The European Commission on Wednesday proposed to lift visa requirements for people from Qatar and Kuwait.
Under this proposal, once agreed, Qatar and Kuwait nationals holding biometric passports would no longer need a visa when travelling to the EU for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period for business, tourism or family purposes.
This proposal comes after the European Commission assessed a number of criteria including irregular migration, public policy and security, economic benefits, and the EU’s relations with the two countries. It will contribute to strengthening relations with Gulf countries.
EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said, “Our proposal to lift visa requirements for Qatari and Kuwaiti nationals is a first step to make it easier for people from the entire region to travel to the European Union. The final objective is to ensure regional coherence and ultimately achieve visa-free travel for all Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Together with our upcoming Joint Communication on the Gulf, this proposal will reinforce the overall partnership and strengthen the cooperation between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council.”
Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said: “Today we are proposing short-stay visa-free travel to the EU for Qatari and Kuwaiti citizens with biometric passports – facilitating people-to-people contacts and strengthening business, social and cultural ties.”
Margaritis added, “This is the result of the success of the governments of Qatar and Kuwait in achieving far-reaching reforms and it reflects the increasing intensity and depth of EU relations with both countries. It is an important achievement for citizens of both regions, and I hope that the European Parliament and the Council will adopt our proposal swiftly.”
Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said: “The proposal for visa exemption for Qatar and Kuwait nationals facilitates business travels, tourism and family visits to the EU. It is also a step towards stronger regional coherence in the Gulf region when it comes to visa regimes. The EU will continue to engage with the remaining visa-required Gulf countries that are interested in visa-free travel to the EU.”
The European Commission said Qatar and Kuwait present low irregular migration risks and are increasing cooperation on security issues with the EU. They issue biometric passports, which is a pre-condition for visa-free travel to the EU. Qatar and Kuwait are also important economic partners for the Union, in particular in the area of energy.
It is now for the European Parliament and the Council to examine the proposal and decide whether to grant visa-free travel to the EU to nationals of Qatar and Kuwait. If the proposal is adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, the EU will negotiate a visa waiver agreement with Qatar and Kuwait, respectively, to ensure full visa reciprocity for EU citizens.
Visa-free travel to the EU for nationals of Qatar and Kuwait will start applying once the visa waiver agreement enters into force.