EU proposes visa waiver for Qatar, Kuwait

BRUSSELS

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed lifting visa requirements for Qatari and Kuwaiti citizens traveling to the EU.

If the proposal is accepted by the European Parliament and EU member states, “Qatari and Kuwaiti nationals holding biometric passports would no longer need a visa when traveling to the EU for short stays,” the EU executive body said in a press statement.

The visa waiver would allow citizens of the two countries to stay in the EU for business, tourism or family purposes for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

“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,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

He added that the EU’s “final objective is to ensure regional coherence and ultimately achieve visa-free travel for all Gulf Cooperation Council countries.”

If EU member states and the European Parliament approve the visa waiver, the EU will negotiate respective agreements on reciprocal visa-free travel with Qatar and Kuwait.

The EU grants visa-free travel to citizens of more than 60 countries to enter and stay in the Schengen area for 90 days within any 180-day period.