The EU has granted five-year Schengen visas to citizens of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain, allowing multiple entries into the bloc over the period.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced the news at the inaugural high-level Forum on Regional Security and Co-operation between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held in Luxembourg.
Borrell stated, “I welcome a decision adopted by the European Commission this morning to harmonise the rules for granting multiple-entry visas for the citizens of the GCC countries.”
The new visa policy standardizes the entry requirements across all GCC countries that require permits to enter the Schengen Area.
This move marks a significant advancement in bolstering EU-Gulf relations.
While UAE citizens can already travel to the Schengen Area without a visa and stay up to three months per visit, Qatari citizens still need to apply for a visa. In 2022, the EU proposed visa-free travel for Kuwaiti and Qatari nationals.
Furthermore, a new visa “cascade” system introduced last September specifically for Kuwaitis enables eligible applicants, including first-timers, to obtain five-year visas.
The Schengen Area, now comprising 29 European nations, expanded last February to include Bulgaria and Romania, removing all air and maritime borders within it.
Additionally, citizens from the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia are now exempt from the UK’s pre-entry visa requirements.
