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UAE to Oman border crossings: which one can you use?

Five UAE and Oman road crossings matter for travellers: Hatta and Al Wajajah for Muscat, Khatm Al Malaha on the Kalba coast, Mezyad and Hafeet south of Al Ain, Al Dara and Tibat for Khasab, and Dibba for southern Musandam. Each has a UAE exit post, then an Omani entry post where your passport decides the visa.

Updated

Welcome to United Arab Emirates sign at the Khattm Al Shiklah customs centre on the Al Ain border with Oman
Marco Zanferrari / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
On this page
  1. How many UAE to Oman border crossings are there?
  2. Which crossings can expats and tourists use?
  3. Hatta and Al Wajajah
  4. Khatmat Malaha: the Kalba coast route to Shinas and Sohar
  5. Mezyad and Hili: crossing at Al Ain
  6. Al Darah and Dibba: the two ways into Musandam
  7. Which crossing suits Muscat, Sohar, Nizwa or Khasab?
  8. What each border post checks: passports, visas, fees and car papers
  9. Photos in this guide
  10. The drive, on the map

By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 7 min read

How many UAE to Oman border crossings are there?

Oman’s official list of land ports is in Royal Oman Police Decision 195/2022. It names 14. Three of them face other countries: Sarfait and Al Mazyunah on the Yemen border, and Rub’ Al Khali, the Empty Quarter road to Saudi Arabia. The rest sit along the UAE border.

Each crossing has two posts. You stop at the UAE post to leave and at the Omani post to enter, usually a short drive apart. OpenStreetMap maps these pairs.

UAE post Omani post Where Used for
Hatta Al Wajajah Beyond Hatta town, Dubai Sohar and Muscat
Khatm Al Malaha Khatmat Malaha South of Kalba, east coast Shinas, Sohar and Muscat
Mezyad Hafeet South of Al Ain Nizwa and southern Oman
Al Dara Tibat North of Al Rams, Ras Al Khaimah Khasab, Musandam
Wam Dibba Al Bayah Dibba, north end of the east coast Dibba, Musandam
Hili Sa’rah Al Ain city No published visitor rules
Al Madam area Al Rawdah Sharjah’s inland region Commercial goods, opened February 2026
Masfut Hadaf Ajman’s Masfut enclave No published visitor rules
Umm Al Ghaff Aswad Hajar Mountains, east of Hatta No published visitor rules

Only the first five are planned routes for visitors from Dubai. The other four are covered below.

Which crossings can expats and tourists use?

This list sticks to what official sources and named news reports have said since 2025.

  • Hatta and Al Wajajah, Mezyad and Hafeet, Khatmat Malaha. The German Embassy in the UAE listed all three as open around the clock on 2 March 2026, as road routes out for its citizens. They are open to non-GCC passport holders with the right Oman entry.
  • Dibba. The Royal Oman Police started operations at the Dibba crossing in Musandam on 26 February 2025, for “citizens and travellers”. The announcement did not set out separate rules for day visitors.
  • Al Dara and Tibat. ICP names Al Dara as the UAE’s border crossing in Ras Al Khaimah. RAKTA’s weekend bus to Khasab crosses here with UAE residents on board.
  • Al Rawdah. Gulf News reported in February 2026 that Oman opened it for commercial goods. Nothing in that report covers passengers.
  • Hili, Masfut and Umm Al Ghaff. These appear on the map and their Omani counterparts on Oman’s list. We found no current official statement on who may use them, so we don’t plan trips through them.

Whatever the crossing, Oman’s entry rules are the same. The Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs exempts GCC citizens, and citizens of more than 100 countries for 14 days with conditions. Everyone else needs an eVisa. UAE residents should read our guide to the Oman visa for UAE residents before choosing a date.

Hatta and Al Wajajah

This is the crossing most Dubai trips use. The UAE post is about 114 km from Downtown Dubai on the E44, roughly 1 h 27 min without traffic. From Al Wajajah the road drops out of the mountains to the coast: Sohar is about 89 km on and central Muscat about 292 km.

The Hatta post also serves Sharjah, at about 125 km. Our Hatta border crossing guide goes through both posts step by step, with the reported fees.

Khatmat Malaha: the Kalba coast route to Shinas and Sohar

The UAE post, Khatm Al Malaha, sits just south of Kalba on the east coast. It is about 139 km from Downtown Dubai, 1 h 46 min without traffic, and only 21 km from Fujairah city. Gulf News lists it on the E99 through Fujairah. From Sharjah city it is 124 km.

