The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) has issued a firm final notice: all old currency notes must be exchanged by April 30. After this date, the banknotes will lose their status as legal tender across the Sultanate.
The move affects the sixth issue of the Omani Rial, which has been in circulation for years. While the newer series has been the standard in daily transactions, the CBO is pushing to clear the remaining old stock from the market to streamline the nation’s monetary system.
If you are holding onto these older notes, they won’t simply become worthless paper overnight. You can still deposit them at any commercial bank branch or exchange them directly at the Central Bank’s headquarters in Muscat.
The bank’s directive is clear: don’t wait for the last minute. Once the April deadline passes, these notes will no longer be accepted at retail outlets, gas stations, or for government services.
This transition is part of a broader effort to maintain the integrity of the Omani Rial. The CBO has been gradually phasing out these designs since the introduction of the improved security features found in the current series.
For those traveling or holding older denominations in personal collections, the message is simple: visit your bank this month. After April 30, the Central Bank will be the only institution authorized to handle these notes, and even then, the process will become significantly more bureaucratic for the average account holder.
