Nationals of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain will now be eligible to obtain multiple-entry Schengen visas with a validity period of five years as the EU Commission has decided to facilitate the rules applying to them.
Announcing the news during his opening speech at the High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation, the EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell said that the visa-issuing rules had been harmonised for all GCC countries.
Borrell further welcomed the decision to now issue five-year multiple-entry visas for passport holders of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
I would like to welcome the adoption by the [European] Commission this morning of decisions that will allow the harmonisation of the rules on the issuing of multiple-entry visas for GCC countries.
The EU has been applying facilitated Schengen visa rules to the other GCC countries, and by extending the visa validity period for nationals of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain, the authority suggested that it is committed to harmonise the rules applying to these countries.
Even though the EU Commission has not issued an official statement on the matter, it is expected that similar to the other GCC countries nationals, all passport holders of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain who meet the requirements will be granted a five-year multiple entry visa, including those applying for the first time.
Multiple Entries Within a Year Allowed on 5-Year Visas
Saudis, Omanis, and Bahrainis who get issued a five-year multiple entry visa by any Schengen country will be permitted to enter the Schengen Area multiple times within a year.
Nonetheless, the 90/180-day rule still applies to them, meaning that they are not allowed to stay in the territory of the Schengen Area for over three months within a six-month period.
Among the GCC nations, only the UAE nationals enjoy the privilege of entering the Schengen Area without the need to apply for a visa.
Discussions are ongoing between the EU and the remaining GCC countries to lift the visa requirements entirely and permit unrestricted travel.
Schengen Countries Granted Over 378,900 Visas to Saudis, Omanis & Bahrainis in 2022
According to data provided by Schengen Visa Statistics, the Schengen member states granted a total of 378,869 visas to nationals of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain in 2022.
Saudi Arabians were granted the highest number of Schengen visas compared to the other two nationals. They were granted a total of 332,583 Schengen visas in 2022.
On the other hand, nationals of Oman and Bahrain were granted 28,200 and 18,086 Schengen visas in 2022, respectively.
