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Working in Oman

The basic rules on hours, pay, leave, your passport, and changing jobs — and where to get help when they are broken.

The basics at a glance

These are the minimums in Oman's Labour Law (the new law of 2023) for people who work for a company. If you work in a household, different rules apply — see Domestic workers.

Working hours
Up to 8 hours a day, or 40 hours a week. In Ramadan, up to 6 hours a day (30 a week) for Muslim workers.
Overtime
Your basic pay for those hours plus 25% during the day, or plus 50% at night. Work on a rest day or public holiday is paid double, or you get a day off instead. No more than 12 hours of work in a day, including overtime.
Weekly rest
At least 2 days off in a row each week.
Paid leave
At least 30 days a year, once you have worked 6 months.
End-of-service pay
One month's basic wage for each year worked since 31 July 2023, paid by your employer.For work before that date, the old rule applies: 15 days' pay for each of your first 3 years, then 30 days for each year after.
Fees
Employers and agencies in Oman may not charge you recruitment fees.
How you are paid
Company workers are paid through the Wage Protection System.
Summer heat
No outdoor work in the sun from 12:30 to 15:30, from June to August.

Your passport is yours

Oman's Labour Law says an employer may not keep a worker's passport or personal documents — unless the worker agrees in writing. Employers sometimes pressure workers to sign. You do not have to.

If your passport has been taken: write down when it happened and who has it, keep a photo or copy of it if you can, and tell the Migrant Workers Office.

Your contract and your pay

Before you left the Philippines, you signed an employment contract approved by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). If your employer gives you a worse contract after you arrive — less pay, a different job, longer hours — that is called contract substitution, and it is illegal under Philippine law. Keep a copy of the contract you signed at home.

If you are a domestic worker: your DMW-approved contract must pay at least US$400 a month. (DMW encourages US$500, but in the Gulf it is not required.) A recruitment agency may not charge you a placement fee.

If you are not being paid, keep a record of every missed payday — the dates and the amounts — and any messages about your pay.

Domestic workers: different rules

If you work in a household, you are not covered by the Labour Law. New rules for domestic workers took effect in October 2025. Because they are new, some details may still change. The main points:

Contract
A written contract in Arabic, registered with the Ministry of Labour.
Working hours
Up to 12 working hours a day, with at least 8 hours of rest.
Weekly day off
One paid day off a week — double pay if you work on it.
Paid leave
21 days of paid leave a year, and up to 30 days of paid sick leave.
Your pay
Paid within 7 days of the due date, by bank transfer or with a receipt. Deductions can't be more than 25% of your pay.
Your documents
Your employer may not keep your passport without your written agreement.

Changing jobs and leaving the country

Since 2021, company workers no longer need a “no-objection certificate” (NOC) to change employers — but only once their contract has ended, if the employer ended it for reasons that were not disciplinary, or if a court has ruled. Changing jobs in the middle of a contract still needs agreement.

If you bring a case against your employer, the law lets you stay in Oman until the case is decided.

⚠ Important warning

Before you leave your employer — read this first

Leaving your employer may be treated as “absconding.” In this country there's an absconding-report risk. It's safer to talk to a person before you leave.

Where complaints go

Start with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO). It is where OFW work cases go — wages, contracts, passports, and abuse — and it can tell you which Omani office applies to you.

On the Omani side, complaints go to the Ministry of Labour, which tries to settle them. If that fails, the case goes to court, without a filing fee.

Don't wait. A complaint about being unfairly dismissed must reach the Ministry within 30 days. Most other claims must be brought within one year.

In the Philippines, you can also bring a money claim against your recruitment agency, which is responsible together with your employer. That claim must be brought within 3 years, and it usually starts with a conciliation step at the DMW.

Philippine offices in Oman

For a work problem, contact the Philippine Embassy in Muscat and ask for the Migrant Workers Office (MWO). The embassy handles passports, documents, and concerns that are not about work.

Handa has not checked contact details for Oman yet, so we don't list them here. The Department of Migrant Workers lists its offices abroad at dmw.gov.ph.

What to keep

A copy of your contract, any proof of non-payment, messages with your employer, and a photo of your passport if you have one.

What this guide is based on

Handa's plain-language summary of the sources below. It has not been checked by a lawyer.

Last updated 14 September 2026.

Something here out of date or wrong? Tell us at contact@handahelp.org.