Third countries whose nationals are subject to or exempt from a visa requirement: Kuwait, Qatar
In interinstitutional negotiations (trilogues). Parliament and Council are working toward a provisional agreement, which would still need formal adoption to become law.
Last active 13 Nov 2024
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What this bill does
In plain terms: what it changes and who it affects.
The proposal allows Kuwaiti and Qatari nationals with biometric passports to travel visa-free to the Schengen area for short stays.
It affects Kuwaiti and Qatari travellers seeking short visits to Schengen countries. It also affects tourism, trade, education, cultural exchange, and related cross-border sectors.
- Moves Kuwait and Qatar from the visa-required list to the visa-exempt list.
- Allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa.
- Limits the exemption to holders of ICAO-compliant biometric passports.
- Makes visa-free travel conditional on EU visa-waiver agreements with Kuwait and Qatar entering into force.
- Takes effect
- The regulation enters into force on the twentieth day after publication in the Official Journal.
- Transitional law
- The visa exemption applies only from the entry into force of the relevant EU visa-waiver agreement with Kuwait or Qatar.
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
- art. Annex I, point 1: deletes references to Kuwait and Qatar from STATES list
- art. Annex II, point 1: inserts references to Kuwait and Qatar with visa-exemption conditions
Latest update
08 Jun 2026The most recent development in this bill's progress.
Commission proposal → Trilogues (interinstitutional negotiations)
Commission proposal → Trilogues (interinstitutional negotiations)
Documents
1 recentSourcesOEILEUR-LexEU Law Tracker