Past the Omani post, the coast road runs south through Shinas. Sohar is about 85 km away and central Muscat about 288 km. Mwasalat’s line 203 coach from Sharjah to Muscat uses this crossing.

From Downtown Dubai the coastal route to Muscat is about 18 km longer than going through Hatta, roughly 20 minutes more. It wins when you start in Fujairah, Kalba or Khor Fakkan.

Mezyad and Hili: crossing at Al Ain

Mezyad and Hafeet. The UAE post is south of Al Ain city, 27 km from the centre. It is about 183 km from Abu Dhabi city, 1 h 52 min without traffic, and 161 km from Downtown Dubai. Gulf News names it as the crossing for southern Oman and Salalah, on the E40 out of Al Ain.

Beyond Hafeet, Nizwa is about 260 km away and central Muscat about 334 km. That makes Abu Dhabi to Muscat about 517 km by this route, roughly 5 h 40 min. Downtown Dubai to Nizwa by this route is about 421 km, roughly 5 hours without traffic.

Mezyad Fort in the desert south of Al Ain, with Jebel Hafeet rising behind it

Marko, castles.nl / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hili. OpenStreetMap places the Hili post in Al Ain city, facing Oman’s Sa’rah post on the edge of Al Buraimi. OSRM’s shortest line from Abu Dhabi to Muscat runs through Al Ain and Al Buraimi. We found no current official notice confirming this post for visitors, so we route Abu Dhabi trips through Mezyad. Our Dubai to Al Ain guide covers the drive to the city.

Al Darah and Dibba: the two ways into Musandam

Musandam belongs to Oman but is cut off from the rest of the country by UAE land. You reach it through one of two posts.

The stone fort at Tibat in Musandam, below bare limestone mountains

Ryan Lackey / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Al Dara and Tibat Dibba
UAE side Al Dara, Ras Al Khaimah Wam
Omani side Tibat Dibba Al Bayah
From Downtown Dubai to the UAE post about 150 km, 1 h 49 min about 147 km, 1 h 52 min
Road E11 through Ras Al Khaimah E99 or the Masafi road to the coast
Leads to Khasab, 44 km past Tibat Dibba Al Bayah harbour

Al Dara is 40 km from Ras Al Khaimah city, and RAKTA’s bus to Khasab stops at Al Rams, Sha’am and Tibat. Dibba is the shorter day, with the dhows on the Gulf of Oman side.

The fenced UAE and Oman border barrier in Dibba, topped with razor wire, with palm trees behind

Limghadar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The two trips differ on visas and timing, which our Musandam border and visa rules explain. If you are choosing between them, read Dibba or Khasab. For a day on the water with the car arranged, see our Musandam tours.

Which crossing suits Muscat, Sohar, Nizwa or Khasab?

Destination Best crossing from Dubai Distance from Downtown Dubai Drive time without traffic
Sohar Hatta and Al Wajajah about 204 km 2 h 28 min
Muscat Hatta and Al Wajajah about 409 km 4 h 43 min
Muscat, coastal option Khatmat Malaha about 427 km 5 h 1 min
Nizwa Mezyad and Hafeet about 421 km 5 h 2 min
Khasab Al Dara and Tibat about 195 km 2 h 35 min
Dibba Al Bayah Dibba about 147 km 1 h 52 min
Salalah Mezyad and Hafeet about 1,223 km 14 h, with an overnight stop

Road figures here are OSRM results on OpenStreetMap data, taken on 17 October 2026. Add time for two border posts each way. Sohar through Khatmat Malaha is about 224 km, 20 km longer than through Hatta.

For a car with a chauffeur on any of these, see Dubai to Muscat, Dubai to Sohar or Dubai to Khasab. Every city and crossing we serve is on our Oman transfers page.

What each border post checks: passports, visas, fees and car papers

At the UAE post:

  • Passports. Every traveller is stamped out of the UAE.
  • Exit fee. Gulf News reports AED 35, paid when leaving the UAE by road. We could not find the amount on an official UAE page on 17 October 2026.

At the Omani post:

  • Entry rights. A passport valid for 6 months, plus an eVisa, a visa on arrival or proof of the 14-day exemption. The exemption also asks for a return ticket, a hotel booking, health insurance and enough funds.
  • Car insurance. Many comprehensive UAE policies include Oman. If not, Gulf News says third-party Orange Card cover is sold at border kiosks for at least 5 days.
  • Car papers. The registration card and ownership papers. A borrowed car needs a notarised NOC from the owner in Arabic, with the chassis number. A UAE rental needs the rental company’s certificate and extra Oman insurance, according to the German Embassy.
  • Customs. A short inspection of the car and the bags.

