Jassim Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, recently confirmed thatVisaThe unified visa will be launched “soon.” The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stated that there are “valuable and ongoing efforts by the passport departments of the Ministries of Interior of the GCC countries to launch the unified tourist visa project in the near future.
” While no specific date has been announced, officials stated that the framework and technical preparations are in their final stages. The unified visa is a single tourist visa that allows travelers to visit all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries – the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman – with a single visa application. This system is similar to the European Schengen visa, which allows borderless travel between most European countries.
معالي الأمين العام لمجلس التعاون @jasemalbudaiwi : جهود قيمة ومستمرة لإدارات الجوازات بوزارات الداخلية بدول المجلس، للبدء بانطلاق مشروع التأشيرة السياحية الموحدة، خلال الفترة القادمة القريبة.@moiuae @moi_bahrain @MOISaudiArabia @moigovom @MOI_Qatar @Moi_kuw… pic.twitter.com/IwIK3lLGvU
— مجلس التعاون (@GCCSG) July 2, 2025
The visa aims to boost tourism, facilitate travel, and enhance economic cooperation among the GCC countries. The visa will allow tourists to apply only once to visit the entire region, with the ability to enter and exit any of the six GCC countries during the visa validity period. This move is expected to make the region more attractive to international tourists, encouraging longer stays and multi-country travel plans. Who will benefit? – Tourists: Easier and more flexible travel across the Gulf.
It will also facilitate smoother movement for meetings, events, and conferences, increase tourism revenues, and enhance regional integration. The visa system will be integrated with the existing e-visa platforms of each GCC country. The unified visa is a major step towards making the GCC region a single, seamless tourist destination. It will simplify travel logistics, reduce costs, and open up new opportunities for tourists and businesses alike. Stay tuned for official announcements and more details closer to the launch!
