EU opens visa-waiver process for five Gulf states

The Council of the European Union adopted conclusions on 19 October welcoming the European Commission's intention to launch visa-waiver processes with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, VisasNews reported on 20 October. The five sets of conclusions are listed in the Council's public register as documents ST 14621/26 to ST 14630/26. EU ambassadors in Coreper had reviewed them, with accompanying action plans, on 5 October.

No visa exemption has been granted, and no date has been set. According to the report, the Council says visa-free travel will only be considered once all the established criteria are fully met, and the Council and member states must be involved at every stage. Any exemption would also need EU legal acts.

The idea is not new for two of the five. The Commission proposed visa-free short stays for Kuwait and Qatar on 27 April 2022, but that proposal has not yet led to an exemption. The United Arab Emirates, the sixth Gulf Cooperation Council member, has had Schengen visa-free access for short stays since its agreement with the EU was signed in May 2015.

Until the rules change, citizens of the five countries still need a Schengen visa. If an exemption is granted, they would be expected to need an ETIAS travel authorisation once that system is running.