Middle East: GCC-Wide Tourist Visa Implementation Likely Within Two Years

A unified Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) tourist visa granting foreign nationals access to all GCC Member States is likely to be implemented in the next two years, following approval of the concept at a recent meeting of GCC Interior Ministers. Implementation is subject to the visa category’s details (such as eligibility criteria, document requirements, entry conditions, validity period, and cost) being further developed and agreed between the parties. Each GCC Member State will subsequently need to establish internal legislation to give effect to the regime. The GCC member state countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This proposed visa arrangement seeks to bolster tourism in the GCC region and is part of a broader strategy of achieving greater integration between GCC countries. Currently, GCC countries each have distinct tourism visa programs, with different eligibility criteria, costs, requirements, and processes.