Hi all -
Just wanted to share a quick update regarding PCR testing in Oman. In June 2021, the government mandated that private establishments cannot charge more than 15 OMR for a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] test, and as such, most private hospitals now charge anywhere between 11-15 OMR for a PCR test. The government-run drive-thru testing site at Muscat International Airport, however, charges 19 OMR. The key difference between the two is that the airport site allows you to download your test results online, while private clinics require you to physically return to collect your results in-person.
I also wanted to share my experience with a wildly irritating scam that Oman is pushing: the Ministry of Health travel certificate. The government says that if you are traveling out of Oman, you MUST pay for a PCR test in addition to a 6 OMR fee for a travel certificate issued by the MOH. If you get tested at the airport drive-thru, you can pay for the certificate online and it auto-generates a template that you can print out. If you get tested elsewhere, you have to pay for a printed form when you go to collect your test results.
I have flown out of MCT several times, and despite having paid for this idiotic certificate, nobody at the counter glanced at it and they'd always put it aside. I was told that airlines want a PCR test with a QR code, which the local testing sites here provide on all results; the MOH travel certificate, ironically, doesn't have it, instead having a holographic little stamp and the same doctor's name, signature and details that they've had since they first launched this scam. In fact, if you go to a private clinic and ask for a travel certificate, they simply populate a template, pull out a ream of certificate stationary pre-arranged by the MOH and just feed it into the printer. It's a
joke. The airport staff say they don't care about it and most airlines won't request it, yet the MOH says it's mandatory lest you be denied boarding. My partner flew out of MCT earlier this month and staunchly refused to pay for it beforehand, and traveled without a hitch. From what I've heard, the agents at the land borders require it, so that's possibly a different story.
Hope this helps!
khabah