Nobody crosses on foot: the German Embassy states the Oman crossings are for vehicles only. On a trip with Assure, the car’s papers, insurance and passenger permits are confirmed on our side before the booking is final. Day trips that stay inside the UAE, such as Al Ain or Fujairah, run as intercity transfers with no border at all. The full set of road trips out of Dubai is in our road travel from Dubai guide.

Photos in this guide

  • Welcome to United Arab Emirates sign at the Khattm Al Shiklah customs centre on the Al Ain border with OmanMarco Zanferrari / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

  • Mezyad Fort in the desert south of Al Ain, with Jebel Hafeet rising behind itMarko, castles.nl / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • The stone fort at Tibat in Musandam, below bare limestone mountainsRyan Lackey / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

  • The fenced UAE and Oman border barrier in Dibba, topped with razor wire, with palm trees behindLimghadar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The drive, on the map

Road distance and drive time without traffic, from OpenStreetMap routing. Allow more at rush hour.

Dubai to Muscat by road

409km

  • About 4 h 43 minwithout traffic
  • Plus time at the border
  1. DubaiPickup
  2. Lahbab desertOn the way
  3. HattaOn the way
  4. MuscatDrop-off

Road distance and free-flow drive time from OSRM on OpenStreetMap, checked 17 October 2026. Stops are drawn in order, not to scale.

Dubai to Muscat transfers

Dubai to Muscat by road

409km

  • About 4 h 43 minwithout traffic
  • Plus time at the border
  1. DubaiPickup
  2. Lahbab desertOn the way
  3. HattaOn the way
  4. MuscatDrop-off

Road distance and free-flow drive time from OSRM on OpenStreetMap, checked 17 October 2026. Stops are drawn in order, not to scale.

Dubai to Muscat transfers

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Questions and answers

How many border crossings are there between the UAE and Oman?

Royal Oman Police Decision 195/2022 lists 14 Omani land ports, and most of them face the UAE. Five matter for road trips from the UAE: Hatta and Al Wajajah, Khatmat Malaha, Mezyad and Hafeet, Al Dara and Tibat, and Dibba. The others include freight posts and small crossings around Al Buraimi, Masfut and Al Madam with no current published rules for visitors.

Which UAE to Oman border is open for tourists?

In March 2026 the German Embassy in the UAE listed three crossings open around the clock for its citizens: Hatta and Al Wajajah from Dubai, Mezyad and Hafeet from Abu Dhabi, and Khatmat Malaha from Fujairah. Tourists also cross at Dibba and Al Dara for Musandam. Whichever post you use, your passport decides whether you need an Oman visa.

Where is the Khatmat Malaha border?

On the east coast, just south of Kalba in the emirate of Sharjah. The UAE post is Khatm Al Malaha and the Omani post Khatmat Malaha. It is about 139 km from Downtown Dubai and 21 km from Fujairah city. From the Omani side, Sohar is about 85 km south along the coast and central Muscat about 288 km.

Is the Mezyad border open?

The German Embassy reported Mezyad, with its Omani counterpart Hafeet, open around the clock on 2 March 2026. The UAE post is south of Al Ain city, about 27 km from the centre and 183 km from Abu Dhabi. Gulf News names Mezyad as the crossing for southern Oman, including Nizwa and the long road to Salalah.

Can I use the Al Madam border?

Plan on Hatta instead. Gulf News reported in February 2026 that Oman opened its Al Rawdah crossing, facing Sharjah's Al Madam area, for commercial goods. That report did not mention passengers, and we found no official statement on visitors using it. Hatta is about 43 km further down the same E44 and is open to travellers.

Which border is best for Muscat from Dubai?

Hatta and Al Wajajah. On OSRM figures, Downtown Dubai to central Muscat is 409 km and about 4 h 45 min through Hatta, against 427 km and about 5 h through Khatmat Malaha. The coastal post makes sense when the trip starts in Fujairah, Kalba or Khor Fakkan, or from Sharjah, where both routes come out at about the same distance.

What documents do I need to drive into Oman?

Each passenger needs a passport valid for 6 months and an Oman visa or exemption. The driver needs a licence, the registration card and Oman insurance, which many comprehensive UAE policies include. Gulf News says a borrowed car also needs a notarised NOC from the owner in Arabic. A UAE rental needs the rental company's certificate and extra Oman cover.

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