Saudi Tourism Minister Projects Unified GCC Visa in 2026

The GCC unified visa, which allows access to all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, is expected to be launched in 2026, according to Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb. The update was shared during the Gulf Gateway Investment Forum in Bahrain.

The unified GCC visa, also known as the Unified Tourist Visa “GCC Grand Tours”, has been in development for four years through joint collaboration between the GCC member states, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait. The GCC visa is set to simplify travel within the region and support tourism as a long-term economic driver.

Al-Khateeb said the Gulf is witnessing a shift in its economic structure, with tourism gaining ground as a core sector. Strong infrastructure, cultural depth, and safety across member states were cited as major advantages in attracting international visitors.

He also presented data showing that the region’s four major airlines carried nearly 150 million passengers last year, but only about 70 million of those trips were within the Gulf.  He noted that this gap offers a significant chance to strengthen connectivity and integration across GCC destinations.

GCC ministers formally approved the unified visa for GCC in late 2023. It is modeled similar to the Schengen system in Europe and will offer travelers access to multiple countries using a single travel document. 

Once active, the Gulf visa process will be completed fully online. Applicants will use a central digital portal to submit their documents, select either a single-country or multi-country option, and to complete the application payment. The validity for the unified tourist visa is expected to range between 30 and 90 days.