Oman’s Labour Ministry Eases Transfer Process for ‘Abandoned’ Workers During Grace Period

Muscat: As part of the grace period initiative for rectifying labour statuses, the Ministry of Labour has announced a streamlined process for transferring the services of workers who have left their employment—commonly referred to as “abandoned” workers—regardless of whether their work cards are expired or still valid.

Under this initiative, employers may request a service transfer, provided there is no active labour violation report filed against the worker. Such transfer requests will be automatically approved through the Ministry’s electronic system.

To benefit from this facilitation, employers must:

1. Submit a transfer request via the Ministry’s digital platform.
2. Once approval is granted, approach the relevant administrative office (Directorate/Department/Section) for Labour Welfare to obtain a notification letter.
3. This letter will be used to cancel any travel ban or alert linked to the abandonment report in the Royal Oman Police system.
4. Employers must then complete the transfer process in coordination with the Royal Oman Police.

The Ministry emphasized that these measures are temporary and will remain valid only until the end of the grace period.

Employers are urged to take advantage of this opportunity to resolve outstanding labour status issues and ensure compliance with regulations.