How to Become a Customs Broker in Oman
In Oman, becoming a customs broker is not a single step. Three separate things sit behind the job: a licence to practise customs clearance activity, held by a company or establishment; a customs broker delegate licence, held by a person working for a licensed entity; and a Bayan system account, which gives access rather than permission. Eligibility and ownership requirements must be considered separately and verified against the applicable official rules.
Table of Contents
Licence, Profession or System Access?
These three layers are often treated as one, which is where most confusion starts. Only the first two are licences, and both come from the Royal Oman Police – Directorate General of Customs. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion registers the commercial activity, the Ministry of Labour governs who may hold the job, and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry handles membership. Every published route to a delegate licence runs through a licensed entity.
| Customs Clearance Licence, Delegate Licence and Bayan Account | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Layer | What It Is | Who Holds It | Issued or Granted By |
| Customs clearance activity licence | Permission to do clearance work for others | A company or establishment | Oman Customs |
| Customs broker delegate licence | Permission to act for that licensed entity | An employee of the entity | Oman Customs |
| Bayan account | Access to submit declarations electronically | A registered user at the entity | The entity’s Bayan administrator |
Who Can Qualify, and Can a Foreign Resident?
The answer comes from two rules outside customs licensing.
Ownership. Ministerial Decision 209/2020 places customs clearance offices among activities closed to foreign investment. Official service pages agree that Omani-owned entities may qualify but differ on GCC-national ownership. Existing projects retain transitional protection. Confirm GCC ownership directly with Oman Customs before applying.
Employment. Ministerial Decision 235/2022 reserves the listed customs clearance professions for Omani nationals. These include customs clearance agent, customs clearance delegate, customs clearance broker and customs clearance clerk. Non-Omani nationals cannot obtain new employment permits for these positions. Permits issued before the restriction took effect remain valid only until they expire.
A foreign resident cannot newly qualify for or be employed in the listed customs clearance professions. This employment restriction is separate from the unresolved question of whether a GCC national may own a licensed customs clearance entity. Roles in logistics outside the closed professions are not affected by that annex, although normal work-permit rules still apply. Personal conditions for a first delegate licence are among the points to confirm directly.
Licensing a Customs Clearance Office
Only a licensed entity may clear cargo for others. The entity must hold a commercial registration listing customs clearance, plus Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry membership. The legal representative must provide a certificate of non-conviction, and a refundable guarantee is required. The licence runs for two years. At inspection, the office needs a valid lease and signage matching its commercial registration.
| Published Licence, Training and Registration Fees | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item | Companies (OMR) | Individual Establishments (OMR) |
| Clearance activity licence, issue or renew | 1,000 | 500 |
| Broker delegate licence or card | 100 | 30 |
| Training course, five working days, per person | 100 | 50 |
| Bayan user registration, per person | 10 | 10 |
Registering in Bayan
A Bayan account is system access, not a licence. Declarations are submitted electronically through Bayan, but registration alone confers no permission to act as a broker. The entity’s administrator registers each user. For a clearance office, the person must already be registered at that office in a broker or agent role and must have completed the customs clearance course. Individuals may also be registered in Bayan for their own transactions, which is not brokerage.
Documents and Next Steps
Requirements differ by route. These lists reflect what Oman Customs publishes; a first application may require more.
For the office
• Commercial registration listing customs clearance
• Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry membership
• Certificate of non-conviction for the legal representative
• Refundable guarantee deposit
• Lease contract and matching signage
For the individual, from the published transfer requirements
• Registration letter from the licensed employer
• Certificate of non-conviction
• Bayan course certificate
• Civil ID copy and photograph
• Social insurance registration
A shipping agent, freight forwarder and broker do different work. Shipment documents are a separate subject, covered in our guide to Shipping to Oman.
Confirm With Oman Customs
Four points are not settled by published sources: the personal conditions for a first delegate licence; how that first card is applied for; the guarantee amount; and whether GCC nationals may hold ownership, on which official sources differ. Confirm before applying:
80080022, +968 22848232, info@customs.gov.om
Transferring a Customs Broker Between Companies
If a customs broker is registered with another company, they cannot simply be registered under the new establishment. The previous company must first cancel the broker’s card and block their access through User Management. The new company can then submit a transfer request through the Bayan system. The published requirements include a cancellation letter, a registration letter from the new company, a certificate of good conduct, a Bayan system training certificate, and proof of registration with the Social Protection Fund. The transfer fee is OMR 30, in addition to the applicable card fee.
Need Customs Clearance Support in Oman?
If your business needs cargo cleared rather than a licence of its own, ICIT provides customs-clearance support in Oman: shipment-file preparation, document review, declaration support and operational follow-up. Outcomes remain with the relevant authorities.
References
Gov.om. (2025, March 28). Register clearance activity. Retrieved 31 July 2026, from https://gov.om/en/w/register-clearance-activity/
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. (2020). Ministerial Decision 209/2020 determining the list of activities prohibited to foreign investment (Official Gazette No. 1370, 13 December 2020). Retrieved 31 July 2026, from https://mjla.gov.om/decisions/ar/1088/show/1347/
Ministry of Labour. (2022). Ministerial Decision 235/2022 regulating the practice of certain professions (Official Gazette No. 1450, 17 July 2022). Retrieved 31 July 2026, from https://mjla.gov.om/decisions/ar/1095/show/1579/
Royal Oman Police. (2017). Ministerial Decision 37/2017 amending certain provisions of the regulation organising customs clearance activity and the profession of customs broker delegate (Official Gazette No. 1181, 12 February 2017). Unofficial reproduction retrieved 31 July 2026, from https://qanoon.om/p/2017/rop20170037/
Royal Oman Police. (2017). Ministerial Decision 38/2017 setting fees for services provided by the Directorate General of Customs (Official Gazette No. 1181, 12 February 2017). Unofficial reproduction retrieved 31 July 2026, from https://qanoon.om/p/2017/rop20170038/
Royal Oman Police – Directorate General of Customs. (n.d.). Requirements for customs clearance license. Retrieved 31 July 2026, from https://www.customs.gov.om/en/clearance-companies/
Royal Oman Police – Directorate General of Customs. (n.d.). Customs broker transfer. Retrieved 31 July 2026, from https://www.customs.gov.om/en/business-services/customs-broker-conversion/https://www.customs.gov.om/en/business-services/customs-broker-conversion/
Royal Oman Police – Directorate General of Customs. (n.d.). Users registration in Bayan system. Retrieved 31 July 2026, from https://www.customs.gov.om/en/business-services/procedural_services/users-registration-in-bayan-system/