GCC Unified Tourist Visa Could Launch Soon

The long-awaited GCC Unified Tourist Visa is moving closer to becoming a reality, with GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi saying the Schengen-style visa will “see the light soon”. The single permit is designed to allow international tourists to travel across all six GCC countries, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, without needing separate visas for each destination.

The project was unanimously approved by GCC tourism ministers in 2023, followed by approval from interior ministers later that year. However, an exact launch date has still not been announced, and details including the visa's cost, validity and application process remain unclear. The initiative is expected to make it easier for visitors to combine several Gulf destinations in one trip and strengthen the region's position as a single tourism destination.

The announcement comes as the GCC continues to improve travel and connectivity across the region. Albudaiwi also highlighted the UAE-Bahrain one-stop travel system, which allows passengers to complete immigration procedures before departure and avoid repeating them on arrival. The UAE-Bahrain system and the unified tourist visa are separate projects, but both form part of wider efforts to make movement across the Gulf easier.