A new type of joint visa that was announced recently, which is the unified Gulf visa, which is scheduled to be activated this year. This visa allows citizens and residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and some Gulf Cooperation Council countries to enter and travel freely across all 6 member states.
Gulf Cooperation Council visa
This visa for traveling freely between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council is very similar to the European Schengen visa, and includes the countries in which citizens and residents can travel freely: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain).
The actual implementation of this new system for the unified Gulf tourist visa is scheduled to take place between 2024 and 2025, after the regulations for implementation and application are officially announced.
Gulf Tourist Visa issuance fees
According to what was announced, the fees for issuing a Gulf tourist visa for citizens and residents of the UAE amount to approximately 100 US dollars, equivalent to approximately 367.28 UAE dirhams.
Requirements for issuing a unified Gulf tourist visa
As for the documents and papers required to obtain the unified Gulf tourist visa, they are very simple, and are as follows:
- A copy of the passport.
- 2 recent personal photos.
- Visa application form.
- Proof of hotel reservation or flight ticket.
Advantages of the unified tourist visa for the Gulf countries
The advantages of the unified tourist visa among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries include ease of travel, as citizens and residents can enter multiple countries, and this will greatly contribute to facilitating border movement, in addition to alleviating and simplifying procedures and reducing travel costs.
This visa stimulates investment and economic cooperation, attracts new investors and greater opportunities for economic cooperation between member states while enhancing economic and cultural integration.
This new system will also work to promote long-term residency and encourage residents and citizens to reside for long periods in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. It will also contribute to increasing the number of incoming flights at an annual rate of about 7%, and this will also enhance economic growth in the region.
