Travel to Oman
 

My wife is living/working in Oman and I want to travel overland when I go to live with her.

Anyone got any suggestions as to the best route? Turkey to Iran to UAE or Turkey/Jordan/Syria/Saudi/UAE.

I would like to do the latter but am put off by the uncertainty of visas for Saudi. I dont want to get to Jordan only to be unable to get further!

Car or bike? It could make a difference? Whichever way you go, get your visas in the UK. Some countries can be sticklers for applying in your country of residence and not the neighbouring country. And at least you'll know in advance if they're going to let you in. Iran is being particularly difficult with Americans, Canadians & UK passport holders at the moment. I know this from personal experience.

If you go via Iran, your carnet deposit could also be considerably higher.

Stephan

It will be a bike trip.

I would get all visas in advance where possible but Saudi is impossible in advance.

Has anyone got any advice on how easy/difficult it is to get a transit visa for Saudi. This I know will only be available from the country prior to entry and I don't want to ride all the way to Jordan only to be refused!

Saudi is not just impossible in advance. It is impossible for anything but a work visa or maybe with an invitation, from anything I have read and heard. If you can't get the visa at home then your chances of getting one elsewhere would be very slim, I'd say.

Search Middle East
 

Botty,
Check my post in the middle east section to see why you won't get a Saudi transit visa.
Cheers
Ian:thumbup1:

I will be traveling as a gulf co-operative resident when I travel so hopefully that will help (your Wiki link does mention that). I will have to check it out.

So the trip is likely to be via Iran then (until the war starts!) unless I am VERY lucky.

Gulf States
 

Botty,
If you get Gulf States residence status before you travel you can get in and out of each GCC country.
We have multi visas so we can go over to Bahrain whenever we want to.
I would check to see if it covers you if you are not actualy the one working there.
If you can confirm that you can get a transit visa for Saudi I will give you details of the best route as there is a new road that is not on the map.
When do you plan to travel ? I am in Dhahran on the East Coast so if it works out we could meet up and I might be able to let you crash out at my place on the company compound subject to security clearance.
I am going on leave in the next few days and will be back 19th July.
Cheers
Ian:thumbup1:

The plan is to be traveling this time next year. I know a lot of things can change in that time but I am just trying to be organized and get facts in good time.

I should get my Oman residence prior to the trip, probably in December when I next spend a full month there. Although we are aware of other people having problems with the working wife trailing spouse situation causing holdups.

Permits
 

Hi Botty,

Just to fill you in on a cpl of things. I worked in Oman last year and lived there alng with my wife. We travelled to UAE on a few occasions and were hasseled at the border on 2 occasions. Main reason was that her name is different to mine in her passport so we had to produce our marriage certificate. This was a pain in the proverbial at times because we have to carry all this paperwork around with us.

Just make sure that you have it all in order b4 you go. Oh, and enjoy all the tests that you need to have done once your in Muscat, medical, AIDS test, fingerprints etc etc. But other thn this you should love it there.If you want to know about a few rides around Oman drop us a line, I have spent some time riding around there.

Cheers
Ivan

Thats useful to know. I got back to UK today after a month stay. We are in exactly the same situation with different names and went to Dubai last week by road and did not have the problems you did.

Well, miracles happen. After waiting several weeks for an Iranian visa (and having a second application through a Shiraz agency rejected because I’d already applied personally), my friend and I applied for Saudi transit visas specifically to travel on motorbikes from the UAE to Jordan. At first we were turned down but then, without any clear explanation, we were given the visas. They are 3-day transit visas valid for 6 months and specifically mention (in Arabic) ‘traffic to Jordan by motorcycle’.

We are aiming for Aqaba so if anyone can offer a bed in Riyadh that would be cool.

We’d also love any update on the road condition north of Al Ula/Madain Saleh heading up towards the Aqaba crossing.

Ian, can you tell us about any relevant new roads, please? We hope to go: UAE border to Riyadh (day 1), Riyadh to Madain Saleh (day 2), Madain Saleh to Aqaba (day 3). Yes, I know it’s a long way; just call us the Iron Butt Middle East Chapter.

And let’s hope this isn’t a false dawn and they let us in…
Cheers, Stephan
PS The wait for the Iranian visa (British passport) is now 7 weeks and counting without a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Last time it took 2 weeks.

Please keep us informed of how it goes re Saudi. Good luck.