Middle East’s Schengen-Style GCC tourist visa launch faces delay due to technical, security checks
The Gulf Cooperation Council's unified tourist visa, the GCC Grand Tours Visa, has been postponed to 2026 due to ongoing work on technical and security systems. This delay aims to ensure seamless integration of immigration processes and data-shari...
By ET Online | Updated:
Agencies
The launch of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s unified tourist visa has been pushed to this year, delaying plans for seamless travel across six Gulf nations as member states continue work on technical and security systems.
Known as the GCC Grand Tours Visa, the initiative was earlier expected to roll out in 2025. Authorities have now revised the timeline, citing the need for further preparation to align immigration processes, security standards and data-sharing infrastructure across the region.
The joint visa aims to allow travellers to move freely across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain on a single permit. The project received formal approval from GCC interior ministers in November 2023, with an initial plan to begin pilot operations by the end of 2025.
Challenges in implementation
Officials said progress on backend systems has taken longer than anticipated. Minister Al-Khateeb said in late 2025 that while coordination among member states had advanced, additional work was required before the system could be fully operational. Authorities have now decided to prioritise phased testing to ensure the platform is secure and reliable before launch.
The delay reflects the complexity of integrating immigration protocols and security frameworks across six countries. Officials said the revised timeline would help ensure the visa functions smoothly once introduced.
Despite the postponement, tourism authorities remain optimistic about the visa’s impact. Once launched, the unified visa is expected to boost regional travel, increase the length of visitor stays and lower barriers for international tourists moving within the Gulf.
As per the UN Tourism data, GCC welcomed more than 68 million international visitors in 2023, though travel within the region accounted for just over a quarter of that total. Officials estimate the unified visa could raise intra-GCC tourism by at least 20%, with average stays increasing from 3.5 nights to nearly seven.
Major destinations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE see the initiative as central to their tourism ambitions. Saudi Arabia has set a target of 150 million visitors annually by 2030, while Dubai crossed 18 million visitors in 2024. The unified visa is also positioned as part of the region’s broader push to diversify economies beyond energy.
GCC authorities said the additional time would allow them to deliver a secure and efficient system that supports a more connected tourism market and strengthens the region’s role as a global travel hub.
Known as the GCC Grand Tours Visa, the initiative was earlier expected to roll out in 2025. Authorities have now revised the timeline, citing the need for further preparation to align immigration processes, security standards and data-sharing infrastructure across the region.
The joint visa aims to allow travellers to move freely across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain on a single permit. The project received formal approval from GCC interior ministers in November 2023, with an initial plan to begin pilot operations by the end of 2025.
Challenges in implementation
Officials said progress on backend systems has taken longer than anticipated. Minister Al-Khateeb said in late 2025 that while coordination among member states had advanced, additional work was required before the system could be fully operational. Authorities have now decided to prioritise phased testing to ensure the platform is secure and reliable before launch.The long-awaited unified tourist visa for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has been formally approved and will be launched soon. The visa, inspired by the European Schengen model, will let travellers to move across GCC nations under a single travel document.
Here are the countries you can visit, and a complete travel itinerary for each.
The delay reflects the complexity of integrating immigration protocols and security frameworks across six countries. Officials said the revised timeline would help ensure the visa functions smoothly once introduced.
Despite the postponement, tourism authorities remain optimistic about the visa’s impact. Once launched, the unified visa is expected to boost regional travel, increase the length of visitor stays and lower barriers for international tourists moving within the Gulf.
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As per the UN Tourism data, GCC welcomed more than 68 million international visitors in 2023, though travel within the region accounted for just over a quarter of that total. Officials estimate the unified visa could raise intra-GCC tourism by at least 20%, with average stays increasing from 3.5 nights to nearly seven.
Major destinations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE see the initiative as central to their tourism ambitions. Saudi Arabia has set a target of 150 million visitors annually by 2030, while Dubai crossed 18 million visitors in 2024. The unified visa is also positioned as part of the region’s broader push to diversify economies beyond energy.
GCC authorities said the additional time would allow them to deliver a secure and efficient system that supports a more connected tourism market and strengthens the region’s role as a global travel hub.
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