Oman · Off-plan & resale

Oman real estate: houses and property for sale, off-plan and resale

Houses, villas and apartments for sale in Oman's tourism complexes, from Muscat to Salalah, and how foreign buyers own them.

Oman real estate draws international investors, families who want a calm coastal base in the Gulf, and buyers looking for residency through property. Most villas and apartments for sale in Oman to non-Omanis sit inside licensed Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITCs) around Muscat, along the coast and in Salalah. There are two routes in: off-plan, buying a unit from a licensed developer before completion, or resale, buying a completed unit with an issued title deed from its current owner.

The rule that matters most for a foreign buyer is location. Non-Omanis can own built units or plots in their own name inside licensed ITCs in all governorates, while ownership outside them depends on narrower routes with restricted areas. Since 10 March 2026, the Law Regulating Real Estate (Royal Decree 79/2025) has also required developers to be licensed and off-plan payments to go into an independent escrow account, which changes how an off-plan purchase in Oman should be checked.

Natalie advises international buyers who are comparing Oman with Dubai and other Gulf markets. She can walk through the ownership rules, the difference between off-plan and resale in a given complex, and how residency fits the purchase, and will come back with what is available on request. For buyers who also want residency, she can show which purchases count toward the Golden Residency threshold and which only qualify once a unit is completed and titled, so the choice between off-plan and resale is made with the full picture.

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Can foreigners buy property in Oman?

Yes. Non-Omani individuals and companies may own built units or plots in licensed Integrated Tourism Complexes, for living in or as an investment, in all governorates. The one exception within the ITC framework is Musandam, where non-Omanis are limited to completed units held on usufruct of up to 99 years.

Outside ITCs the options are narrower. A framework under Royal Decree 29/2018 and Ministerial Resolution 292/2020 allows certain investor-residence card holders to own one property outside licensed zones, excluding listed restricted areas such as Musandam, Al Buraimi, Al Dhahirah, Al Wusta, Dhofar except Salalah, islands, heritage sites and agricultural land. A separate usufruct route (Ministerial Decision 357/2020) lets non-Omanis buy residential units in qualifying multi-storey buildings for an initial term of up to 50 years, extendable up to 99 years. Golden Residency holders are also stated to have rights to own beyond ITC zones, within legal limits.

In practice, most foreign buyers looking at property for sale in Oman start with ITC projects, because that is where ownership is clearest. Confirming that a project is a licensed ITC is the first check on any purchase.

Off-plan

Off-plan property in Oman

Off-plan purchases in Oman now sit under the Law Regulating Real Estate (Royal Decree 79/2025), published on 14 September 2025 and in force since 10 March 2026. It brings registration, brokerage, developer licensing and escrow under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and repeals the 2018 escrow-account law and the brokerage law.

Developers must be licensed before they start a project, so the license is the first thing to verify.
Buyer payments on off-plan projects must go into an independent escrow account, with withdrawals restricted to approved construction phases.
Payment plans for ITC off-plan units are typically staged during construction, with the schedule set per project in the sale contract.
Developers had six months from the law's entry into force to register subdivided units in off-plan projects and dispositions made before the law took effect.
If you buy an ITC land plot rather than a unit, you must build within four years of registration (extendable by up to two years) and cannot sell the plot before completion.
An off-plan unit does not count toward Golden Residency until it is completed and has a title deed.

Secondary market

Resale property in Oman

Buying resale means a completed unit with an existing title, usually inside an established ITC. Foreign buyers of ready property should buy inside an ITC, or use the usufruct or residency-card routes outside them, and the transfer is registered with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning.

Confirm that the project is a licensed ITC before anything else.
Check that a title deed has been issued, not only a sale contract.
Confirm title and encumbrances through the official registry before transfer; a new Real Estate Registry law was reported in June 2026.
Check that service charges are paid up to date.
Make sure the broker is licensed under the 2025 law.
Owners of completed ITC units receive renewable residency for themselves and first-degree relatives, so a ready unit can carry residency from registration.

Off-plan or resale in Oman?

	Off-plan	Resale (secondary)
Deposit and payments	Staged payments during construction, set per project in the sale contract.	Paid against transfer of an existing title, registered with the Ministry.
Buyer protection	Licensed developer and independent project escrow, since 10 March 2026.	Registry checks on title, encumbrances and service charges.
Fees	Registration fee on transfer; confirm the current rate for non-Omanis.	Registration fee on transfer; confirm the current rate for non-Omanis.
Residency	Applies once the unit is completed; Golden Residency needs a title deed.	Completed ITC units carry renewable owner residency from registration.
What you can inspect	Plans, developer license and escrow arrangements.	The finished unit, title deed and service charge record.
Financing	Mainly developer payment plans; plot mortgages only to fund construction.	Some local bank lending, mainly to residents with local income.

