If your dream trip involves wandering around the grand mosques and gold souks of the United Arab Emirates, road-tripping through Oman’s date palm–filled mountains, perusing the museums of Qatar, going pearl diving in Bahrain, and experiencing the awe of Hegra, a famed UNESCO World Heritage Site in Saudi Arabia, you’re in luck—it’s about to get easier to do a multicountry trip in the Gulf.
In a sweeping move set to transform travel in the Middle East, six Gulf countries have announced plans to implement a unified tourist visa, allowing visitors to move freely across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates under a single entry permit.
Called the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Grand Tours Visa (or the GCC Unified Visa), the long-anticipated initiative, modeled on Europe’s Schengen visa system, is expected to launch by the end of 2025 or early 2026. GCC officials say the visa will simplify travel and encourage longer, multicountry trips throughout the region.
“A unified visa across the Gulf would be a meaningful step toward enabling broader regional exploration, particularly as interest in culturally rich, lesser-traveled regions continues to grow,” says Tom Manchester, product manager at Exodus Adventure Travels, a company that currently operates tours in Oman and Saudi Arabia. “Simplifying the planning process would make it easier to offer integrated itineraries, and any efforts to streamline entry requirements are greatly welcomed.”
Under the proposed framework, travelers from eligible countries will be able to apply for the unified visa online through a centralized digital portal (the same portal will be used for single-country and multicountry visas). On the website, they’ll submit key documents such as a valid passport, proof of accommodation, return or onward flight details, proof of financial means, and travel insurance. The visa will be issued electronically and is expected to allow stays of at least 30 days, though exact duration and multiple-entry options are still under discussion.
The visa fee will be paid online using a debit or credit card, and approved applicants will receive a digital visa via email. Though the visa fee sum has yet to be decided, depending on the countries travelers visit, a single fee could prove to be more cost efficient; currently, Americans are required to pay $132 for a Bahrain visa, $150 for a Kuwait visa, $130 for a Oman visa, and $107 for a Saudi Arabia visa (Qatar and the UAE offer free 30-day visas on arrival for Americans).
Officials have also said the visa will be limited to tourism and short-term family visits, excluding work or long-term residence purposes.
For the time being, each of the six GCC countries maintains its own visa system, with different requirements, fees, and entry rules. This has traditionally made multicountry trips cumbersome, especially for tourists from outside the region. The new visa aims to eliminate that friction by creating a single, centralized application process. It will also make it easier for travelers to move across borders, whether by air, road, or cruise.
The move is part of a broader strategy to increase tourism’s contribution to the Gulf economy, particularly as countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE seek to diversify beyond oil. While the UAE and Qatar have long been international transit hubs (and popular spots for stopover vacations), the unified visa could bring increased visibility—and foot traffic—to destinations such as Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman.
While details such as visa fees and eligible nationalities have not yet been finalized, GCC officials say these elements will be announced later this year, ahead of the launch of the Grand Tours Visa.
