UK to Exempt Gulf Citizens from Entry Visa as of 2023

The GCC ambassadors and British Home Secretary at the Bahrain Embassy in London. (SPA)

Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) nationals will be exempted from the visa requirements to enter the UK as of 2023 and benefit from the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) scheme.

The ambassadors of the GCC countries in London met with British Home Secretary Priti Patel at the Bahraini Embassy. They lauded the British government's decision to exempt GCC citizens from entry visas and implement the new ETA system starting next year.

During the meeting, officials discussed the friendship between the UK and the GCC member states.

The ambassadors stressed the importance of the security and safety of GCC citizens in the UK, calling on the Home Secretary to raise the level of security response to repeated incidents targeting Gulf citizens in the UK.

Patel underscored the British government's interest in boosting cooperation between the security services, expressing the UK's aspiration to deepen cooperation with the GCC in all fields.

The British minister stressed the security authorities' keenness on the security and safety of all residents and visitors, adding that the concerned authorities are working to increase security and respond to reports of crimes.