The GCC Grand Tours Visa is a travel permit that will allow nationals of eligible countries to travel freely between the six member states of the GCC through one unified visa. Travelers will also have the option of choosing a visa to visit a single member state of their choice. This visa is the result of an alliance between the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
It is due to be officially launched in late 2024 to early 2025 and is expected to have similarities with the Schengen Visa system that operates within the European Union. While the finer details are still being worked out, the validity period is expected to be up to 30 days.
This new modified visa system is being created to make it easier for citizens of eligible countries to travel within the Gulf region. It is hoped that this new move will boost overall levels of tourism and strengthen the economy of each member country.
Should the new visa system be successful, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the permit will be extended to citizens of other non-Gulf countries, e.g. the UK, USA or Australia.
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Background
Have you ever wanted to visit Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar or the UAE?
Well, if you are a national of an eligible country, it will soon become much easier to do that, thanks to the imminent launch of the GCC Grand Tours Visa.
This scheme will give travelers an option of visiting either one GCC country or all six member states with a single visa. The creation of a unified travel permit will eliminate the need to obtain separate visas for each country.
If you love to travel, it promises to open up plenty of exciting opportunities for discovery.
While the GCC unified visa scheme has yet to be officially launched, below is an overview of what we know about it already.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries List
At present, the Gulf Cooperation Council comprises of the following countries:
- Kingdom of Bahrain
- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- State of Qatar
- State of Kuwait
- Sultanate of Oman
- United Arab Emirates
The unified visa GCC scheme applies to all these countries.
GCC Grand Tours Visa Benefits
The imminent official launch of the unified GCC visa scheme has been met with plenty of excitement, not least because it promises several benefits to travelers and the region.
One of the main ones is that it will allow for easier travel through all participating countries within the GCC. So, you can spend a few days enjoying a Saudi Arabian desert safari before stopping off for a bit of retail therapy in Dubai and then heading off to the immaculate beaches in Oman, all on one visa.
Since you can choose the unified visa type to visit all these countries, the scheme will also significantly simplify the process of obtaining this type of permit for the purpose of tourism.
Subsequently, you will no longer need to get separate permissions for each country, which, in turn, will save you both time and money when submitting various applications.
In addition to the benefits for individual tourists, the new scheme is expected to provide tangible benefits to the GCC community, including positive economic impacts and increased opportunities for cultural exchange.
Required Documents
To apply online for the unified GCC visa, you will need to have certain documentation up to date and in order. While they have not been officially confirmed as yet, it is a safe bet that you will need the following:
Valid Passport
You will need to hold a valid passport that has at least six months left before it expires.
Passport-sized photographs
Your application must be accompanied by at least one passport-sized photograph of you not smiling and looking directly into the camera.
Other documentation
It is conceivable that you may also be asked to provide proof of your travel insurance.
In addition, you might need to verify where you are staying during your time in the country and offer evidence of your arrangements for onward or return travel.
For the most up-to-date GCC Visa news, we encourage you to regularly visit the GCC Grand Tours Visa website.
How to Apply?
At present, the unified GCC Tourist Visa has not been officially launched, as the finer details are still being worked on. Therefore, specific details, such as the criteria for eligibility, the overall application process, and the associated costs, are still to be confirmed.
However, here is a generic overview of what it should entail:
To apply for the GCC visa, it is a safe bet to assume that you will need a valid passport and passport-sized photographs. You may also probably require proof of travel insurance and possibly even verification of accommodation and arrangements for return or onward travel.
When applying for the GCC tourist visa, the fastest and most convenient way to do this is to fill out the online application form for the Unified GCC visa.
This process should not take longer than about 5-10 minutes.
You will be expected to complete the GCC Visa application truthfully and accurately and submit it along with the required documentation.
If you want to be approved for a GCC Tourist Visa, the application will incur fees (to be determined).
You must pay these fees at the time of submitting your GCC Unified Visa application.
Once you have submitted your documentation, your application will be processed by the GCC authorities.
The length of time needed to do this has not been formalized yet. So, you should bear this in mind when planning your trip to any of the countries involved in the GCC Unified Visa.
Once you have received an approved Unified GCC Tourist Visa, you will be free to travel to any member country and move between them with ease.
GCC Grand Tours vs. Schengen Visa – Key Similarities
Overall, the Unified Tourist Visa “GCC Grand Tours” and the Schengen Visa have several similarities. Probably, the most obvious one is that they both allow nationals of eligible countries to visit several allied countries on a single, all-inclusive tourist visa.
By eliminating the need to obtain visas for each individual country, both schemes facilitate freedom of movement for travel purposes. Essentially, they do this by offering a ‘multi-country’ visa (for a specific period of time). For the GCC Grand Tours Visa, the validity period is expected to be up to 30 days. For the Schengen Visa, it is a maximum of 90 days within a period of 180 days.
Both visas also encourage repeat travel by allowing you to enter any of the participating countries multiple times without restrictions.Additionally, the introduction of one all-encompassing visa makes the application process for visiting any of these countries much more streamlined and cheaper. Simply because you no longer need to obtain visas for each individual country. The GCC Grand Tours has an additional advantage by giving travelers the visa option to visit a single country. This visa type may cost less than the multi-country visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about the GCC Grand Tours Visa.
Previously, residents of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) required separate visas to visit each individual country outside of the one they live in.
However, with the introduction of the Unified Tourist Visa for the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), they can now travel to one other GCC country or all of these countries and move between them freely.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic alliance that comprises six countries within the Middle East.
These countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
In what has been widely considered to be a landmark move, six countries within the Gulf region have collaborated to launch a ‘Grand Visa’ scheme.
This scheme is similar to the Schengen scheme, which operates within the EU. The GCC Grand Tours Visa will allow tourists to travel to one GCC country or travel freely through the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries without needing to obtain a separate visa for each.
The GCC unified visa scheme has been designed to improve tourism levels within six countries of the Gulf region.
As obtaining individual visas for each country within the GCC can be time-consuming, the main benefit of the unified visa is that it significantly reduces this hassle.
Additionally, this visa effectively allows you to explore each of the six countries in the GCC for the price of a single visa. Thus, making the prospect of doing so much more affordable for many people.
Yes. The UAE is one of the six countries covered in the unified visa for the GCC scheme.