A Unified GCC Tourist Visa is one of the groundbreaking projects the Leaders of the Council have approved recently. This visa is for the GCC residents to travel across the council’s countries easily without extra paperwork. In addition, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, stated that this project represents a great achievement, which is to be added to the council’s many great achievements. Therefore, if you are interested in this visa, explore everything about it in this thorough guide.
What is a Unified GCC Tourist Visa
First of all, applying for this visa is said to take place between 2024 and 2025. This visa aims to enhance the internal tourism situation amongst the Gulf countries. It will do so by allowing a visitor – who is a GCC resident – to enter multiple Gulf countries with one visa only. In other words, you can think of it as a Schengen-like visa but for Gulf countries instead of European countries.
In addition, another benefit of the Gulf Unified Tourist Visa is the establishment of stronger economic bonds between the council’s six countries, all through making domestic tourism for individuals within the council countries easier and less complex.
Unified GCC Tourist Visa Rules
In addition, this step is implemented to promote tourism among the council’s members. Therefore, it comes with a set of rules to help ease and organise the process when issuing it. Additionally, these rules are crucial to regulating the entry and stay of GCC residents to other countries in the council. Not only do they help said individuals understand if they are qualified for this unified visa, but they also introduce the host country’s laws and rules. See below the main rules regarding the Gulf Cooperation Council unified visa:
- Applicant must be a citizen, resident, or tourist in one of the six Gulf council members.
- Passport validity must be for 6 months at a minimum
Unified GCC Tourist Visa Documents
On the other hand, if you are considering applying for a Gulf Cooperation Council Unified Visa. Then, you must prepare the required documents to submit your application. In addition, note that this visa was recently announced at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit. Therefore, documents may change or get updated in the future. The same may apply to the visa’s regulations and costs as well. Nevertheless, here are the required documents for the Gulf Cooperation Council Unified Visa:
- A copy of a valid passport
- Two recent personal photographs for documentation
- Cooperation Council Unified Visa application
- Proof of hotel reservation or copy of a round plane ticket
Unified GCC Tourist Visa Cost
On the other hand, the announcement of this unified visa is still recent. Therefore, the cost of said visa may differ in the future. Having said that, see the Gulf Council Unified Visa cost at present below.
- AED 367.24 (USD 100) approximately – prices may differ down the line.
Visa Duration
Furthermore, the holders of this visa earn a 90-day stay at any of the six Gulf Council countries. Also, when obtaining this visa, travellers can tour across these countries easily without requiring any extra visas or paperwork because holding such a visa will allow you to enter any country immediately.
FAQ
The GCC members include six Gulf countries, which are the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman.
The GCC, consisting of its six countries, has a total of 57.4 million people residing in them.
Surely you can apply for the visa online through official and government online portals.
To sum up, the Unified GCC Tourist Visa will make touring the council’s countries very easy. Also, you can tour more than one Gulf country when obtaining this visa easily. In addition, make sure to explore more guides on Property Finder’s blog, such as getting a work permit in the UAE and UAE Visa Status Check and Cancellation Online.
