Bismut.net

Many tourists who happened to be in Cairo with definitely amazed when seeing the condition of the taxis here. Almost all the taxis here are in a terrible conditions with the exception of Yellow Cab which using newer cars. Taxis in Cairo are mostly Fiat cars manufactured in 70s. Because of the conditions of the taxis, you may feel not safe as if the tires of the taxi will be churned off easily but still they are on the road taking customers.

Generally taxis have two types of rates. One rate for locals and another rate for foreigners. Off course foreigners have to pay double or triple from what the locals are paying. A 30 minutes one way ride will normally costs 10 to 20 Egyptian Pounds where the later is the most likely. The best way to pay cheap fare is to know the location and the rates local are paying. When arriving to the destination, get out from the taxi, pay and walk away.

This situations will definitely need to be improved. Will the government of Egypt taking up an initiative to replace the old taxis with new ones?..The Egyptians will decide. As long as they are comfortable with what they currently have, the old taxis will still remain on the roads for many years to come.

Visa to Oman

The Sultanate of Oman – Rules of obtaining visa are vary from country to another. Countries are divided into 3 sections:

a) Group A – Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Moldova, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Norway, Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Latvia ,Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Slovakia, Czech Rep., Monaco, Luxembourg, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Macedonia, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, Greece, Belgium, Poland, Rumania, Slovenia, Lithuania, Argentina, Bolivia,Brazil,Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela , Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, French Guiana, Australia , Brunei Dar al-Salam ,Canada , Lebanon ,Hong Kong , Indonesia, Japan ,Malaysia, New Zealand, Seychelles ,Singapore ,South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Turkey ,Tunis.

b) Group B – Egypt, Iran, India, Jordan , Albania , Morocco, Syria, Byelorussia, Bulgaria, Russian Federation, China , Bosnia – Herzegovina, Ukraine

c) Group C – Other Countries

Countries from Group A.

• Single entry visa – This visa is valid for tourists, business and short period visitors. Valid for one month and can apply for another one month extension when the visa expire. Visa fee is OMR6. This visa can be obtained prior to departure at any Omani embassy or consulate office in respective country/region. It also can be obtained upon arrival at all designated entry to the country. Passport must be valid for 6 months.
• Multiple entry visa – For those who would like to enter Oman multiple time, can apply this visa from Omani embassy and consulate office in respective country/region and it also available upon arrival. This visa is valid for one year and the maximum duration of stay per visit is 3 weeks .A fee of OMR10 is charge for all applications. Passport must be valid for one year.
• Common Visa Facility with The Emirate of Dubai – This visa is available for Group A country only and does not require separate visa to be issued if entering from the Emirate of Dubai and bearing entrance visa or stamp from The Emirate of Dubai. The entry stamp/visa from Dubai is recognized for entry to Oman. Maximum stay will follow the stamp/visa issued by the Emirate of Dubai or 3 weeks. Last October, I entered Oman from Qatar, the fee has been exempted. The Qatar immigration officer has stamped on my passport “Allow entry to Sultanate of Oman”

Countries from Group B – Only the different from the above rules will be highlighted

• Single entry visa – Issued upon arrival only for those entering with tour package bought from approved tour company. Or else must have a local sponsor who take full responsibilities during applicants stay in the country. Other rules same as group A.
• Multiple entry visa – A minimum of 3 weeks must elapse between each visits.

Countried from Group C

Express Visa – It is issued in the same day through the Directorate General of Passport & Residency and its sections in the regions for nationalities not mentioned in the list group A and B after the presentation of an application by an Oman commercial or tourist establishment or to apply directly to diplomatic mission and commercial representation offices abroad. It shall be issued on Omani working days within 24 hours unless there are justifications, which hinder the issuing of the visa. A fee of OMR7 will be charged. Visa is valid for 2 weeks and cannot be extended.

For other type of visa, please refer to the nearest Oman embassy / Consulate office.

Update to all readers : For those who are having problem with your visa to enter Oman, please refer to the nearest Oman consulate office or embassy in your respective country. I am neither a representative nor having any sort of connections with The Sultanate of Oman but I have been to Oman for quite a few times. Therefore, I can only provide a very limited information as what you can read in the article.

Visa (document) according to Mr.Wikipedia is a document issued by a country giving an individual permission to formally request entrance to the country during a given period of time and for certain purposes and most always stamped or glued inside of a passport or sometimes issued as separate pieces of paper.

There are many types of visa but only 4 will be highlighted in this post.

• Business Visa – Obtain on the purpose of engaging in commerce activity in the country. Mostly business people need to get this type of visa.
• Tourist Visa – To be issued on the purpose of leisure travel and no business activity is allowed.
• Transit Visa – Issued for a limited time, solely for passing through the country to a third destination
• On-Arrival Visa – This is granted when arriving at designated entry points of a country. The visa is only a formality for entry permission where an entrance free will need to be paid. This visa can be said as the extension feature for business and tourist visa.

• Other types of visa can be obtained from here.

To obtain a visa, there are two ways to do it. First, apply through the country’s embassy or consulate embassy. After getting the approval, then only you can travel to the country. The second option is to obtain upon arrival. Please note that not all countries issue visa on-arrival. So, please contact the embassy before making the trip to check on the latest rulings as it can be changed from time to time.

Normally visa comes with a fee. Only a few are given free. The fees ranges from country to another and depending on a few factors including duration of stay and single or multiple entry. Visa is granted on a few rules and conditions and even if you have visa, you still can be denied entry by the immigrations. So the best things to is to follow the rules set by the country.