Renewing an Engineer's Work Permit in Oman: Steps and Timing

If you are an engineer in Oman and your work permit is up for renewal, the certificate comes first. Since 1 August 2025 the Ministry of Labour does not renew an engineer's permit without a valid professional classification certificate (see who is covered). This post covers the order of steps and the timing. Details come from press reports and law firm notes, because we could not reach the Ministry's own pages. We found no change to the rule up to 6 November 2026.

The order of steps

1. Apply to the Oman Society of Engineers (OSE) for the accreditation certificate. The Oman Observer says engineers must do this before seeking any permit from the Ministry.
2. Wait for Sector Skills Unit approval. The certificate has to be approved by the Sector Skills Unit for engineering professions.
3. Submit it through the designated electronic system when the Ministry processes your permit. Both the Oman Observer and Middle East Briefing say submissions are accepted only through that system.
4. Renew the permit. Without the certificate in step 3, the renewal is refused.

Middle East Briefing also advises reading the Unit's eligibility criteria first and preparing documents for verification. A 2022 Oman Observer report said the system would verify academic qualifications through partners and assess experience, so expect to prove your degree and work history.

Timing

In September 2025 the Ministry urged companies and workers to start one to two months before an expatriate's residence card expires or an Omani worker's contract ends. DLA Piper reports the same advice, wording it as at least two months. Waiting for a cancellation or expiry notice leaves no margin, so treat two months as the minimum, and more if you have several engineers to process.

What we could not confirm

The sources we read give no application fee, exam, grade names or portal address for engineers. We also found no processing time from OSE. Ask OSE and the Ministry directly rather than relying on forum posts. The Ministry's call-centre line, 80077000, appeared in its July 2025 accounting clarification and may help with general questions.

Avoid the shortcuts

The Ministry has said certificates and licences it has not officially approved are invalid, and that anyone submitting forged documents faces legal action. Use only the OSE route.

For employers

Build a renewal calendar for every employee whose permit title is engineer, set the application start date at least two months before the earliest expiry, and keep copies of the certificate with the permit file. If you also employ accountants or delivery drivers, similar schemes apply, covered in our posts on accounting roles and logistics licences.