EU Officially Names 5 Countries Now Approved For Visa-free Process
- The Council of the European Union adopted conclusions launching the visa waiver process with five Gulf states
- All five countries named are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, marking a significant shift in EU travel policy towards the Gulf region
- The move could pave the way for visa-free travel between the EU and the five named countries once the full process is completed
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The Council of the European Union formally launched the visa waiver process with five Gulf countries on October 19, 2026, taking a major step towards allowing their nationals to travel to Europe without a visa.
The decisions were published on the official document register of the Council of the EU, with five separate Council conclusions each carrying the subject matter tags MIGR, VISA, RELEX, and FRONT, confirming that the agreements cover migration, visa, and border policy dimensions.
Source: UGC
The five countries named in the Council's conclusions are:
1. Bahrain
2. Kuwait
3. Oman
4. Qatar
5. Saudi Arabia
What the Visa Waiver Process Means
It is important to note that launching the visa waiver process is not the same as granting immediate visa-free access.
The process marks the official beginning of negotiations and assessments that must be concluded before any visa-free arrangement comes into force.
Each of the five countries received its own dedicated Council conclusion, reflecting the individual nature of the agreements being pursued.
All five nations are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional bloc that has long maintained strong economic and diplomatic ties with European Union member states.
The move signals a broader EU interest in deepening relations with Gulf partners beyond trade and energy cooperation.
Visa-free Process: What Comes Next
Once the visa waiver process is formally underway, the European Commission typically conducts an assessment of each country against criteria that include border security, document integrity, irregular migration risks, and public order considerations.
Only after a country satisfies these requirements does the EU move towards granting actual visa-free status, which would then need to be formally adopted into EU law.
The October 2026 conclusions from the Council of the EU represent the political green light for those negotiations and assessments to begin in earnest with all five Gulf states simultaneously.
EU Lists Those Exempted From Paying For Schengen Visa
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that EU's Schengen visa fee stands at EUR 90 for most adult applicants, but Article 16 of the Visa Code outlines categories that are fully exempt from paying.
Different categories of people listed in the publication make up the four groups guaranteed a fee waiver.
Source: Legit.ng
