Approaching debut of Regional Tourist Visa by GCC, aiming to enhance travel within the region
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is set to roll out a unified tourist visa, also known as the GCC Grand Tours Visa, by the end of 2025 or early 2026. This visa, inspired by the European Schengen system, will allow visitors to travel freely between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE on a single visa, eliminating the need for multiple national visas.
The unified tourist visa has received formal approval from all GCC member states and is currently undergoing final implementation steps, primarily with the Ministries of Interior and other relevant stakeholders in the member countries. Significant technical developments and preparations for launching the visa are underway, as highlighted by GCC Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi in June 2025 during GCC ministerial meetings.
The visa aims to boost tourism revenue, enhance regional cooperation, and promote ‘bleisure’ travel, combining business and leisure trips within the Gulf region, further stimulating the tourism sector and economic growth. Discussions and cooperation continue at the ministerial level to finalize and operationalize the visa system, reflecting a strong regional commitment to integration and accessibility.
However, while progress is significant, some challenges remain in the implementation phase. Technical integration among the six GCC countries’ visa and immigration systems must be seamlessly achieved to enable smooth cross-border travel without repeated security or administrative checks. Ensuring coordination between various government agencies across different countries could be complex and require continuous harmonization efforts.
Political, security, or diplomatic issues between member states might impact the pace of visa activation and operational policies. Data sharing and privacy concerns must be carefully managed to protect travelers’ information across borders while facilitating integrated processing. Aligning entry, exit, and stay conditions across all member states, such as duration of stay, visa fees, and eligibility criteria, will be critical to provide a uniform traveler experience without confusion or legal discrepancies.
Pre-screening and verification by all six countries will occur through the proposed unified electronic portal before the visa is issued. Efforts are underway to address these concerns and reach a consensus on a unified mechanism through the respective immigration departments in all member states.
If final consensus is achieved, the unified visa is expected to be approved and implemented in 2026, significantly boosting tourism and economic integration among Gulf states. According to a report by Travel and Tower World, the unified tourist visa could help the GCC region attract up to 129 million visitors by 2030. The six countries' interior ministries are working diligently to finalize the logistical and security arrangements necessary for the visa's launch.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya, who also chairs the current session of the GCC Ministerial Council, stated that the project is in its final stages. The unified tourist visa is expected to grant tourists seamless travel across the six Gulf nations with a single application, transforming Gulf tourism and creating new economic opportunities across the region.
This unified tourist visa, aimed at boosting tourism revenue and promoting 'bleisure' travel, will allow visitors to freely travel between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, enabling them to combine business and leisure trips within the Gulf region. With the visa, travelers can expect a seamless travel experience across the six Gulf nations with a single application, transforming Gulf tourism and creating new economic opportunities.
