Driving License in Muscat, Oman - My experience
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Dear Friends,
So after my last post of Visa facts here I am sharing the complete experience of Driving License what I understood in my journey.
Before I share details, I want to let you know that I drove the car in India for 2-3 years, no classes taken just started driving with friend car by simple rule of ABC (Accelerator, Break, Clutch) so when I started here, was very nervous as I have seen people in my company attempting 6-10 times and some getting success and some getting not.
I am not sharing about getting driving license book as it is already explained in ROP website, I am starting from after that, though if some one have question he or she can ask me.
1. First of all forget that you came from here or there and you have drove car for so many years or so. You should keep in mind that you are starting from zero and you need to just get 10 out of 10 to get the license ( in many cases even 8-9 also do but depends on luck ).
2. Find a good car instructor (based on your circle experience of past). Talk to that person before you fix, make sure he knows good english (not fluent one but still not the bad one) and if knows hindi it is plus and Arabic they know anyways. Fix the hourly rates / test rates / bonus if you pass and so.
Don't fall into a trap of contract like paying 300-400 OMR till get license.
3. Start the classes only when you have kept 300-400 OMR aside to get the license (dont feel negative by this line, this is to ensure that once you start you don't stop till you get license). Expecting license in first attempt is like a dream which rarely come true. But for sure second to fifth attempt it is possible to make.
4. Dont think that this is easy location, that is tough location etc.. best is to find the location which is near to your area where you live. Many people suggest that go to outskirts and stay there and get license in 1 day etc, which I personally would not suggest. As keep in mind that you have to drive on the roads where you stay and this is for your own safety.
5. Don't hurry for test as practice of one hour cost you 6/7 riyals however failing the test costs you 30/35 riyals. So take classes till you get confidence.
5. So first test will be Signal Test / Drum / Slop test, they are conducted one after other and paid in one fee. Signal test is very easy, where you have to sit in front of Police and he will ask you sign boards meaning and you need to tell what they mean and it will take max 2 minutes. This is very easy still you can practice on given link-
Once it is clear, you will go for Drum Test. This test is nothing but test of your parking skills. You will see 2 lines of 4 drums each at equal distance (enough to pass your car easily). You need to cross them and go to your right first, then reverse back between drums and then go again front to left and reverse again..that's it... It sounds simple !!! or may be tough but it is all based on trick.
6. In drum test, your instructor will tell you trick i.e. the point at which you need to turn steering full and that is very very important. For this please ensure that whenever you sit in car, you fix one position of your seating which is comfortable to you. Secondly the day you have test, go for class before that, so that your sitting position is arranged and if you clear at the learning area in one go..dont try again plan to move to test site directly.
7. After that it is slop test, which is understood by name in the slop your car after a break should go smoothly with out any sound or reverse. Again here is a balance between clutch and accelerator.
8. Now you will classes for Road test, in which inspector may check for your parking skills, some times slop test (at Al-Khaud they do sometimes) and your driving on the main road skill and your knowledge about roads and signs etc. No set rule for this it can be any thing.
9. Learning basic things with your instructor -
a. Parking in small row - to left or to right
b. Parking in big row - to left or to right
c. Taking back from parking from small row - to left or to right
d. Taking back from parking from big row - to left or to right.
everything have certain set of rules which teacher will tell and once you practice them 2-3 times it is very easy. However make sure that during the test you follow -
a. Indicator while parking
b. Mostly use gear 1 while parking as speed is slow
c. looking at all the three mirrors (dont try to look direct back like we do in our home country)
c. moderate speed (neither slow nor fast - again no set definition )
9. Confidence of your face is most important thing required to pass the test. After parking is good, police will ask you to move further. Make sure your mobile is either silent or switched off.
You hear very clearly whatever he says to do
While driving he may ask you questions like what is the speed here, can we stop , what is this sign board so be prepared for answer these simple questions with out getting distracted.
