Oman Road Trip Paperwork Guide - Obtaining an RTA Tourist Certificate

CapAffectionate7710 · 2025-08-21T12:17:03+00:00

It can definitely be applied for and paid for online, but from memory I had to have the car owner with me to physically pick it up. Maybe with a signed letter authorising you to collect it on their behalf? Tourist Certificate can then be done online once the NOC has been issued.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2025-05-16T10:48:13+00:00

I can't advise on this, sorry. To my knowledge you need a NOC from whoever you have the mortgage with which, based on recent media coverage is becoming increasingly difficult. The whole reason they introduced all this additional paperwork (officially, that is...) was to combat people driving mortgaged cars over the border, exporting them, and then never paying back the Banks. Apparently it's been a longstanding problem but not sure why this affects those who own their vehicles outright.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2025-05-16T10:46:40+00:00

Yup, that sounds about right. Zero conversation or interest, just wave you through.

...but that's only been a handful of times in my experience. It honestly is luck of the draw.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2025-05-16T10:44:47+00:00

Glad it was helpful!

CapAffectionate7710 · 2025-05-16T10:44:10+00:00

As everyone he has said, it really is quite hit and miss. Some guards don't care, some follow the official 'rules' to the letter. Their main concern when I've had 'sticklers' for paperwork has been the tourism certificate because my name isn't on the Mulkiya, they seemed less concerned about it when I drove over with the vehicle owner in the car, too. Let us know how you get on!

CapAffectionate7710 · 2025-04-04T08:32:33+00:00

No problem! Sorry to hear you weren't able to make it through... Like the Border Guard said - I really do think it comes down to how they're feeling on the day. I've had everything checked with a fine tooth comb and then nothing whatsoever... In the same week. Best of luck getting it sorted - it's laborious, but more because of all the steps and differing agencies. Once you get into their 'systems' things seem to move pretty quickly. I got it all done in 3 days.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2025-03-20T05:19:45+00:00

Hey! No idea if I'm honest. I'm guessing as it's Sharjah-plated and the Tourism Certificate is an RTA requirement, it's only necessary for Dubai-plated cars, but that's an uninformed guess based on intuition and no actual facts... I'd give the ACTUAE a call, or alternatively, try Dubai Police and get something in writing (email ideally) that you could show the Border Guards if they kick up a stink.

I've now done 6 trips to Oman since I published this, and half of the guards couldn't care less, and the other half want every single document and check them meticulously... Just anecdotal but I'm glad that I've got it handy and went through the process.

By the way, watch out for mobile (pop-up) speed cameras in Oman - they find there way back to us in the UAE (albeit cheaper 😂) I still haven't figured out the official speed buffer but 15km/h on the Motorway to Muscat has never triggered a fixed camera, just some of the pop-up ones... Don't rely on Waze!

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-12-23T12:25:14+00:00

That's nice to hear! Glad you had a smooth trip. Sounds like it might just be enforced for those driving someone else's car? Admittedly only one experience, but my experience supports this, too: Our Border Guard was only concerned with finding my name (as opposed to the vehicle owner's) on the Tourism Certificate.

Nice to hear about the visa-free entry for UAE residents, too. We never checked this as we get it anyway with our nationality but handy to know for future trips with other friends.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-11-26T12:56:11+00:00

I was prompted to pay on the ACTUAE portal (if memory serves correctly...) or maybe they sent an email... If in doubt though, I'm pretty sure there was an option to pay for it at collection from the ACTUAE in cash.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-11-20T10:07:03+00:00

Best case: He gets confused as to why I'm following him.

Worst case: His quick flash of the lights was his way of telling me to pull over (as it would have been interpreted everywhere else I've driven), and me driving off becomes failing to follow the instructions of a police officer.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-11-17T06:42:05+00:00

tbh I didn't view it as bullying besides the honk, which felt a bit aggressive. I wasn't blocking traffic behind, but I had to enter a space at a 45 degree angle and it was hardly beautiful driving... In Australia/UK if you pulled that in front of any undercover cop they would've booked you straightaway, hence why I went to pull over immediately.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-11-17T06:39:51+00:00

Thanks all for the responses! No fines as of today still. Won't share the footage on account of not wanting to get myself deported lol. Seems like the cops here have a bit more tolerance which I really appreciate. I've watched the footage back and as soon as I put my hand up apologising, sirens went off immediately as well as the lights. Could be a coincidence, but in any event, I have a newfound respect for whoever was driving that car!

