A new visa inspired by the massive European Schengen area will soon be introduced in the GCC.
The GCC Unified Tourist Visa will allow freedom of movement between residents in the Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait.
As visa-free travel is possible for citizens of GCC countries, it’s thought that the new visa will apply to the millions of non-nationals living in the region.
In Europe, the Schengen agreement allows people to move freely throughout much of the continent.
Plans for the new GCC Unified Tourist Visa were officially approved late in 2023 following a unanimous vote by ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council at a meeting in Oman.
The GCC Unified Tourist Visa is aimed at encouraging tourism within the region and growing each nation’s tourist economy.
When can we get a GCC Unified Tourist Visa?
This new visa is expected to officially roll out as early as this year or in 2025.
Current hold-ups on the GCC Unified Tourist Visa appear to be related to how ready each government’s internal systems are to introduce the new visa.
For now, GCC residents are able to travel to the Kingdom visa-free due to the recent lift on tourist visas for GCC residents in March 2023.
Current rules for intra-regional GCC travel from KSA
After scratching the tourist visas for GCC residents, Saudi approved a unified e-visa in December 2023 for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries allowing visitors to spend up to 90 days in the Kingdom. The e-visa is valid for one year and permits multiple entries. Saudi has also made is easier for these six countries to travel to the Kingdom.
Saudi citizens do not require a tourist visa when travelling to Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, or Qatar. It is permissible for nationals of the Kingdom to enter the aforementioned countries with a valid passport or national ID.
Oman is open to KSA citizens without the need for a visa but residents in the GCC currently need to be on a list of approved professions or be accompanied by someone who is in order to get an unsponsored visa.
Citizens of GCC countries can enter Kuwait without a visa by presenting a valid GCC ID card but those who are non-nationals will need an eVisa or visa-on-arrival.
Qatar allows citizens of more than 100 countries to enter visa-free including those from the UAE. Lengths of stay vary and conditions will be different depending on your nationality.
And, people travelling to the UAE from other GCC countries are allowed entry for a period of no longer than 30 days, which can only be extended once with an eVisa.
When the date for the new GCC Unified Tourist Visa is confirmed, we’ll have all the details you need to know to prepare yourself.
What do you need for a GCC Unified Tourist Visa?
Currently, we do not know the requirements for KSA citizens or residents for the new visa. Keep checking this page for the latest updates.
On Monday, February 19, 2024, Saudi’s Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb stated that a unified GCC visa would be a milestone at the eight meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council tourism ministers. He further went on to state that the visa would enhance collaborations and foster closer bonds in the sector of tourism.
What will the GCC Unified Tourist Visa mean for KSA?
Saudi is no longer a stranger to tourists with the number of tourists reaching 53.6 million in the first half of 2023 marking the growth of tourists by 142 percent.
The country will likely make changes ensuring easier travel and a more memorable stay.
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By then, it is expected that the Riyadh Metro will be operating in full swing, making traffic less for citizens, residents and visitors alike by cutting down on minutes and hours spent from one destination to the next. Also paving way for smoother travels, the Riyadh Bus is now functioning across over 50 routes.
Soon.
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