10. Basic things which must be followed -
a. Don't touch yellow lines ever
b. Use indicators for any left or right movement
c. Use hazardous indicator for any sudden stop
d. don't drive very slow as many a time, once you reach to main road you have to increase speed very fast
d. don't over speed for rated speeds of the roads
e. position of your hands should be proper
f. hands shall go to gear only when required, once work done back to position
g. take care of T- junction - full stop
h. hear clearly and differentiate what police asks you - like full roundabout and left and take left , full roundabout and come back or come back.. etc
g. whenever car comes to stop, move to 1 no gear and be ready to move
h. never change the gears directly always follow sequence from 1 to 5 and 5 to 1.
g. every gear have set speed position so once you cross speed gear should change and same way while moving down
i. take care of moving people around you when car is slow or you are reversing the car from parking etc.
j. taking care or line immediately when next instruction is given
k. indicator on, as soon as instruction to go left or right is given
11. Wear shoes if possible as it gives better control over clutch, Wear office dress as gives sense to police that he is a working guy in a company and little mindset changes.
12. Great the police, be confident and go for the test after good no. of classes are taken.
13. If you fail in test, don't feel that it end of the world. discuss with your instructor what was mistakes and make sure you don't repeat them.
I wish all the license seekers all the very best and hope this might help you a little rest all you have to help yourselves.
Good luck !!
Thanks Vinod for this valuable Information. I am holding an Indian driving license. Do I need an International Driving license to drive or apply for a license in Oman?
Not required...
I have valid Qatar Driving License Manual which I gave to take UAE Automatic Driving License.
Now I am in Oman, can I get Oman Driving License without any test???
very well written, this is exactly the experience
As far as I know, you don't need to give any test if you have GCC driving license. but, you need to change it to oman's driving license. If i am not mistaken, fee is 20 OMR, however please check in ROP website.
Thanks for your sharing! it is really helpful for those beginners.
thanks for appreciating it..
Friends, just to add details regarding licenses. Firstly if you have automatic driving license from UAE, it can't converted to Oman D.L for male candidates. Automatic is applicable for females in Oman and hence you need to go through test. If you are lucky you may get a waiver in drum or slope or both depending on the time of your application, since my colleague got an Auto DL from UAE which was issued in Dubai and he got drum waiver, whereas i got it from Sharjah, and they have not given any waiver and hence took Drum and slope. For more details ping me...
Is Colour Blindness a problem to get Driving License in Oman ?
I don't think so, since eye test was fundamental, not so deep. don't know much on this.
I suggest don't tell voluntarily to them.
pv.vignesh wrote:Is Colour Blindness a problem to get Driving License in Oman ?
Hi pv.vignesh,
While applying for a learner's licence and while renewing only a basic eye test / sight sampling is done.
No tests would be done to find out if the person can see colours (or how many colours), or none at all.
Be careful please with choice of your teacher.
One guy after refusing his calls and messages wrote me that he will kill me. 😓
Ohh that is very scary, but I have not found Omani people like this. You can raise this concern to Police.
I see Omani people as amazing people with big hearts that's why I trusted and I get burned. Now I have third teacher so inshalh I will finish it.
I don't want bring it to police 😑.
ok,, good luck and hope you crack it soon
Can somebody please advise on how to go about just drum tests . I have failed once and feel really miserable . Which is the exact point to rotate steering !
your teacher must have told u the point to see. Fix your position of sitting and also fix from where you need to see the drums with help of instructor and you will get through it. and most important is always keep the car as slow as possible while reverse or going forward.
Neetika13 wrote:Can somebody please advise on how to go about just drum tests . I have failed once and feel really miserable . Which is the exact point to rotate steering !
Hi Neetika13,
You have appeared for just one test so far.
And it is far too early for you to "feel really miserable".
You will have a few more attempts before you can get your licence.
So better brace yourself. The game has just begun. Keep playing, without quitting.
Hi,
I am planning to take my Oman Licence. Currently i have posted in a remote location in Oman and have 28-28 Work-Leave pattern.
After getting the learner book, how many days i need to wait for giving my drum and slope.
This is because, i am planning to stay at Muscat 3 days either side of my leave to take my tests.
Can i get my book on Sunday and go for drum and slope test on Tuesday?..
Please help so as to plan my stay at Muscat accordingly.
Thanks.
Regards,
Sathish.
Hi Sathish920,
You can appear for the Drum and Slope test even the very next day after getting your Learner's Book.
But what about practising prior ? Without practice, you will not be able to clear the tests. And without your book, you cannot practice anywhere.
Hi Sumitran,
Thanks for your immediate response. This information is very helpful in my planning and stay at Muscat.
