Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb confirmed on 29 December that the Gulf Cooperation Council’s long-awaited unified tourist visa will not debut in 2025 as earlier promised, but in 2026 at the earliest. The delay stems from difficulties synchronising security databases, revenue-sharing formulas and overstayer penalties across the six member states.
The setback frustrates Indian tour operators who had begun packaging multi-city Gulf itineraries for next winter. Around 8.9 lakh Indian leisure travellers visited GCC countries in 2024-25, with Dubai, Muscat and Doha forming the most popular circuit. A single visa could have slashed costs by up to ₹12,000 per traveller and encouraged longer stays.
![GCC ‘Schengen-style’ unified tourist visa pushed to 2026, dimming hopes of seamless Gulf trips for Indians]()
Corporate mobility managers also saw the scheme as a boon for executives overseeing regional sales teams, who currently juggle separate entry permits for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. “With oil-to-renewables diversification, we need engineers hopping between sites weekly. The delay means more paperwork and slower project cycles,” lamented a mobility head at an Indian EPC firm active in the Gulf.
For travellers and businesses that still need to obtain individual visas in the interim, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can simplify the process by aggregating the latest requirements for each GCC country, managing online applications and providing courier support—helping keep itineraries on track while the unified visa is finalised.
GCC officials insist progress continues: a pilot inter-operable e-visa portal is in beta testing, and biometric data-sharing agreements have been signed. Analysts say the extra year offers India time to push for reciprocal business-visa concessions under its bilateral CECAs with UAE and Oman.
The setback frustrates Indian tour operators who had begun packaging multi-city Gulf itineraries for next winter. Around 8.9 lakh Indian leisure travellers visited GCC countries in 2024-25, with Dubai, Muscat and Doha forming the most popular circuit. A single visa could have slashed costs by up to ₹12,000 per traveller and encouraged longer stays.
Corporate mobility managers also saw the scheme as a boon for executives overseeing regional sales teams, who currently juggle separate entry permits for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. “With oil-to-renewables diversification, we need engineers hopping between sites weekly. The delay means more paperwork and slower project cycles,” lamented a mobility head at an Indian EPC firm active in the Gulf.
For travellers and businesses that still need to obtain individual visas in the interim, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can simplify the process by aggregating the latest requirements for each GCC country, managing online applications and providing courier support—helping keep itineraries on track while the unified visa is finalised.
GCC officials insist progress continues: a pilot inter-operable e-visa portal is in beta testing, and biometric data-sharing agreements have been signed. Analysts say the extra year offers India time to push for reciprocal business-visa concessions under its bilateral CECAs with UAE and Oman.
