Oman Issues New Law Easing Citizenship Revocation Rules

Dive Right Into

Key Takeaways

Royal Decree No. 17/2025 enforces stricter revocation, loss, and restoration conditions for Omani citizenship effective February 2, 2025.
Articles 23, 26, and 27 outline automatic loss or revocation of citizenship for unlawful dual nationality or security-related violations.
Naturalization now requires 15 years’ lawful residence, Arabic fluency, clean records, and adherence to Omani values per Article 17.

On February 2, 2025, Oman 🇴🇲 introduced a new framework for regulating citizenship, significantly affecting how nationality is granted, revoked, and restored. With the issuance of Royal Decree No. 17/2025, the Omani Nationality Law replaced the 2014 decree to expand the government’s powers and responsibilities around citizenship. These changes reflect a more stringent and structured approach to defining what it means to hold Omani nationality. The most prominent amendments pertain to the conditions under which citizenship may be revoked or lost. The law also outlines stricter requirements for naturalization, ensuring that acquiring citizenship aligns with Oman’s national interests.

Overview of the New Legislation

The Omani Nationality Law clarifies the scenarios leading to the loss or revocation of nationality. These measures are detailed in Chapter Four of the law and came into legal force immediately after publication. Articles within this chapter formalize who can lose their Omani nationality and under what circumstances.

Oman Issues New Law Easing Citizenship Revocation Rules

The foundation of these changes lies in prioritizing loyalty to Oman 🇴🇲. Citizenship is viewed not merely as a legal status but also as a relationship based on mutual trust and commitment. The core change lies in making revocation faster and more definitive through explicitly defined legal scenarios, ensuring both transparency and rigor in the process.

Article 23: Automatic Loss of Citizenship

According to Article 23, Omani citizens automatically lose their nationality if they acquire another citizenship unlawfully. This provision reflects Oman’s long-standing restriction on dual nationality, which is generally not accepted unless approved by special Royal Decree. Under Article 5, exceptions may be made, but only upon the Minister of Interior’s recommendation and a formal decree by the Sultan.

This automatic provision signals Oman’s focus on loyalty and national allegiance, discouraging Omani nationals from seeking dual status without lawful approval. These measures highlight the government’s concern around conflicting national loyalties.

Article 26: Revocation for Natural-Born Citizens

Under Article 26, even citizens born as Omani nationals can face the revocation of their citizenship under certain conditions. These circumstances include:

Insulting Oman 🇴🇲 or His Majesty the Sultan, either through words or actions.
Membership in groups or organizations with ideologies harmful to Omani interests.
Employment by foreign governments in roles conflicting with Omani interests, including refusal to leave such employment when directed to do so by the government.
Collaborating with nations hostile to Oman.

Article 26, thus, serves as a robust mechanism to ensure that citizenship carries with it a sense of responsibility and fidelity toward the Sultanate. Revocation under these conditions is intended to act as a deterrent while also safeguarding national security and promoting trust in state loyalty.

Article 27: Citizenship Withdrawal for Naturalized Individuals

For naturalized citizens, Article 27 sets even broader conditions under which citizenship may be withdrawn. These include:

Situations detailed in Article 26, applicable to all individuals.
Gaining nationality through unlawful methods, which also makes others who benefited from this citizenship acquisition equally liable.
Conviction of state security crimes.
Receiving two custodial felony sentences within five years of naturalization.

These stricter requirements reveal a conscious effort to preserve the integrity of Omani nationality. Naturalized citizenship under the new law is measured not just by adherence to rules but by demonstrated alignment with Omani values.

Marital-Based Citizenship: Articles 24 and 25

The law tightens provisions for individuals who gained Omani citizenship through marriage. Article 24 states that foreign nationals marrying Omani women lose their acquired nationality after divorce or desertion conducted within five years of citizenship being granted. Similarly, Article 25 determines that non-Omani women who marry Omani men lose their citizenship if the marriage ends in divorce and they subsequently remarry a non-Omani citizen.

These steps reflect a cautious approach to granting marital-based citizenship, ensuring that such individuals successfully integrate into Omani society and remain aligned with its cultural and legal fabric.

Considerations for Children

Where children are concerned, legislators have sought to prevent undue harm to minors. For example, a father’s loss of Omani nationality in cases involving divorce or desertion does not extend to his children. This stipulation ensures family stability and fairness, especially for minors who were born as Omani citizens.

Restricted Judicial Oversight

Significantly, the new law centralizes authority for all nationality matters exclusively under the Ministry of Interior. Article 3 mandates that applications for citizenship and related disputes be addressed to the Ministry. Moreover, Article 4 bars courts from reviewing citizenship-related cases, giving the Ministry final say over these matters. This level of control underscores the government’s intent to manage nationality issues without interference, ensuring that they align with national security priorities and broader objectives.

Restoration of Citizenship

While the law provides sweeping powers for revocation, Article 26 also includes provisions for restoring citizenship. Should the conditions that led to revocation no longer exist, the individual may regain their Omani nationality. This clause introduces flexibility while ensuring that the underlying principles of justice and reasonableness are upheld in specific cases.

Stringent Naturalization Requirements

The Omani Nationality Law also imposes tougher requirements for individuals seeking naturalization. Article 17 stipulates that applicants must:

Reside in Oman 🇴🇲 continuously and lawfully for at least 15 years.
Demonstrate fluency in Arabic.
Have a record of good behavior.
Be free from any criminal convictions.

These requirements underline Oman’s objective to make citizenship an earned privilege, demanding commitment from applicants who wish to integrate into the country.

Centralization of Power

The process for all citizenship decisions—whether granting, withdrawal, or restoration—now requires the issuance of a Royal Decree based on the recommendation of the Minister of Interior. This institutional arrangement, detailed in Article 7, consolidates government oversight and ensures all citizenship decisions reflect the country’s strategic considerations.

Key Takeaways

Looking at the broader implications, the new Omani Nationality Law strengthens Oman 🇴🇲’s control over the legal frameworks of nationality. Some of the most notable changes include:

A detailed framework for revoking citizenship, especially through Articles 23, 26, and 27.
Clear conditions for loss of nationality in marital-based cases under Articles 24 and 25.
Heightened restrictions and procedural centralizations, leaving nationality issues beyond the scope of judicial review.
Comprehensive naturalization requirements that emphasize language proficiency, lawful residence, and ethical conduct.

The law mirrors global trends where nations are streamlining processes to ensure nationality frameworks prioritize security, national identity, and strategic interests.

Broader Implications

The changes brought forward by Royal Decree No. 17/2025 reflect a careful balancing act. By granting the Omani government broader authority, the legislation aims to preserve the sovereignty and values of Oman 🇴🇲 while ensuring its laws stay relevant in a world of shifting geopolitical and social challenges. Analysis from VisaVerge.com highlights that many countries around the globe are similarly revising nationality policies to address dual citizenship, security concerns, and migration dynamics.

In this context, the Omani model reflects a nation focusing on self-determination. However, its long-term societal implications will depend on how the government exercises its powers and how citizens respond to these robust regulations. For more on the topic, readers can explore Oman’s Ministry of Interior website.

Learn Today

Royal Decree → A formal, authoritative order issued by a country’s monarch, which has the force of law.
Naturalization → The legal process through which a non-citizen acquires nationality or citizenship of a country.
Dual nationality → Holding citizenship in two different countries simultaneously, often restricted or regulated under national laws.
Revocation → The official cancellation or annulment of a legal right or status, such as citizenship, by a governing authority.
Judicial oversight → The process by which courts review and potentially influence decisions made by government institutions or officials.

This Article in a Nutshell

Oman’s 2025 Nationality Law redefines citizenship, emphasizing loyalty and national interest. Stricter naturalization criteria, revocation for disloyal acts, and limits on dual nationality reflect sharper governance. Centralized control under the Interior Ministry ensures streamlined decisions. This law positions Omani nationality as a privilege, balancing sovereignty with justice in today’s ever-shifting global landscape.
— By VisaVerge.com