Will the proposed Schengen-style multi-country unified visa system ease travel across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and southern Africa?
Visa applications can be time-consuming, with embassies evaluating documents, biometrics, and travel history. The US and Schengen visas have gained a global reputation for their thorough and extensive processes. However, in the wake of the pandemic, there has been a global surge in tourism and many countries are seeking to streamline visa processes to boost tourism and the local economies. Visas are being reimagined through new schemes and policies, with many nations bringing in the Schengen-style unified multi-country visa.
Traditionally, visa-free travel between all countries is unrealistic due to diplomatic considerations. However, regions are exploring a similar approach to the Schengen Area, a border-free zone that enables easy travel through just one visa for 29 countries! Travelling across Europe is simplified as travellers can visit France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and more just by acquiring the Schengen visa.
Popular travel destinations in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and southern Africa plan to replicate this idea and create a more welcoming environment for tourists by simplifying the process with a unified multi-entry visa for these regions. This unified Schengen-style visa opens the doors to multiple destinations, reimagining how we travel to breathtaking countries like Thailand, Malaysia, UAE, Zimbabwe, and Qatar.
Regions planning the Schengen-style unified multi-country visa
Middle East - GCC Grand Tours
The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Image credit: Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock
The Middle East is the front-runner in launching its Schengen-style unified visa. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), comprised of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, currently requires separate e-visas for each member country.
To streamline travel, these nations are collaborating to launch a unified visa, officially known as the GCC Grand Tours. This e-visa will permit a stay for up to 30 days within the GCC region of the Middle East, allowing tourists to explore beyond popular destinations like Abu Dhabi and Dubai without the hassle of multiple visa applications. The Schengen-style unified GCC Grand Tours visa is expected to be available by the end of 2024, and travel companies are likely to launch tour packages covering several Middle Eastern countries once implemented.
Southern Africa - Univisa
The Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Zambia. | Image credit: Heinz-Peter Schwerin/Shutterstock
Five southern African countries - Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe - are members of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TCA), a vast nature reserve spread across the Caprivi Strip, Chobe National Park, and Victoria Falls. While these countries already offer a limited Univisa programme allowing travel between Zambia and Zimbabwe, the new initiative plans to expand it into a full Schengen-style multi-entry visa, granting access to all five nations.
The KAZA TFCA is the second-largest nature and landscape conservation organisation in southern Africa, stretching along the five nations. The Schengen-style visa will eliminate the need for separate visas and allow seamless exploration of southern Africa’s diverse wildlife, mighty waterfalls, expansive savannas, and breathtaking landscapes.
Southeast Asia
Railay beach, Krabi, Thailand | Image credit: Sven Hansche/Shutterstock
Thailand is proposing a Schengen-style visa programme for Southeast Asia. This initiative, if implemented, could potentially allow border-free travel between Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos. The proposed single visa initiative aims to attract long-haul travellers to extend their stay and explore the wonders of Southeast Asia across six countries.
This is being discussed at a time when Thailand also has several visa-free regimes ongoing for multiple nationalities and Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos have e-visa/visa-on-arrival policies.
Benefits of the Schengen-style multi-country
Imagine a single visa that unlocks the wonders of multiple countries! This is the promise of a Schengen-style multi-country visa, a concept gaining traction in several regions. The benefits include:
Simplified application process
Image credit: UladzimirZuyeu/Shutterstock
Applying for visas can be time-consuming, gathering required documents and navigating various application processes. When applying for visas to multiple countries, the process becomes more cumbersome. A unified Schengen-style multi-country visa streamlines this by allowing one application for many destinations.
Explore multiple countries with a single visa
Multi-country Schengen-style visas allow tourists to cover several countries on a single trip with a single visa. This is particularly exciting for regions like Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and southern Africa, where diverse cultures and breathtaking landscapes are often spread across borders.
Reduced visa-related costs
Visas are costly, adding a significant expense to our international travel budget. For instance, the UAE visa costs approximately INR 7,000, the Qatar visa is INR 2,300, and the Saudi Arabia visa is INR 7,500. Applying for all three visas will cost about INR 17,000.
In contrast, the Schengen visa costs approximately INR 8,000 and permits entry to 29 European countries. The aim of the Schengen-style visa is to offer a cost-effective solution to this expense.
Longer vacations
The Schengen-style visa will lead to extended stays, as travellers will be encouraged to spend longer vacations across the region. It is unlikely for a tourist to just spend a few days when the visa unlocks access to more destinations.
The Middle East plans to take advantage of this opportunity by offering travel packages covering the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, with two- to three-night stays in three of these countries. The travel packages will be offered for AED 4-5000 (approximately INR 90,963-1,13,704), inclusive of stay, visa cost, and tours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is the idea behind Schengen-style visas for other regions?
The idea behind Schengen-style visas is to encourage travellers to explore other countries besides the popular ones in the region by offering visa-free travel in the territories through one unified visa. This will help boost the economy and offer smoother travel options to international tourists.
- When will the Middle East release its Schengen-style GCC Grand Tours visa?
The Middle East plans on granting the Schengen-style GCC Grand Tours visa by the end of 2024.
- How do multi-country visa programmes benefit the region?
The Schengen-style multi-country visa programmes will benefit the regions by offering an easier visa application process and accessibility to multiple countries through just one visa.

