GCC 'Schengen-Style' Tourist Visa Launch Postponed to 2026 Amid Security Integration Challenges

Unified GCC Tourist Visa Delayed

The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) ambitious plan to introduce a 'Schengen-style' tourist visa, allowing seamless travel across its member states, has been pushed back to 2026. Originally anticipated for an earlier rollout, officials have confirmed the delay, citing the intricate requirements for security integration and technical harmonization among the six nations.

The unified visa, often referred to as the GCC Grand Tours Visa, aims to simplify travel for non-GCC citizens, enabling them to visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman with a single permit.

Reasons for the Postponement

The primary reason for the delay stems from the extensive work required to align immigration databases, security checks, and revenue-sharing procedures across the sovereign states. Regional tourism chiefs indicated that critical technical and data-security hurdles need to be cleared before immigration systems can be linked, watch-lists unified, and fee payments standardized across all six jurisdictions.

• Technical Integration: Challenges include establishing common IT architecture and biometric standards.
• Security Protocols: Delays in integrating security-screening protocols and addressing compatibility gaps in API-Passenger Name Record systems and biometric-watch-list integrations.
• Regulatory Alignment: The need for more time to finalize logistics and regulatory frameworks.

The project, which received formal approval from GCC interior ministers in November 2023, is prioritizing a phased, reliable rollout over a rushed launch to ensure the system works smoothly.

Expected Benefits and Features

Once operational, the GCC Grand Tours Visa is expected to significantly boost regional tourism and simplify logistics for visitors. Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism projects that the scheme could lengthen average stays by three days and generate an additional US $50 billion in cross-border visitor spending over the first five years.

Key features of the proposed visa include:

• Multi-country Access: Allows visitors to enter any one Gulf country and move freely between all six for up to 30 to 90 days.
• Simplified Application: The application process is expected to be entirely online, reducing administrative complexities.
• Eligibility: Open to eligible non-GCC citizens and foreign residents already residing in a GCC country.
• Purpose: Primarily for tourism, short-term visits, and family visits, not for work or labor visas.

Looking Ahead

While the delay means travelers will continue to use individual country visas for at least another year, it also provides businesses and airlines with more lead time to adapt their systems and policies. Officials maintain that the postponement is about precision, ensuring a robust and secure system for seamless travel across the Arabian Gulf.