Muscat: Chinese, Italian, Iranian, and South Korean nationals who have been living in Oman will not be allowed to return should they travel outside the country, despite possessing valid visas.

The new rules apply to citizens of these four countries and nowhere else. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the announcement in view of the coronavirus outbreak gripping the Middle East region.

Elaborating on the administrative decision, a MoFA official said, “The decision to not allow people from these four countries into Oman is because the Ministry of Health has clarified that the disease is prevalent there, in terms of there being many coronavirus cases in Iran, South Korea, China and Italy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls all residents from these four countries to stay in the Sultanate.”

“In the event that any of the residents of Oman go to these countries, they will not be able to enter the Sultanate again even if their visas are still valid. This decision was issued due to the spread of the coronavirus in these countries and to limit its spread in the Sultanate. This decision will remain active until further notice,” he added.

The ministry also said that people visiting Oman from countries known to have high coronavirus cases will not be given entry.