Britain has announced that it will exempt Qatar and Gulf states from visa requirements, effective from February 22, 2024.
The British government has set February 2024 as the date for granting electronic entry visas to citizens of Qatar and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It explained that “all Gulf countries will move to an electronic visa system, which means no need for a visit visa.”
In a statement, the British government said that citizens of Gulf countries will not need to apply for UK visitor visas. British authorities will work to improve border operations to facilitate entry for tourists, students, and business people.
The visa waiver is effective for those planning to travel to the UK after February 22, 2024. Tourists can apply for an electronic travel authorization (ETA) valid for two years for £10 (US$12), for adults, children, and infants, starting from February 1, 2024. The application process takes about three working days.
The ETA allows entry to British territory and stay for six months as a tourist, to visit relatives, for business purposes, for short-term study, for transit visas through UK airports, or for temporary work for three months.
British ambassador to Kuwait Belinda Lewis said that the e-visa system, which Britain recently began implementing, will cover all GCC citizens as of February 2024.
In an interview with the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas, Lewis said that “the application of ETA for Kuwaiti citizens will make traveling to the UK much easier and more flexible, and there will be no need for a visit visa.” She also expressed her hope that “this new system will encourage more Kuwaiti visitors to visit the UK.”
It is worth noting that Qatar was the first among the Gulf states to officially start obtaining the British ETA application system for its citizens, on November 15, 2023.
