Immigration chiefs eye single visa for GCC travel

SINGLE VISA: Travel across the GCC could be made easier with the planned introduction of a single visa.

A single visa application scheme for visitors to the GCC, similar to the system in Europe, is expected to be approved by immigration chiefs attending a meeting in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

The single visa will allow people to travel across all six Gulf states without the need for separate travel permits, according to the director general of the Kuwaiti General Administration for Immigration.

Brigadier Kamel Al Awadhi told Kuwait’s news agency KUNA that the single Gulf visa application system had bee suggested and approved in theory at a recent meeting of undersecretaries at the GCC’s interior ministries in Riyadh.

“Double residency” permits that would allow Gulf expatriates to work and study in any of the six GCC countries would also be discussed at the 24th meeting of GCC immigration chiefs in Abu Dhabi, Al Awadhi added.

Kuwaiti citizens would be issued with smart Gulf ID cards from August this year that would make it easy for them to move from one Gulf country to another, he said.

The Abu Dhabi meet will also thrash out security coordination and cooperation among the GCC member countries over the free movement of Gulf citizens and foreign residents.

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

READERS' COMMENTS

Another Policy which might fail
Posted by MRM, London, UK on Wednesday 3 June 2009 at 01:19 UAE time


Similar to the one GCC Monetory currency, this is bound to fail, due to ego within the GCC countries to control monopoly.

Can happen. Will Happen.
Posted by M Sheikh Abdurahman, Stockholm, Sweden on Tuesday 2 June 2009 at 20:35 UAE time


Remember Europe will never be united in 50s, 60s, 70s? How about one Germany? Divided USSR? No? I guess you don’t know anything about history. Nobody said Visa thing would happen tomorrow. If you have a visa from France you can not use it in UK and they have a single EU passport. EU monetary policy still is work in progress. UAE and other Gulf countries are trying to do a job, that took Europe more than 1000 years and USA more than 300 years, in 20 years or less. So cut them some slack and get out of their way. You guys sound like that you want this visa to happen but are pessimistic about it. Just have a faith. This may make me want to visit one of these countries.

unified gcc visa
Posted by vijay, dubai, u.a.e on Tuesday 2 June 2009 at 17:21 UAE time


just a statement to make headlines in the local and international newspapers to give a boost to the gloomy situation in the gulf it seems.

I agree with Marlow
Posted by Paul Welsh, Ystradgynlais, Wales on Tuesday 2 June 2009 at 15:23 UAE time


You are right Marlow, this will never happen in a million years. It is like talking about residency/passports etc for other nationalities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi etc. Another one that will never happen. The GCC countries agree on very little as it is. This has been made worse by the single currency debacle.

View all comments (22) >>

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Enter the words above *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM