Oman Announces What Employers Must Do for Workers' Repatriation Within 30 Days

• Oman's labour law places the full cost of repatriating workers on their employers after a contract ends
• Employers have a maximum of 30 days from the contract's expiry date to arrange the worker's return home
• The Ministry of Labour can step in to repatriate workers who refuse to travel, then recover the cost from employers

Employers in Oman are legally required to bear the full cost of sending workers back to their home countries once an employment contract ends, according to Article 34 of the country's labour law.

The law sets a clear deadline: repatriation must be completed within 30 days of the contract's expiry date.

The obligation does not apply, however, where the worker's services have been transferred to a new employer before that period lapses.

What happens when a worker refuses to leave

If a worker declines to travel home after the contract ends, the responsibility does not simply fall away from the employer.

In such cases, the competent authority is empowered to step in and arrange repatriation directly, with the costs initially covered by the Ministry of Labour.

The ministry then recovers those costs from the employer at a later stage, meaning the financial liability ultimately remains with the employer regardless of the worker's cooperation.

What this means for migrant workers

The provision offers a layer of protection for migrant workers in Oman, particularly those whose contracts have ended and who may otherwise face uncertainty about how they will return home.

By placing the burden squarely on the employer, the law limits the risk that workers will be stranded without the means to travel.

Workers whose services are transferred to another employer before the 30-day window closes are not covered by the repatriation obligation under those circumstances, as the new employer assumes responsibility for the employment relationship going forward.

32 professions banned for foreigners in Oman

Legit.ng earlier reported that Oman's Ministry of Labour expanded its list of professions off-limits to foreign workers, adding 32 roles that will now be reserved exclusively for Omani nationals across several key industries. The move is part of Oman's broader Omanisation drive, which aims to prioritise local employment across the workforce.