Dubai to Oman By Road – Everything to Know About Driving Across the Border!

On our most recent trip to Dubai, we decided it would be fun to rent a car and travel from Dubai to Oman by road.  We love a good road trip and figured what better way to see more of the two countries than driving from Dubai to Muscat and beyond?!  

If you’re wondering how to travel from Dubai to Oman by car, we’ve got you covered!  Below is everything you need to know from renting a car in the UAE, Oman border crossing requirements, and more. 

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Traveling from Dubai to Oman by Car – What you need to know

Oman borders the UAE to the east and is located only 140km from Dubai.  Catching a flight from Dubai to Muscat is very quick and easy, but if you have some extra time, driving from Dubai to Oman makes an excellent road trip!  Both countries have excellent roads and freeways and are easy to navigate.

By driving from Dubai to Oman, you get to see a varied range of landscapes, from the deserts to mountains to coastline.  You are also able to see more of Oman outside of Muscat without having to rely on tours.  Oman is not well-connected by public transport so being able to self-drive is best.

As foreigners to the region, the first step is to rent a car in the UAE.  Next, figure out which UAE – Oman border crossing to use.  Make sure you have all your required documents in order and then hit the road for a spectacular road trip!  We will guide you through all the processes below.

Dubai to Oman by Road – Can I take a rental car from the UAE to Oman?

Yes, you can, but not all rental car companies allow it.  Before renting a car in the UAE, inquire with the company first to ensure they allow their vehicles to be taken into Oman and can provide you with a No Objection Certificate (NOC).

When crossing the UAE Oman border, you will be asked to show proof that you are allowed to take your UAE rental car to Oman.  This is where you’ll have to show your NOC letter you obtained from the rental company.

Dubai to Oman by Road – Renting a Car in Dubai

Since we were arriving in the UAE via the Dubai International Airport, we looked into the many car rental companies located at the airport.  We decided to go with Avis since they are a well-known global company and we’ve always had a good experience with them.  They also clearly stated on their website that they allow their rental cars to be taken to Oman and can provide a No Objection Certificate.

Permission to take UAE rental car to Oman

First, reserve the car directly on the Avis UAE website.   Avis’ terms and conditions state that in order to take the car out of the country to Oman you need to contact the Avis UAE Call Centre at least 72 hours in advance to put in your request.  This allows them time to put together your Oman Insurance and No Objection Certificate letter.

Once we had made our car rental booking, we e-mailed the Avis UAE Call Centre with our confirmation number and put in our request to take the car to Oman.  They emailed back requesting a copy of our passport and driver’s license so we emailed over scanned copies.  We didn’t receive any emails after this, but everything was all set and ready for us once we arrived at the airport to pick up the car.

Avis UAE Call Centre Email Address: callcentre@avisuae.ae

Avis UAE Call Centre Phone Number: + 971 4 3307272

Oman Insurance

You are required to have additional insurance specifically for Oman when driving from Dubai to Oman.  Avis will add this onto your rental when you request to take your rental car to Oman. The additional fee will cover the cost of the insurance and documentation.

As of 2023, the fees are as follows:

Car Groups B, C, D, and E:

• 1-3 days: 450 AED (100 AED per additional day)
• 1 week: 750 AED (100 AED per additional day)
• 1 month: 1500 AED (100 AED per additional day)

Car Groups K, M, N and L:

• 1-3days: 650 AED (125 AED per additional day)
• 1 week: 1100 AED (125 AED per additional day)
• 1 month: 2000 AED (125 AED per additional day)

Upon picking up our rental car, we were given an envelope containing the Oman insurance.  The document was in Arabic and we had to show it at the UAE Oman border crossing and at police checkpoints throughout Oman.

No Objection Certificate

It is necessary to show a No Objection Certificate (NOC) at the border crossing when traveling from Dubai to Oman by road.  Avis will prepare a signed letter confirming that you, the registered driver, are leasing a vehicle from them and that they have no objection to you traveling to Oman with this vehicle during your rental period.

This letter was printed on letterhead and included in the envelope of documents we received when picking up our car at the Dubai Airport.

Car Registration Card

You need to have the car’s registration card in the car at all times.  We were asked for this every time we were stopped.  The police would say “car card?” and we eventually figured out they were asking for the registration card.  Avis made sure we had the original and we kept it in the glove compartment box at all times.

Upon returning the car to Avis, we had to return this original document to them as well.

