Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar are approaching the launch of a process that could eventually exempt their citizens from Schengen visa requirements, according to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi. The announcement comes ahead of the second EU-GCC summit, scheduled to take place in Riyadh on 24 October 2026. However, the launch of the process does not mean that visa-free travel has been approved or that an implementation date has been established.

EU Council Agenda Signals Progress

The provisional agenda of the Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee included separate items for each of the five countries, covering conclusions on launching the visa waiver process and endorsement of a visa waiver action plan. The items were scheduled for consideration without discussion on 7 October 2026. However, the original agenda, dated 2 October, does not record the outcome, and the documents associated with the items were not obtained by IMI. Therefore, the available information indicates progress towards initiating the process but does not confirm a final decision.

Visa Waiver Process Could Take Years

According to Albudaiwi, the five countries will begin the procedures together, but each will complete them according to its own requirements. No specific timeline for visa-free travel was provided. Enis Sljivo, Managing Partner at Ancova Capital, described a potential waiver as a positive development for Gulf entrepreneurs and families who frequently travel to Europe. However, he stressed the distinction between starting the process and achieving visa-free travel, which could still take years.

UAE Citizens Already Benefit from Visa-Free Travel

The United Arab Emirates is currently the only GCC country whose citizens are exempt from Schengen visa requirements for short visits. The European Parliament and the Council added the UAE to the visa-exempt list in May 2014, subject to a visa waiver agreement. The EU and the UAE signed that agreement in Brussels in May 2015 and applied it provisionally from the date of signature. In contrast, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar remain on the list of countries whose nationals require a visa.

Five-Year Multiple-Entry Visas for GCC Nationals

In April 2024, the European Commission eased visa rules for nationals of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain. Eligible applicants residing and applying in their respective countries can receive multiple-entry Schengen visas valid for five years. The Commission subsequently confirmed that citizens of all GCC countries, except the visa-exempt UAE, were eligible for five-year multiple-entry visas upon their first application, subject to the applicable requirements. These visas facilitate repeated travel but do not eliminate the visa application requirement.

Earlier Visa Waiver Proposal for Kuwait and Qatar

In April 2022, the European Commission proposed exempting nationals of Kuwait and Qatar from Schengen visa requirements, subject to the conclusion of a visa waiver agreement with each country. The Council approved its negotiating mandate in June 2022, while the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee supported the proposal in December of that year. However, the legislative file remains listed as awaiting the Parliament’s position at first reading. The October 2026 agenda includes Kuwait and Qatar alongside the other three GCC countries, but the relationship between the new process and the existing proposal remains unclear.

Proposed Framework for Visa Waivers

The European Commission’s January 2026 EU Visa Strategy outlined plans to develop a modern system for proposing visa exemptions. A Commission staff discussion paper dated April 2026 described a potential process in which the Commission would consult Member States before selecting a country for a visa waiver process. A country-specific action plan would then be drafted by the Commission and endorsed by the Council. If the country meets the required benchmarks, the Commission could propose a visa exemption, followed by the relevant legislative procedures and negotiations on a visa waiver agreement.

Visa Refusal Rate as a Potential Criterion

The April 2026 discussion paper identifies a visa refusal rate below 3% for nationals applying in their own country as the main proposed condition for starting the process. However, the paper describes its thresholds as indicative, with the relevant thresholds to be determined at a later stage. The article also notes that publicly available European Commission statistics report visa applications by the country of the consulate rather than by applicants’ nationality, limiting their usefulness in assessing the refusal rate for individual nationalities.

Visa Waiver Applies to Nationality, Not Residence

A potential Schengen visa waiver would apply to citizens of the countries officially added to the EU’s visa-exempt list. Foreign nationals holding residence permits in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, or Qatar would not automatically benefit from the exemption. This distinction is particularly relevant to investors and other foreign residents holding long-term residence permits in the Gulf, as their Schengen visa requirements would continue to depend on their nationality unless separate exemptions applied.

Short-Stay Travel Only

Schengen visa exemption would permit eligible travellers to visit the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, subject to the applicable entry conditions. It would not grant the right to live or work in a Schengen country. Visa-exempt travellers would also remain subject to the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and, once operational, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). According to the article, ETIAS was not yet operational at the time of writing, and its stated authorisation fee was €20, with validity of up to three years.

Summary

The potential launch of a Schengen visa waiver process for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar represents a possible step towards easier short-term travel between the Gulf and Europe. Nevertheless, the process remains distinct from an approved and implemented visa exemption. No confirmed implementation date has been announced, and the proposed changes would benefit eligible citizens rather than all residents of the five countries.