GCC Tourist Visa To Be Launched by the End of 2025

The Unified GCC Visa is likely to be introduced at the end of the year, according to a statement made during the 146th Ministerial Council meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries held on Monday, June 2, 2025. 

The 146th ministerial meeting was chaired by the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister and Chairman of the current session of the Ministerial Council, Abdullah Al-Yahya. Foreign ministers and heads of delegations of the Council countries were in attendance.

During the meeting, Secretary-General of the Council, Jassim Al-Budaiwi, shared that significant progress has been made towards the Unified Gulf Visa in terms of the technical preparations and that the visa will likely be finalized at the end of the year. 

The GCC Tourist Visa, also known as the Grand Tours Visa, is a groundbreaking initiative that will enable GCC residents and foreigners to travel across the six GCC member countries with a single visa, simplifying the application process and facilitating greater mobility in the region. 

The Unified GCC Visa has been in the pipeline for a few years and has faced several delays. Discussions regarding the visa started in October 2023, and it was expected to be launched by the end of 2024. 

This latest statement by Jassim Al-Budaiwi indicates that preparations are underway to launch the visa soon.