mydogbitjesus

if i turn up at the oman border to do a visa run at 8 at night, will it still be open? does sound a bit odd, if it's a border you would think it's open 24/7 but don't want to drive there and find i cant get a visa stamp.....

shakh your bootie

Yeah, you should be OK. Have you got Omani car insurance sorted?

MataHari

I read hastalavista run....

shakh your bootie

baby

MataHari

babeh....

Meow

Usually easiest to do it at the shack by the Shell petrol station shortly before Hatta itself.

mmm...

Its definitly open 24/7, and ive done this visa run trip 4 times without omani insurance.

JMRF

Dear mmmm,

How long does it usually take to do the Hatta run - driving there and back plus average waiting time? Also, how much does it cost. A friend told me I was stupid to be paying a thousand dirhams a time to fly back and forth to Bahrain every couple of months when I could just drive to Oman.

Meow

Well I hope nothing ever happens to you whilst you are out of the UAE, otherwise you will be in a heap of trouble. And it won't just be a slap on the wrist....

Bodach

Visa run to hatta last Friday, left 11am Mirdif, got to Hatta 12.45 okay slow safe driver! exit stamp at Dubai check point, then onto Oman visa took 3/4 hour for the processing.

Wait in line with passport and get forms stamp, I paid 30 Dhrs for myself as I have residency visa & 60 for my wife who is not on my visa yet, leave line and fill in details on form, go to window number two and submit form, get entry stamp in passport, go back to car park and drive towards Oman, stop at wee shed left hand side of the road and pay two dirhams for ticket, do a u turn and drive back to Dubai, had in recept at Oman check point on the way back, stop at Dubai check point and get entry stamp in passport and that is it!!

In Hatta Fort Hotel for lunch by 3pm


Easy

Alex

Meow

Of course, everyone in this part of the world is such a good driver that you never have to worry about other people...

mmm...

From Ranches, l usually do down Emirates Rd, then down Al Ain Rd, following signs to Hatta all the way. I usually go late at night where there are some nutty truck drivers, there is a stretch without lights aswell and the road is a bit bumpy in places, takes just around 1.15hrs there, then you will come to some portacabins where you have to stamp your exit from UAE, MAKE SURE YOU DONT PASS THESE PORTACABINs, EASILY MISSED, NO SIGNS, LIKE I DID AND HAD TO DO A U-TURN AT OMAN BORDER. then proceed to the Hatta border where Omani customs will check your car, plz plz remember to turn your headlights off when you approach them and pop ur trunk open, this really pissed them off, then they will give you a ticket KEEP HOLD OF IT, carry on staight down, OMAN BORDER, looks like a McDonalds drive thru with traffic lights. Show em your passport and tell em you want to do an enter and exit. They will point you to a building just on the left, park up and see the chaps inside, show them the TICKET, tell them you want entry and exit, fill in a little form, pay them 70AED, they will stamp entry and exit, and make your way back, stop at the UAE portacabin for your ENTRY stamp.

KHALAAS, MAFI MUSHKILLA, INSHALLAH!!!

JMRF

Many thanks for your advice. Although I like to avoid the traffic and waiting queues, I think I'll opt for a daytime run, first time at least. The unlit bumpy roads and nutty truck drivers sounds a bit too scary for a 'virgin runner'.