The Gulf nationals paid £30 ($37.63) per visit to the United Kingdom, while Jordanians paid £100 ($125.42) for a visitor visa.
GCC states include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
In June 2022, Britain introduced an Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) scheme, which allowed GCC citizens to apply for authorization to travel to Britain online for £30. An EVW allows people to visit the UK for up to six months for tourism, business, study or medical treatment.
The new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) visa scheme will be implemented for Qatari nationals in October and for the rest of the GCC states and Jordan in February 2024.
The British Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, Tariq Ahmad, said in a statement that he was “delighted” that Gulf and Jordanian nationals will be first to benefit from the new ETA scheme.
While Middle Eastern countries have been the first to benefit, the UK Home Office says the new ETA will eventually be available to more than 60 nationalities.
According to the Home Office, 790,000 people from GCC countries visited the UK in 2022, spending $2.5 billion during their stay.
Tags: Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) visa scheme, Tariq Ahmad, United Kingdom, Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW)