Dubai to Oman By Road Route Options

There are a number of different UAE-Oman border crossings, but not all are open to tourists/non-GCC residents.  When traveling from Dubai to Oman by road, you’ll want to focus on the following four border crossings, depending on where you’re headed.

• Hatta
• Mezyad
• Khatm Al Shiklah
• Dibba

Hatta – Al Wajajah Border Crossing

The Hatta border crossing is the preferred choice for those driving from Dubai to Oman as it is the closest border post.  Located only about 140km from Dubai, the Hatta border post takes less than two hours to reach by car.

Note: Make sure your GPS takes you there via the E102 route, NOT the E44 route that brings you to the Hatta Al Madam crossing!  The Hatta Al Madam border crossing may only be used by GCC citizens.  Double check our map below to ensure you take the correct route.

From the Hatta – Al Wajajah border it is another three hours to the capital city of Muscat.

This is the border crossing we took when driving from Dubai to Oman.  We left our hotel, the St. Regis Dubai, The Palm, at 8:45am and made it to the Hatta border at 10:35am.

The border crossing procedures took about half an hour, and then we continued on to Muscat, arriving at our hotel there by 2:20pm.

Mezyad – Hafeet Border Crossing

The Mezyad border crossing is located close to the “Garden City” of Al Ain.  It is a little bit further from Dubai, but is the ideal border crossing if you are headed to Nizwa, Jebel Shams or other places in central/south Oman.  This was the border crossing we took on the way back from Oman as we were coming from Jebel Akhdar back to Dubai.

If you are driving from Abu Dhabi to Oman, rather than from Dubai, then this will be the closer border crossing for you.  The Mezyad border post is located about 160km from Dubai and about 180km from Abu Dhabi.

Khatm Al Shiklah Border Crossing

This border crossing is also located close to Al Ain.  However, it is mostly used by trucks.  Since it is not a popular route for traveling from Dubai to Oman by car, it is often less busy and may be the ideal border crossing during busy travel periods.

Located about 160km from Dubai, it takes about the same amount of time to get to as the Mezyad border crossing, and not much longer than the Hatta border crossing.  While we did not take this route ourselves, we’ve read that it is less scenic than the Hatta route, although more direct if you are headed to Muscat.

Dibba Border Crossing

Last on the list is the Dibba border crossing as this is the one you will want to use only if you are headed to the beautiful Musandam region of Oman.  Musandam is located on the northern tip of the Arabian peninsula and is known for its fjords.

From Dubai, it is only about 146km to the Dibba border crossing and should only take you 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach.

We did not get to use this border crossing on our recent trip, but hope to next time!

UAE Oman Border Crossing Procedures

When driving from Dubai to Oman, you will need to:

1. Exit the UAE and pay the exit fee
2. Show your Visa for Oman/Obtain a Visa On Arrival
3. Show your vehicle documents (vehicle registration card, Oman insurance, NOC)
4. Proceed through vehicle inspection
5. Exit through police checkpoint
6. Enter Oman!

Exiting the UAE

Upon arrival at the UAE – Oman border, you will pull up to a window and hand over your passport.  You will be asked to pay the exit fee of 35 AED.  We were surprisingly given the option to pay by credit card, which we did.  However, it is good to have cash just in case.

Once you’ve paid your exit fee, you will be given a receipt.  Proceed to the next checkpoint and show this receipt.  They will then put an exit stamp in your passport.

Entering Oman By Road

After officially exiting the UAE, you will need to drive a short distance (about 850m) to the Oman border post.  Line up in the appropriate vehicle lane and hand over your passport to the border official.

If you do not already have an Oman visa, you will be directed to park at the building to the left to apply for one.  To save time, you can apply for an e-visa in advance online.

Dubai to Oman By Road Visa Process

We opted for an on-arrival visa rather than applying online in advance since we weren’t 100% sure on our travel dates ahead of time.  Therefore we had to park our car and enter the building to complete our visa paperwork.  It was actually a nice break to stretch our legs and use the toilet.  The building was very spacious and air-conditioned.

1. Complete immigration form/show e-visa

Once inside, you need to fill out the immigration form.  Make sure to bring a pen as there weren’t any provided.  Take your completed form and line up at the immigration desks.

2. Show vehicle registration and insurance

The border officials were very friendly!  They asked us where we were going in Oman and asked to see our vehicle registration and Oman insurance.  We ended up having to go run back to the car to grab this – make sure you bring it with you!  They didn’t ask to see our NOC letter, though.

3. Pay visa fee, if applicable

To our surprise, we were informed that we were entitled to a 21 day tourist visa at no cost!  That was a nice surprise for us as we were expecting to pay a fee from what we had previously read online.

