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Updated May 2023

Making travel more accessible and faster, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE—is set to introduce a GCC visa that will be similar to Europe’s Schengen visa. Once launched, the GCC visa will allow GCC residents to travel visa-free to all the countries under the Council, just as the GCC nationals have always done.

Here is everything we know till now regarding the GCC visa.

Table of Contents

What is a GCC visa?

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is set to introduce a Schengen-style, unified visa for tourists and businessmen from 35 foreign and Arab countries, which is expected to further boost economic growth and facilitate travel within the region.

Once launched, the GCC visa will allow GCC residents to travel visa-free, just like the GCC nationals, to all the countries under the Council. The proposal aims to mirror Europe’s Schengen zone, a border control-free travel area for individuals that work in conjunction with the free movement of goods and services within the European Union.

GCC visa benefits

The implementation of a Schengen-style GCC visa, which grants visa-free travel for GCC residents to all countries within the Council, is predicted to stimulate economic growth and promote more accessible travel in the area.

Mamoun Hmedan, CCO at Wego stated, “There is a desire towards a unified visa to make it easier for the travelers to visit the GCC countries. The unified GCC visa will provide a great opportunity for GCC countries and will drive more travelers to the region, boosting tourism. It will also help the countries achieve their goals sooner once it is rolled out.”

Making travel across the GCC nations easier and faster, the unified single visa will further streamline travel between GCC nations and attract more long-haul tourists from Europe, the US, and Asia, with extended stays of up to 15 days in these countries, resulting in increased tourist spending.

Moreover, The travel sector is expected to benefit significantly from this development, with increased opportunities for spontaneous travel and new city break segments.

GCC visa launch date

Since the GCC visa is still under discussion, the launch date for the visa is yet to be released.

Please note that we will update the date as and when released by the authorities.

GCC visa application process

The GCC visa is still being planned by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to attract more long-haul tourists from Europe, the US and Asian destinations and increase the length of stay up to 15 days in the countries under the Council.

Please note that the application process for the GCC visa has not yet been released. However, we will update the information as an when released by the authorities.