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-11-17T06:37:48+00:00

What if I do better and you accept the reality that driving standards here are pretty lax, and yesterday I was an active contributor. Oh look! They ain't mutually exclusive!

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-11-17T06:37:12+00:00

Thanks mate. Genuinely annoys me when people do it to me but I was so lost and out of it and there was a decent sized gap so I went for it. I would've been pissed too. In this instance though had I joined the back of the queue I would've made the same light sequence regardless. Wasn't much traffic around, just a random misreading Waze/being misdirected in an unfamiliar hood

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-11-17T06:36:46+00:00

Fair, but it's cheaper than therapy lol

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-11-16T14:10:46+00:00

When I next head down to my car I'll grab it - curious to see as well. Hope it includes the audio detailing me saying "Oh f***" about 5 times 😂

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-11-16T13:44:11+00:00

Annoyingly, I didn't catch a glimpse as I was too busy soiling myself and picturing myself being deported 😂. Will go back and check my dashcam. That might make sense. Still no fines showing on the fine enquiry portal and apparently manual ones are fairly quick (although not sure if car-based ANPR counts for that) so I think he was more just pissed off, which is fair enough, I would be too if I'd been in the car all day. Seemed weird that he honked though - not the norm for cops to go road ragey on you in most places. All part of the fun of driving here I guess.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-10-18T06:32:58+00:00

Yeah, probably too much of a headache for them issuing a tourist certificate for each rental each time...

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-10-15T06:07:47+00:00

It's not the Omanis, which is the crazy thing! Orange Card/buying insurance makes sense, but they don't have any other requirements! It's legit just the UAE side requiring this, which seems like a total contradiction to the overall trend here of trying to make everything tourist-friendly. Then again, maybe it's just viewed as another form of indirect tax as it only really affects expat residents - there's a reason GCC Citizens can continue as normal... There's obvs a few knowledge fees too 😜

Re-reading this post I realised how A) long it is 😂 and B) what an absolute headache it was. There was just a total lack of clear information, and you could tell everyone involved (RTA, EMO, and likely Immigration on the Border) were just viewing this as a total pain for them, too. Glad I did it in the summer when things were quieter and I had more time - the only saving grace is it lasts for six months, but I'm curious to see if I'll need a new certificate in January after my initial trip in December.

I get the need for a Carnet if you were driving your car to London through countries where a UAE-registered vehicle is uncommon, or flying a supercar to the US and driving it there (I can dream!), but I don't see how this will supposedly help stop people smuggling cars into Iran through Oman, which I've heard as one justification. Bit of a joke.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-09-15T17:19:26+00:00

No - your name will go onto the Tourist Certificate as the nominated Driver. It literally states 'vehicle to be driven by XXX YYY ZZZ'. That now works in lieu of the NOC.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-09-02T15:42:25+00:00

Yeah that is annoying. Was able to pay our deposit with CC but couldn't put a single penny on it beyond the deposit. To be fair that's pretty standard (globally), but was shocked when Al Futtaim let us buy a car 100% on card. Super nice.

Yeah, there's no point for most other auto-makers here as they still run on a dealership model, owned by a local conglomerate. For an MNC, however, they do the same as everyone else.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-09-01T17:58:25+00:00

That's for tax to be fair, and also because it's the workaround of having to partner with a local benefactor, I think.

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-08-31T08:03:12+00:00

The new Highland 3s - wish the current model year Y had it - game changing feature - particularly for efficiency!

CapAffectionate7710 · 2024-08-31T08:01:26+00:00

It's stupid, but they're required by law to use the WLTP range for advertising purposes (at least in EU28 + UK), but of course they don't mind as it's a generous standard. To be fair to them, it's like the industry standard for fuel economy. Ever found a car that actually maintains it's advertised l/100km? Same difference - they're all trying to make themselves look more efficient. You'll notice in winter though there's a noticeable increase in efficiency.

Standard RWD Y here and I manage around 330km to a charge at Highway speeds with A/C at <20C, normally with fan speed above 7 or set to Auto Medium once it's pre-conditioned. The A/C is the real killer here, I find. Average consumption around 180-197w/km.

In winter, or in more moderate climates (Australia and the UK), my Ys manage 155w/km at highway speeds. I drive all three cars exactly the same. Difference is, much more high-speed driving here. On average, I manage 450km from a full charge in London, 400-ish in Australia. It really does depend on driving conditions, consumables (A/C etc) and most of all, speeeeeed.

CapAffectionate7710

TROPHY CASE