UK announces major visa change for visitors from the UAE & other GCC countries

The United Kingdom has decided to eliminate visa obligations for citizens from GCC nations and provide multiple entry authorization at a nominal fee of $12.

The UK government has made the decision to eliminate the need for visit visas for individuals hailing from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Jordan. Instead, they will be granted a two-year Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) at a cost of only $12. This adjustment ensures that travelers from the Gulf region and Jordan will have entry requirements on par with citizens from the US and Australia.

According to the announcement, citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Jordan will soon only need to pay £10 to obtain an ETA, granting them the ability to make multiple visits to the UK over a two-year period. This stands in contrast to the current Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) scheme, which requires Gulf nationals to pay £30 per visit, and Jordanian nationals to pay £100 for a visit visa.