Oman has added a condition for issuing on-arrival visas to Maldivians.

The Foreign Ministry has earlier said that Maldivians traveling to Oman will be issued an on-arrival visa. However, a family who recently traveled to Oman from the Maldives was detained at the airport for 12 hours without an on-arrival visa and was later deported.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement yesterday that the information it had previously provided was official information provided by the relevant authorities in Oman. However, the country will issue an on-arrival visa only if certain conditions are met.

The Foreign Ministry has issued the following conditions for obtaining a 14-day on-arrival visa from Oman:

- Have a valid visa from or be a citizen of the United Kingdom, United States, Schengen countries, Canada, Australia or Japan

- Hotel booking, round-trip tickets, and health insurance

The Foreign Ministry has urged travelers to obtain visas immediately if they do not meet the requirements. He said he is in discussions with the relevant authorities to arrange for unconditional on-arrival visas.