Gulf nations will introduce a Schengen-like tourist visa scheme by the end of 2025.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has approved a groundbreaking initiative, the GCC Grand Tours Visa, which will allow travelers to visit all six Gulf Cooperation Council member countries—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—using a single visa. This visa is designed to streamline and simplify travel across the Gulf region, much like the Schengen visa in Europe, enhancing ease of movement and promoting multi-country tourism within the GCC.
Key Details
The GCC Grand Tours Visa is a multi-country visa aimed at tourism, short visits, and visiting friends or family. It explicitly excludes employment or long-term stays. The visa is expected to be valid for a period between 30 to 90 days, but the exact validity period has not yet been confirmed.
The visa application will be fully digital via an online portal, where applicants will provide personal details, trip plans, travel documents (passport, photos), proof of accommodation, travel insurance, proof of funds, and confirmed return or onward tickets. The visa will be issued electronically and should be carried in print during travel.
Timeline
The GCC Grand Tours Visa was approved by the GCC officially around mid-2025. The launch is anticipated in late 2025 or early 2026, pending finalization of technical systems and infrastructure.
Impact on Intra-GCC Tourism
The visa is aimed at boosting tourism across the Gulf region by allowing visitors to explore multiple GCC destinations in a single trip, encouraging longer and more diverse regional stays, increasing tourist spending benefiting hospitality, aviation, retail, and related sectors, and improving the Gulf’s competitiveness as a unified tourist destination on global platforms.
By removing visa barriers and reducing administrative complexity, this initiative is expected to significantly increase intra-GCC and international tourist flows, similar to the impact of Europe’s Schengen Area.
Other Developments in GCC Tourism
Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, and Abu Dhabi are developing luxury resorts to attract more tourists. The UAE's Tourism Strategy 2031 aims to generate AED 450 billion through the sector. The UAE offers visas-on-arrival to 85 nationalities, in addition to its five GCC partners.
Oman and Qatar propose free visa-on-arrival arrangements for citizens of approximately 100 countries. Efforts are being made to encourage women to visit Saudi Arabia. International tourist arrivals to the GCC nations increased by 43% between 2019 and 2023, reaching 68.1 million.
The GCC Grand Tours Visa represents a historic step for GCC countries to collaborate in tourism facilitation and regional economic integration. However, detailed operational specifics and fee structures are still awaited. The visa will cater only to leisure trips, visits to family and friends, or short-term stays.
- The GCC Grand Tours Visa, set to launch in late 2025 or early 2026, is a multi-country visa aimed at luxury travel, excursions, and visiting friends or family within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
- The visa will allow tourists to explore multiple GCC destination in a single luxury trip, encouraging longer and more diverse regional stays, boosting tourism across the Gulf region.
- With the GCC Grand Tours Visa, tourists can visit six GCC member countries—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—using a single visa, enhancing ease of movement and promoting multi-country tourism within the GCC.
- The visa application will be digital via an online portal, requiring travel details, travel documents, proof of accommodation, travel insurance, proof of funds, and confirmed return or onward tickets.
- The visa represents a strategic move towards regional economic integration and is expected to significantly increase intra-GCC and international tourist flows, similar to the impact of Europe’s Schengen Area.
- Furthering tourism development, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, and Abu Dhabi are developing luxury resorts as part of their tourism strategies, aiming to attract more tourists and generate revenue for the related sectors.
