The United Kingdom government has allowed visa-free entry to citizens of several Arab countries from February 22.

The UK aims to make entry easier for the residents of all the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Jordan in a significant shift in its visa policy.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan and Bahrain passport holders will not need visas for entry into the UK.

Instead, they are now required to have an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to entre the UK from February. It is pertinent to mention that Qatar’s residents travelling to the UK are already using ETA since November 15, 2023.

The scheme will apply worldwide in future to those who do not currently need a visa to visit or transit through the UK or who do not hold a UK immigration status, including nationals from Europe and America, the British government said in a statement.

It went on to add that the move towards an ETA system is poised to simplify the entry process, doing away with the necessity of obtaining a visit visa.

Under the new policy, the travelers will be required to electronically apply for a travel permit costing £10, which will then be issued for their travel purposes for a period of two years.

Earlier this year, the UK government announced plans to introduce a new ETA scheme as part of a digitisation of the UK border by 2025 to further enhance border security and the customer experience.