Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) declared on Wednesday a pivotal change in policy intended to control the importation of pre-owned vehicles and bolster the domestic automotive industry. Starting July 1, 2025, the acceptance of vehicle imports via the clearance certificate system will be halted.
This announcement was made jointly by the General Directorate of Customs and the General Directorate of Traffic. As a result, vehicle imports from countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will only be permissible if they are accompanied by an export certificate issued by the relevant authorities from the vehicle's country of registration.
"The ROP is pleased to announce to vehicle importers in GCC nations that the clearance certificate system will no longer be utilized for vehicle imports. "
"The allowable imports will be restricted to those with an export certificate issued by the appropriate authorities," the ROP elaborated.
A representative from the ROP verified that this initiative aims to “regulate the importation process of used vehicles coming from Gulf nations through the internal borders of the GCC. "
This action is being taken amidst growing worries regarding the increase in used car imports from GCC countries, which, according to industry experts, has adversely affected Omani car dealerships.
Market analysts note that the practice of importing second-hand cars utilizing clearance certificates—which evaded more stringent export certification requirements—made it easier to acquire lower-priced vehicles.
Consequently, this trend has weakened the sales of both new and pre-owned cars within Oman.
