Crossing The UAE-Oman Border By Bus in 2024: Best Practical Tips
Crossing the UAE-Oman border by bus is an exhilarating experience. Here are our first-hand practical tips when crossing the border at Al-Ain by bus.
There are many ways to travel from the UAE to Oman. One way to do that is by renting a car in Dubai or Abu Dhabi and driving to Oman. Another option is flying. WizzAir, for instance, offers multiple affordable daily flights.
Even though flying (around 1 hour 15 minutes) might be the obvious choice for most, we opted for a bus, as it is more fun to cross a land border by bus and experience a “real” border crossing.
Read on to see how we crossed it and what practical tips we have to offer to make your upcoming trip easier. Also, check out our photo blog to follow our journey through Oman.
What You Need to Know Beforehand
The Abu Dhabi-Muscat bus service was launched on October 1, 2023. A one-way fare is AED 110. This UAE to Oman bus route is operated by Mwasalat, the national transportation company of Oman.
| 1 Euro / 1.1 USD = 4 AED * 100 AED = 25 Euro / 27 USD * Exchange rates – January 2024 |
From Muscat to Abu Dhabi, buses depart from the Azaiba bus station in Muscat at 6.30 am and arrive at the Abu Dhabi bus station at 3.40 pm. From Abu Dhabi to Muscat, buses depart Abu Dhabi at 10.45 am and arrive at the Azaiba bus station at 8.35 pm. (according to the information provided on www.mwasalat.om).
Visa Requirements
To cross the UAE-Oman border, you might need a visa. As Dutch nationals, we got a visa on arrival for 14 days for free.
To promote and ease services for tourists visiting Oman, nationals of 103 countries and regions are exempt from entry visas for stays up to 14 days.
It is worth mentioning that this exemption is subject to some requirements, including a prior and confirmed hotel booking, health insurance, and a return ticket. However, they did not ask us to show any of the above upon crossing the border.
For more detailed information, you can check the official Omani government page. If your country is not on this list, you can apply for an e-visa by following the step-by-step guidelines on the official e-visa application platform.
Our Experience
We landed at around 7 am in Abu Dhabi and headed straight to the central bus station. You can take bus number A2 from the airport to the bus station. It took us about 40 minutes and cost 10 AED for a return ticket. Taking a taxi is another option. You can read more on our Abu Dhabi page.
At the bus station, we got news we did not like. The Mwasalat bus was fully booked for a whole month!!! Some blogs mentioned the option of booking the tickets on the official website of the bus company. However, the website did not work, and we could not buy the tickets in advance.
Two options were remaining – 1. To overnight in Abu Dhabi and find a different way to get to the border or 2. Buy a bus ticket to Al Ain – the town at the border between UAE and Oman. We went for the latter.
Al Ain – Buraimi Border Crossing
We arrived at Al Ain bus station for 30 AED per person two hours later. At the Al Ain bus station, they told us to wait for the SAME bus from Abu Dhabi to cross the Al Ain – Buraimi border, as crossing on foot was not allowed.
According to the staff at the bus station, some people would get off at Al Ain, and we could get on a previously claimed fully booked bus. Anyway, after waiting for about three hours, the bus appeared, and, LUCKILY, we could get seats.
Eventually, we paid more than 110 AED for reasons the staff failed to explain or got lost in translation. From there on, the journey went smoothly. Leaving the UAE took about 10 minutes. We only had to wait for a few people. (Most people on the bus were immigrant workers from India and Bangladesh)
Welcome to Oman
Entering Oman took longer, around 30 minutes, but as mentioned above, the border officials did not ask us any questions nor require to see any documents.
We arrived in Muscat at around 10:30 pm. It was a rather long day on the roads and bus stations, but worth it!
Keep This in Mind!
Depending on the traffic, the bus might take longer than advertised or what you would hope for. That is why you should pack essentials for the bus journey, including water, snacks, and entertainment (books, music, etc.).
The bus might not make any stops for resting. In our case, the driver stopped once at a fuel station before reaching Muscat. It was a 10-minute stop, but we got to buy some sandwiches at the fuel station shop. We advise you not to count on this and to have some snacks and especially WATER with you.
It is HOT in Oman, even in the winter months. Some days, we had 30 degrees during the day while visiting in January and February. So, staying hydrated is crucial.
Another thing we would recommend is staying informed about any changes or updates regarding the border crossing. Check for any travel advisories or alerts that may affect your journey.
Conclusion
Crossing the UAE-Oman border by bus was a fun experience for us, albeit exhausting. We hope the above practical tips and our experience will make your journey easier.
