Staff Reporter
Muscat, April 23
The EU has announced five-year Schengen visas for citizens of Oman that allow them to visit the bloc several times during the period while
Albania has allowed Omanis to visit the country without an entry visa from March 6 and December 31, 2024.
The announcement was made by EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, during the opening session of the first high-level Forum on Regional Security and Co-operation between the bloc and the GCC 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 said.
The decision allows Omani citizens to visit the EU multiple times over five years with the same visa. During the visa validity period, holders of the visa enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals.
As per the updated visa code, visa regulations are standardized for all GCC countries whose citizens require visas to access the Schengen Area.
GCC citizens can now obtain multiple-entry visas to visit EU countries with a five-year validity with implementation starting immediately. The validity of the passport needs to be more than 5 years to enjoy the full benefit of this new policy.
The revised visa rules, known as the “cascade,” provide long-term multiple-entry visas for all eligible applicants, including first-time travellers.
Standardising visa regulations for GCC countries marks a milestone in EU efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties and streamline travel. Aligned with the EU’s strategic vision for a partnership with the Gulf, the move is seen by experts as a potential precursor to a Schengen visa waiver, signaling deeper convergence between the EU and the GCC.
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