United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia Qatar Bahrain Kuwait Oman Launch First Unified Tourist Visa to Simplify Gulf-Wide Travel for Millions of Residents

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman are joining forces to launch a single unified tourist visa—the GCC Grand Tours Visa—in a landmark move that’s set to redefine travel across the Gulf. Aimed at boosting regional tourism and simplifying cross-border access for millions of foreign residents living in the GCC, this Schengen-style visa will allow visitors to move freely between all six nations with just one application. Slated for a trial run in late 2025, the visa promises easier mobility, reduced paperwork, and more affordable travel, setting the stage for deeper economic integration and stronger tourism cooperation across the region.

A bold new chapter in regional tourism is unfolding as the six Gulf Cooperation Council nations prepare to pilot a unified travel document—officially titled the GCC Grand Tours Visa—that will allow smooth, borderless movement across all six member countries.

The initiative is slated for a trial launch in late 2025, marking a major step toward regional tourism integration.

This Schengen-style system will open up streamlined travel between the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. While GCC citizens have long enjoyed visa-free access to each other’s countries, the new visa is aimed at millions of foreign residents living within the bloc who still face complex visa processes when moving across borders.

The GCC Grand Tours Visa is designed to offer simplified access, allowing eligible residents to visit multiple countries with a single application. With anticipated validity periods ranging from 30 to 90 days, the visa is expected to significantly reduce both paperwork and costs compared to applying for six separate national visas. Travelers may also have the flexibility to choose either single-country or multi-country access under the program.

Background of the Unified Visa

The visa concept received unanimous approval from ministers representing all six Gulf countries at a high-level GCC summit in Oman in late 2023. Since then, officials have been laying the groundwork for its phased implementation. According to the most recent update in July 2025, the trial phase will commence by the end of the year, with full rollout plans expected to follow based on early results.

In June 2025, GCC ministers reconvened in Riyadh to review security protocols, technological readiness, and logistical coordination needed to ensure the system’s success. The visa is not only a tourism initiative but also a strategic move to keep pace with global advancements in digital mobility and travel security.

A Unified System for Residents

Though citizens of the GCC countries already benefit from visa-free mobility within the region, residents from other nations currently face varied requirements depending on their destination. The new visa aims to eliminate these inconsistencies.

For example, UAE citizens can enter Saudi Arabia and stay up to 90 days without a visa, but foreign residents of the UAE still need to apply for one. The same pattern holds in Bahrain, where nationals are exempt, but non-citizens must obtain either an eVisa or visa on arrival. In Oman, foreign residents are required to work in approved professions to qualify for unsponsored entry.

Kuwait permits GCC nationals to enter using only their national ID cards, but all other visitors need visas. In Qatar, visa-free access is extended to passport holders from over 100 countries, with differing durations and restrictions. Meanwhile, the UAE allows residents from other GCC countries to stay up to 30 days with an extendable eVisa.

The GCC Grand Tours Visa aims to replace this patchwork of rules with one cohesive system, making travel across the bloc easier, especially for expatriates who frequently move between countries for business or leisure.

Who Will Benefit

One of the key questions that remains is who exactly will qualify. While eligibility criteria have not yet been finalized, UAE Minister of Economy Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri hinted that the visa will be geared toward residents of GCC nations—not just citizens. This would be a major development, empowering foreign nationals who hold residency permits in any of the six states to explore the entire region without repeated applications.

“If you’re a resident of Saudi, for example, you could visit the UAE under the same visa—and vice versa,” Al Marri noted earlier, adding that such mobility would unlock new tourism and business potential.

A Boost to Regional Tourism

The unified visa comes as GCC countries aggressively compete to expand their tourism sectors. The UAE, already a global hub, is enhancing connectivity with a new tourist route that will link all seven emirates, according to the Emirates Tourism Council. The much-anticipated Etihad Rail passenger line—set to launch in 2026—will also transform domestic travel, making it easier for tourists to explore the country.

The unified visa is expected to give an added boost to these efforts by making multi-country Gulf tourism more practical. Travelers could, for instance, land in Dubai, spend a few days in Oman’s mountains, explore Saudi Arabia’s heritage sites, and relax on Qatar’s coastline—all on a single visa.

Final Steps Toward Implementation

While the exact application procedures, fee structures, and duration options are still under discussion, final details are expected to be released in the months leading up to the official trial. The six nations are aligning their digital platforms and security databases to create a smooth and secure experience for applicants.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman are launching a unified tourist visa to simplify regional travel, boost tourism, and allow residents to move freely across all six nations. The trial begins in late 2025.

With the trial phase on the horizon, the GCC Grand Tours Visa marks a bold step toward unifying regional tourism, giving residents and visitors a simpler way to experience the cultural and geographic richness of the Gulf nations.

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