The Foreign Ministry has been informed by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea that as of April 1, 2022, Omani citizens can obtain entry visas on arrival in the Republic of Korea but Omani travellers must hold K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation) by applying on the website (www.k-eta.go.kr) or via the mobile app (K-ETA) at least 72 hours prior to their flight. Only K-ETA approved passengers will be able to board the flight to Korea.
Message from the Ambassador
I am pleased to welcome you all to the website of the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in the Republic of Korea (ROK). This page has been established as part of our unequivocal commitment to reach out to the people who live in Korea and those who have an interest in Oman’s ancient history and its bright prospects.
We have sought by every possible means to make this page a virtual window to introduce visitors to the Sultanate’s history and Oman today.
We aim to provide users with a wide variety of information about the Sultanate’s politics, economy, culture, tourism and foreign policy. We also hope this site will give them a better understanding of the deep-rooted Omani Korean relationships. In addition, this page also presents information about the consular and other services offered by the Embassy, while linking users to other useful official websites about Oman.
I sincerely hope that this website will serve the interests of all users while providing a means for the Embassy to render public services efficiently and correctly.
The Embassy welcomes any creative and constructive suggestions from users on how to improve the website.
Zakariya Hamed Hilal Al Saadi,
Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Republic of Korea.
Bilateral relations
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Korea in 1974, both sides have maintained close relations and cooperation.
In recent times, Oman and Korea, have held regular meetings between high-ranking officials in order to seek ways to upgrade the current ties into wider and diversified areas such as politics, economics, culture, education, defence and the medical sector. All this has resulted in many bilateral and cooperation agreements.
In the field of trade, the two countries are particularly close partners as Oman exports large amounts of crude oil and liquified natural gas to South Korea, while it imports many Korean industrial goods such as cars, ships and hi-tech electronics and electrical goods.
Korean companies such as Samsung, GS, Daewoo, Hyundai, Doosan, Hanjin, Dealim and many others are carrying out or participating in important infrastructure projects in Oman.
Consular services
The consular section at the Embassy provides a variety of essential services that ensure the full protection of the interests of the Sultanate of Oman and its citizens on the most fundamental level.
Official services include:
- Issuing of visas
- Issuing of Laissez-Passer travel documents (Omani Citizens).
- Certifying official documents issued by authorities in Korea, such as commercial and educational certificates.
Note: Oman and South Korea have signed mutual visa waiver agreements that allow for the nationals of the two countries with valid diplomatic, official, special or service passports to stay in each other’s territories without a visa for up to 90 days and the holders of normal passports to stay for up to 30 days.
Key objectives
The aims of Oman’s Embassy in the Republic of Korea include:
- Preserving the current relationships and cooperation between Oman and South Korea while working to develop them still further.
- Enhancing ties of friendship and strengthening the bonds of cooperation with South Korea, particularly in political and diplomatic matters.
- Promoting economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges in all mutually beneficial areas.
- Stepping up efforts to foster relations of mutual cooperation in different areas, as well as the expansion of trade and investments.
- Better serving Omani interests in South Korea and providing support to Omani citizens residing in Korea or passing through.
- Helping Koreans and foreigners resident in Korea, who wish to visit Oman, by providing consular services, consultations and responding to other inquires and demands.
Political and diplomatic cooperation
Oman and Korea share a common vision and core values of building strong bilateral relations. In this regard, Oman and Korea have clearly demonstrated their commitment towards establishing constructive ties.
To help achieve this goal, the two nations have created the “Omani-Korean Joint Committee” which plays a pivotal role in proposing policy directions to promote and develop the cooperation between the two countries.
Trade and investment
The Embassy is working to build a strong and sustainable trade and investment partnership with Korea through promoting the benefits of Oman's laws and regulations related to trade and investment such as “Oman Vision 2040,” and the law on Foreign Capital Investment.
The Omani government is moving beyond the era of oil and gas industries to diversify its economy. This promises to create the next era of cooperation between both countries, particularly in commerce and investment. In this regard, the Embassy is encouraging the Korean side to explore new opportunities across Omani markets.
In a move to forge deeper economic ties, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Republic of Korea are pushing for the resumption of talks on a free trade agreement. We hope that this step will lead to achieving a comprehensive trade engagement between Oman and South Korea.
The volume of trade between the Sultanate of Oman and South Korea reached $2.8 billion in 2020. Omani exports to South Korea reached $2.2 billion while its imports from South Korea reached $0.613 billion.
Cultural, educational and scientific exchanges
The Embassy plays an important role in promoting public diplomacy aimed at raising understanding between the citizens of Oman and Korea. It organises many cultural events, such as its annual “Welcome to Oman” programme, which focus on enhancing people-to-people contact through the exchange of knowledge and artistic, tourism and business exchanges.
The Embassy believes that people-to-people exchanges will help it pursue its goal of increasing economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
Through cultural, educational and scientific exchange programmes, the Embassy is constantly looking for further opportunities for Omani students to study in Korea, as well as for Korean students to study in Oman, particularly Arabic.