that workers pay no court fees. In practice, treat the decision as the main rulebook for your household and expect the Labour Law to apply to any dispute.

Transition

Existing employers and workers had three months from the decision's start to regularise their status. Reports give different start dates (the day after Gazette publication, or 13 October 2025), and we could not find the Gazette date, so the window ended roughly in mid-January 2026.