I later looked it up and it turns out this is due to the “Dubai/Oman Common Visa” which “Allows a visit to Oman for a person who is on the list of eligible nationalities, and who has a current tourist visa which was used to enter the Emirate of Dubai, and now wishes to enter Oman directly from Dubai.”

Tip: You can go online ahead of time and figure out exactly which visa you are eligible for and the cost.  If you do have to pay a fee, make sure you have cash as the ATM in the building was not working.

4. Obtain entry stamp

The border official gave us a piece of paper with an entry stamp for Oman and stamped our visas into our passports.  Make sure to hold onto this paper as you will have to show it later!

2023 Update: The Oman government has announced that 103 countries are now eligible for visa-free entry for stays of 14 days or less.  Check the current list of countries on the Foreign Ministry website.

Dubai to Oman By Road Visitor Visa Cost

• 10 Day: 5 OMR
• 30 Day: 20 OMR

Dubai/Oman Common Visa Requirements

To be eligible for the free 21A Dubai/Oman Common Visa, you must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Arrive in Oman from Dubai (at Hatta Al-Wajajah land crossing, or at Muscat airport, or at a seaport)
2. Have 21 days validity on your Dubai visa remaining on entry to Oman
3. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months on entry to Oman
4. Must be a citizen of one of the Dubai-Oman joint visa countries (sorry, I don’t have an up to date list)
5. Must already hold a visit visa from Emirate of Dubai

There is no fee for this visa.

Dubai to Oman By Road Vehicle Inspection

After obtaining your visa and entry stamp, get back into your car and drive to the next checkpoint.  Here you will undergo a full vehicle inspection.  You must park the car and open up the trunk and all doors.  The officers will examine the entire vehicle.

We were asked to remove our luggage and go inside the building to place it through the scanners, just like in an airport.  The officers we encountered didn’t speak English and it was a bit difficult to understand their instructions.

Once they are satisfied with the vehicle inspection, they will stamp a piece of paper showing the inspection is clear.

Entering Oman By Road

After the vehicle inspection, make your way to the final police checkpoint.  All you need to do is hand them the piece of paper that shows you are all clear and you can make your way into Oman!

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Check out our Oman Road Trip Itinerary!

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FAQ and Tips

How long does it take to cross the UAE – Oman border?

The entire border crossing process took us only 30 minutes.  We arrived at the Hatta border at 10:30am on a Friday and were out of there by 11:00am!  This was quicker than we were expecting as we had previously been warned Fridays can get busy.

If you cross on a weekend or holiday, others have said the process can take up to 2 hours, so make sure to factor in extra time.

Will my cell phone work in Oman?

We used our Canadian SIM cards and they worked well in Oman while roaming.  Once we crossed the border, our phones automatically connected to an Omani carrier and we didn’t experience any issues with cell reception.

I had previously read that sometimes you can buy an Omani SIM card at the border, but we didn’t see anywhere to buy them when we were there.

Gas Stations

You won’t have any issue finding a gas station on either side of the border.  There were plenty in Dubai on the way to the border and there was a Shell gas station immediately after crossing into Oman.

Gas is thankfully very cheap in Oman.  Coming from Canada where gas prices are super high, we were quite pleased to see how cheap it was to fill up our 4×4 rental.  It was only 0.229 OMR per litre (equivalent to about $0.80 CAD/$0.60 USD!)

Gas stations are also a good place to stop for toilet breaks.

What’s it like driving in Oman?

Check our Driving in Oman post!

Driving to the UAE from Oman

Returning back to Dubai from Oman is quite similar to entering Oman from Dubai.  We ended up crossing via the Mezyad border on the way back since we were driving back from Jebel Akhdar.

Exiting Oman

It was a very quick process to exit Oman.  They just stamp your passport and give you a paper with an exit stamp.  You then drive further and give the piece of paper to the guard at the next checkpoint.

Entering UAE

Continue driving a few hundred feet further to enter the UAE.  This was a slower process.  It took us about 20 minutes at this step as we waited in a line up of cars.  Once at the window, they stamped our passport without asking any questions and gave us an exit paper.

Drive a bit further and undergo a car inspection.  Unlike in Oman, we did not have to get out of the car.  I believe it was a giant scanner that we drove through.

Once cleared, we drove to the final police checkpoint where we gave our exit paper.  There was no need to show our passports at this point.

Dubai to Oman by Road Route Map

Video: Dubai to Oman by Road

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfPMUhgh71I[/embedyt]

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