Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, Madrid, Spain

Bilateral relations

The Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Spain established diplomatic relations in 1972.

In 2004, the Spanish Embassy in Muscat was opened. Oman appointed its first ambassador to Spain in 2006 and then in 2007 the Omani Embassy in Madrid opened.

In 2008 the Spanish Embassy in Muscat opened an economic and commercial office.

Consular services

The Embassy provides consular services for both Omani citizens visiting Spain and Spanish citizens or residents wishing to visit the Sultanate for tourism or business purposes. These services cover the following:

• Applications for visas to enter Oman are made through the website of the Royal Oman Police. For further general information please click here. If you require help, the Embassy is happy to provide further guidance.
• In the event that an Omani citizen loses their travel document (passport or identity card), the Embassy will facilitate the issue of a Laissez-Passer. For more information, please click here.
• The Embassy registers children born in Spain to Omani parents and issues travel documents for them, after the completion of the registration requirements for births in Spain.
• In the event that an Omani citizen is robbed or assaulted while in Spain, the Embassy assists them in contacting the relevant authorities.
• If an Omani citizen has an accident while in Spain, the Embassy will facilitate the procedures for transporting the injured person to hospital and will follow up on their condition.
• In the event of the death of an Omani citizen in Spain, the Embassy coordinates with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of death. It will contact the family of the deceased, ensure the preservation of the body and facilitate the procedures for returning the body to Oman.
• Any Omani citizen unfortunate enough to be arrested, detained or imprisoned in Spain should contact the Embassy. The mission will then contact the relevant authorities and verify the case.
• Emergency help for Omani citizens is available by contacting the Embassy on the emergency number, which operates 24 hours a day, (+34) 6 3892 5626. (For further general information please click here.)
• The Embassy provides advice on commercial opportunities in Oman. Embassy staff can meet with investors wishing to invest in Oman to give them the required information and to help them through the coordination with the relevant Ministry to facilitate interviews with the appropriate parties in the Sultanate. (For further general information please click here.)
• The Embassy provides attestation services for the certification of commercial and civil transactions.  (For further general information please click here.)

Key objectives

Oman's Embassy in Spain carries out many tasks, including representing the Sultanate, strengthening the bonds of trust and understanding between Oman and Spain and advancing bilateral relations at all levels, including protecting the rights of citizens and expatriates.

Among the Embassy’s tasks are the following:

• Strengthening political and diplomatic cooperation
• Working to encourage trade and investment between both countries
• Promoting cooperation in the security and defence fields
• Encouraging cultural, educational and scientific exchanges
• Representing the Omani state to the Kingdom of Spain
• Working to protect the rights and interests of Omani nationals and Omani companies, if they are violated in the Kingdom of Spain
• Working to remove any confusion or misunderstandings between the two countries
• Working to educate Omani citizens about the laws, regulations and procedures in force in Spain
• Providing consular services to Omani citizens and foreign nationals alike

Political and diplomatic cooperation

The Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Spain have close relations based on friendship, consultation and coordination at various levels.

The current King of Spain, Felipe VI, visited the Sultanate in January 2020 to offer condolences on the passing of His late Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

The former King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, made several visits to the Sultanate, the last of which was an official visit in 2014, when he was accompanied by several Spanish ministers. During the visit, a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed in various fields.

In 2013 a memorandum of understanding on political consultations was signed, to facilitate dialogue and coordination between the two countries.

On October 30 of the same year, the first round of bilateral political consultations was held between the two friendly countries. The Omani side was headed by the then Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, who is now Foreign Minister. The Spanish side was headed by the former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Gonzalo de Benito.

On May 20, 2020, a virtual meeting was held between Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, then Oman’s Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs and the then Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha Gonzalez Laya.

In May 2021 the second round of political consultations was held via video conference. On the Omani side it was led by Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy, Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs and on the Spanish side it was led by Cristina Galach Figueras, then Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Trade and investment

The Embassy works to strengthen bilateral relations with Spain in the fields of trade and investment to serve the interests of the two peoples by encouraging economic partnerships between the two countries.

In 2014 a bilateral agreement on double taxation and preventing the evasion of income tax was signed. The agreement entered into force on September 19, 2015.

In 2015 a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Omani General Reserve Fund and Spanish public investment funds, establishing a joint fund of 200 million Euros to be used to finance projects of interest to both parties.

For further general information please click here.

Cultural, educational and scientific exchanges

As part of its efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between Oman and Spain at all levels, the Embassy recognises the importance of encouraging cultural, educational and scientific exchanges. A draft memorandum of understanding in this area has reached an advanced stage.

In addition, despite the barrier represented by the Spanish language for Omanis wishing to study in Spain, the number of Omani students is rising steadily. It is estimated that around 50 Omanis are currently studying in Spain, most of them in civil aviation academies that provide lessons in English.