New Visa System: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is poised to revolutionize the world of tourism. Soon, tourists will no longer need to obtain separate visas to travel to six Gulf countries—the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait. A new, unified digital platform will allow travelers to travel to all these countries with a single application. This initiative, inspired by Europe’s renowned “Schegen” system, aims to promote tourism across the region and eliminate administrative barriers.
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What will be the cost and validity of the visa?
Under this new system, tourists will be issued a “short-stay visa.” According to the current plan, this visa is expected to be valid for 30 days. Reports indicate that the fee is estimated to range from $90 to $130 (approximately Rs. 7,500 to 11,000 in Indian currency). The biggest advantage of this is that travelers will no longer have to pay visa fees repeatedly for different countries and they will be able to easily plan a multi-destination trip.
Why is the implementation delay occurring?
The implementation date for this unified visa has been discussed several times, but the main reason for the delay is technical and security-related complexities. Integrating security systems across six different sovereign countries is a significant challenge. This system requires all countries to share biometric databases, entry-exit systems, and a ‘blacklist’ or watchlist. Until this technical framework is fully developed and all countries agree on data sharing, it will be difficult to fully implement it.
Is it like Europe’s ‘Schengen’?
This unified GCC visa is often compared to Europe’s Schengen visa, but there are some fundamental differences that need to be understood. Europe’s Schengen Area covers 29 countries where internal border checks have been virtually eliminated and people also have the right to work or settle there. In contrast, this GCC model is primarily for tourism and short-term visits. Physical border controls will remain between countries, and this visa will not grant the right to work or settle there.
Violations will face strict action.
This visa system will be extremely stringent in terms of security. Data sharing under this system will ensure that any traveler violating the rules will be immediately reported to all six countries. The table below explains the possible actions:
| Type of Violation | Possible consequences |
|---|---|
| Overstay | Daily fine and future travel ban. |
| Violation of visa conditions | Being ‘flagged’ or blacklisted in databases across the GCC region. |
| Crime in a country | Entry into other 5 countries also banned, as data will be shared. |
Its Benefits for the UAE and Tourists
This visa is extremely important for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the region’s major aviation hubs. It is likely that the UAE will serve as the main gateway for the entire bloc, where tourists will undergo biometric and security checks. The biggest benefit for tourists is that they will no longer have to go through separate and complex visa procedures for each country. This move is a major effort to strengthen the tourism-based economy of the Gulf countries by reducing their dependence on oil.
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