European Union to grant a five-year valid multiple-entry visa to citizens of Saudi Arabia and other GCC states

On Monday, the European Union announced that citizens of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states will be granted a five-year valid multiple-entry visa. This was revealed by Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, during the opening session of the inaugural high-level EU-GCC Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation in Luxembourg. "I welcome a decision adopted by the European Commission this morning to harmonize the rules for granting multiple-entry visas for the citizens of the GCC countries," he told reporters.

The significant ruling permits Saudi residents to visit the EU numerous times within five years using the same visa. During the visa's validity period, holders have the same travel rights as visa-free citizens. According to the new visa code, visa procedures are uniform for all GCC countries whose residents require visas to enter the Schengen Area. 

Saudi Arabia is represented by a high level delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, at the forum.

The introduction of the five-year visa norm is an important step toward improving people-to-people relations between the EU and the GCC. The announcement made at the EU-GCC Forum on Regional Security and collaboration will significantly strengthen the two sides' connections and bilateral collaboration.