GCC nationals will not need a visa to visit the UK from 2023.
The British government announced today that citizens of the Gulf countries - Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar - will be brought under the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme.
However, no specific date has been announced for the launch of the scheme.
“This means that Gulf states will be among the first countries in the world to benefit from ETAs and visa-free travel to the UK,” said British Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The ETA scheme is an important part of the UK government’s move to fully digitalise the borders by 2025-end.
It will broadly apply to passengers visiting or transiting through the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays, or do not currently hold another UK visa.
It is a straight-forward application process and will act as an additional security measure allowing the government to block threats from entering the UK, whilst also providing individuals with more assurance at an earlier point in time about their ability to travel.
Once granted, an ETA will be valid for multiple trips over an extended period.
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