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Visa-free travel: China opens the door for Gulf states until 2026!
China will allow visa-free travel for citizens of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain from June 2025 to June 2026.
Visa-free travel: China opens the door for Gulf states until 2026!
China today announced that it will introduce a visa-free entry process for ordinary passport holders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain from June 9, 2025 to June 8, 2026. This ruling was announced by Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, during a press conference. Nationals of these four countries can travel to China without a visa for up to 30 days for business or tourism purposes, to visit relatives or friends, or for transit travel.
With this announcement, China expands the existing visa exemptions that have been in effect for the United Arab Emirates and Qatar since 2018. With this measure, China now grants visa-free travel to all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, strengthening relations in the region. This is an important step in promoting intercultural exchanges and tourism between China and the Gulf States.
GCC Tourist Visa: A Historic Step
The Single Tourist Visa allows travelers to enter all six countries with a single visa. This is intended to function similarly to the Schengen area in Europe, facilitating freedom of movement for people holding entry visas and residence permits from a GCC country.
Economic integration and tourism impulses
The approval of the single visa is seen as a significant step forward in regional cooperation and economic integration. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE Minister of Economy, has stated that the initiative is scheduled to be implemented between 2024 and 2025. The new tourist visa is also expected to boost the tourism industry and enable seamless travel across the Gulf region, which will be of great benefit to both locals and international travelers.
Developments both in China and within the GCC show the growing trend towards greater freedom of travel and regional cooperation, which is of great importance for the future of tourism and economic relations in the region.