Buying costs in Oman

Sale registration fee: Cut from 5% to 3% of the asset value from 3 November 2020 for third-party sales and gifts. Confirm the rate that applies to a non-Omani buyer before budgeting.
Reduced rate for Omanis: In January 2025 the sale registration fee was cut to 1% for Omani individuals and companies. Reports did not extend this rate to non-Omanis.
Mortgage registration: Mortgage registration fees are capped at 0.5%.
Service charges: ITC communities levy service charges; check they are paid up before a resale transfer.
Brokerage: No official cap was found; agree the commission in writing with a broker licensed under the 2025 law.

No official 2025-2026 fee schedule for non-Omani buyers was found, so confirm the current fees with the Ministry or your lawyer.

Residency through property in Oman

Owning a completed unit in a licensed ITC grants renewable residency for the owner and first-degree relatives. Owners of ITC land plots receive multi-entry investor visas, renewed every two years until construction is complete.

Oman's Golden Residency program launched on 31 August 2025. Its real estate route requires at least OMR 200,000 in completed residential, commercial or tourism units in ITCs with a title deed, for a 10-year renewable residency that covers first-degree family members and allows holders to employ up to three domestic workers. Ownership through a company requires a certified final balance sheet.

Where buyers look in Oman

New developments and off-plan

AIDA (Yiti, Muscat)Large hillside ITC under development south-east of Muscat.
Yiti / The Sustainable City YitiCoastal ITC area south-east of Muscat with new phases.
Al Mouj Muscat (new phases)Established marina ITC still releasing new phases.
Muscat BayCoastal ITC between mountains and sea, with phased releases.
Jebel SifahCoastal ITC about an hour from Muscat.
Hawana SalalahDhofar coast ITC with ongoing development.

Established resale markets

Al Mouj Muscat (formerly The Wave)Longest-established Muscat ITC with resale stock.
Muscat HillsGolf-community ITC with completed homes.
Muscat BayCompleted early phases.
Jebel SifahCompleted apartments and villas.
Hawana SalalahCompleted resort residences in Salalah.
Salalah BeachITC in Dhofar with existing units.

The market in numbers

Total real estate traded value in Oman reached about OMR 1.593 billion by end-July 2025, 7.9% lower than the same period of 2024. Sales contracts were OMR 728.5 million (up 15.4%) and mortgage contracts OMR 858.4 million (down 21.3%), according to NCSI.
Title deeds issued to GCC nationals fell 10% to 771 in January to July 2025, from 857 a year earlier (NCSI).
Royal Decree 79/2025 entered into force on 10 March 2026, consolidating real estate registration, development, brokerage and ownership rules that had been spread across laws dating back to the 1980s.

What to watch for

Foreign ownership is largely confined to licensed ITCs, and the routes outside them are narrower with restricted areas, so a project's ITC status must be confirmed.
ITC land plots must be built within four years and cannot be sold before completion, which limits exit options on plot purchases.
The 2025 Real Estate Regulation Law has only been in force since March 2026 and its implementing rules are still bedding in, so procedures may change.
Golden Residency's real estate route requires completed units with title, so an off-plan purchase does not qualify until handover.
Mortgage finance for non-residents is limited and conditions vary by bank.

Buying property in Oman: questions buyers ask

Can foreigners buy property in Oman?

Yes, inside licensed Integrated Tourism Complexes, where non-Omanis can own built units or plots in their own name. Outside ITCs, ownership is limited to narrower routes such as usufruct units in qualifying buildings.

Is off-plan money protected in Oman?

Under Royal Decree 79/2025, in force since 10 March 2026, developers must be licensed and off-plan payments must go into an independent escrow account, with withdrawals linked to approved construction phases.

Should I buy off-plan or resale property in Oman?

Off-plan gives staged payments and escrow protection but no residency until completion. A completed ITC unit can carry renewable owner residency from registration and lets you inspect the title and the finished home first.

Does buying real estate in Oman give me residency?

Owners of completed ITC units receive renewable residency for themselves and first-degree relatives. Separately, Golden Residency offers 10-year residency for completed ITC property worth at least OMR 200,000 with a title deed.

What does it cost to register a purchase in Oman?

The general sale registration fee has been 3% of value since November 2020, and a January 2025 cut to 1% applied to Omani individuals and companies. Confirm the current rate for a non-Omani buyer before you commit.

Can I resell an off-plan plot before it is built?

For ITC land plots, no: the owner cannot sell before completion and must finish building within four years, extendable by up to two. Completed units are freely transferable.

Can I get a mortgage in Oman as a foreigner?

Local banks do lend against ITC freehold units, mainly to resident expatriates with local income. Non-resident applicants typically face lower loan-to-value ratios and case-by-case approval.

Sources

This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees were checked against the sources above in October 2026 and can change.

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Opportunities in Oman are shared privately. Tell Natalie what you are looking for, off-plan or resale, and she will come back with what is available.

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Can foreigners buy property in Oman?

Off-plan property in Oman

Resale property in Oman

Off-plan or resale in Oman?

Buying costs in Oman

Residency through property in Oman

Where buyers look in Oman

New developments and off-plan

Established resale markets

The market in numbers

What to watch for

Buying property in Oman: questions buyers ask

Sources

No public listings in Oman right now

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