I kept 2 days for my training and practice, i.e. Getting the book on Sunday & have some practice on Sunday evening. Monday fullday i have for my practice. Tuesday i will go for test.
That's my plan. Hope everything will be fine.
Thanks a lot.
Regards,
Sathish.
Dear Mr.Sumitran,
I have came to know from some of my friends that if i have a digital Indian licence and if i take attestation from Indian Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs office, i can skip the drum and slope and can do road test directly. Is it true?..Please advise.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Sathish.
Sathish920 wrote:Dear Mr.Sumitran,
I have came to know from some of my friends that if i have a digital Indian licence and if i take attestation from Indian Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs office, i can skip the drum and slope and can do road test directly. Is it true?..Please advise.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Sathish.
Hi Sathish920,
What you are saying existed once. But since the last few years, the same has been cancelled.
Now it is compulsory for all Indians to start from the scratch.
Please read more on the same subject in the forum.
Thanks Mr.Sumitran for the important piece of information.
Regards,
Sathish.
Hi,
Does issuing an Omani license depend on nationality? If an Indian has a GCC license, does he still need to start from scratch? Or can it be converted to an Omani license without a test? Thanks.
Sujoy
Neilz wrote:True... instructors OMG....
Hi Neilz,
Perhaps you should first read the site's 'Code of Conduct' /forum/viewtopic.php?id=192470 before you post these cryptic comments.
Very good experience.. Hope someone will be helped by it..
Its an expression of frustration that's all..wonder why Mr sumitran you have send me the code of conduct link etc etc.. there's nothing cryptic about this.. anyone who's been trying for their license will understand what the exclamation is meant for.. I have had a bad time the day I started my lessons. thats all I expressed
Hello all,
I am new to Oman.
I have a valid DL and IDP from India.
I drove in other countries as tourist by getting IDP attestation.
I am on work visa now, landed yesterday.
Don't have civilian/labour card yet.
I stay single here, campany car is with me.
1.Can I drive with my IDP, any attestation required.
2. Any exemptions allowed or do I have to start from scratch, do I have to wait till I get my civilian/labour card.
Hi Bharat,
I have a Greek friend in Oman who not only drives with his International license but has also bought a car with it. He doesn't have an Omani license. However, after going through the threads here, I got this impression that there are different sets of rules for people from the sub continent and Europeans. I might be wrong but that's the impression I got. Somebody on the ground or who has gone through the process would definitely be better suited to answer this query.
@ Sujoysengupta ... you are indeed correct in your assumption that the rules of the land can be very different - depending on who is at the receiving end.
For some reason, for the locals, a westerner is god. I have seen on multiple occasions the double standards with which a local treat the Asian expats and how they treat the western expats.
In almost all the public places, this obvious segregation based on the skin colour can be unmistakably noticed.
That is why I have often said in my comments that in Oman, no rule is carved on stone. And almost on a daily and an ongoing basis the rules are amended, changed, flexed, bent, and often times even broken.
Sumitran wrote:@ Sujoysengupta ... you are indeed correct in your assumption that the rules of the land can be very different - depending on who is at the receiving end.
For some reason, for the locals, a westerner is god. I have seen on multiple occasions the double standards with which a local treat the Asian expats and how they treat the western expats.
In almost all the public places, this obvious segregation based on the skin colour can be unmistakably noticed.
That is why I have often said in my comments that in Oman, no rule is carved on stone. And almost on a daily and an ongoing basis the rules are amended, changed, flexed, bent, and often times even broken.
Could not agree more
A sad state of affairs indeed.
Dear Expert Expats  
My driving instructor told me Oman driving license is valid in all countries in the world i.e it is effectively an international driving license .
Now I am taking this with information with a pinch of salt !
Can anybody confirm whether this is true ?My second doubt is whether DL is valid in Dubai , other GCC countries at least ?
Please note I am not looking for detailed procedure for converting the DL in other country.
Thanks in advance .
Neilz wrote:Its an expression of frustration that's all..wonder why Mr sumitran you have send me the code of conduct link etc etc.. there's nothing cryptic about this.. anyone who's been trying for their license will understand what the exclamation is meant for.. I have had a bad time the day I started my lessons. thats all I expressed
That's what I was wondering , getting a good driving instructor is nothing short of a miracle .
And trust me everybody's sailing in the same boat .
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