JOHANNESBURG - The Patriotic Alliance says it`s willing to take the Police Ministry if Home Affairs isn`t up for grabs. The party has been gunning for Home Affairs, promising to mass deport all illegal foreigners. But party leader Gayton McKenzie says his past gangster life equips him to be Police Minister. `I`m equipped because of my past life, future life and my current life.`

Nationals from thirty one countries will need to complete an online application form and obtain visas-on-arrival.
Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS) has declared that thirty one countries, mainly from Europe, will be removed from its visa-exempt list due to the lack of reciprocal visa arrangements for Namibian citizens.
While the implementation date is yet to be determined, nationals from these countries will need to complete an online application form and obtain visas-on-arrival, as stated by MHAISS.
Visitors from these nations are expected to pay the standard visa-on-arrival fee of NAD 1,200 (R 1,200/€59/$64).
According to The Namibia Tourism Satellite Account, the tourism sector contributes 6.9% to the country’s GDP. The European markets, which are crucial to Namibia’s tourism industry, are included in the list of countries that may now require a visa-on-arrival.
The countries affected by this new requirement include:
There are  31 countries that will now require visas to enter Namibia:
“In recent years, the Republic of Namibia has extended gestures of goodwill and favourable treatment to nationals of various countries. However, despite these efforts, certain nations have not reciprocated. In light of these disparities, the government has deemed it necessary to implement a visa requirement to ensure parity and fairness in diplomatic interactions,” the MHAISS statement read.
Travel News says that this has raised concerns among tourism industry leaders. The Ministry indicated that the implementation date and procedures for issuing visas to travellers from the affected countries would be announced later through diplomatic channels.
“The government emphasises that this measure is not intended to hinder legitimate travel but rather to uphold the principle of reciprocity in international relations. Namibia remains committed to fostering positive and mutually beneficial diplomatic relations with all nations,” said the MHAISS.

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has dismissed reports claiming that a transition to a biometric system at OR Tambo International Airport is causing delays for all international departures and arrivals.

Commissioner at BMA, Dr Michael Masiapato said the false reports have caused unnecessary concern among travellers and stakeholders.

“The current processing systems at BMA immigration services is fully operational and designed to handle the high volume of traffic efficiently. There are no systems challenges at OR Tambo International Airport or any of our ports contrary to the claims made in the public domain.

“Our records indicate that average processing times at OR Tambo International Airport remain within acceptable international standards. We continuously monitor and analyse processing times to identify and address any potential bottlenecks,” Masiapato said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Communication and Marketing, Mmemme Mogotsi, said the BMA prioritizes law enforcement activities at all ports, as well as the safety and security of all individuals entering and exiting the country.

“Our systems incorporate advanced security features to detect and prevent unauthorised entry. The BMA also collaborates closely with various stakeholders such as Airports Company South Africa and customs authorities to ensure a seamless border management process,” said Mogotsi.

Mogotsi encouraged the public to rely communication from the BMA for accurate information.

Expert says the new report gives government an opportunity to plan ahead to meet the country’s needs.

The South African population has grown by 1.1% in the past year to about 63.1 million. Of this number, 51.6 million are black Africans, followed by coloured people and the white population projected at about 5 175 608 and 4 607 554, respectively. People of Indian and Asian origin are estimated to be at 1.7 million.
The population projections by province, district municipality, local municipality, main-place and sub-place are contained in this year’s report by the Bureau of Market Research (BMR). The report has not only affirmed Gauteng as the most populous province but also that there are more women than men in South Africa.
According to the report released this week, Gauteng is expected to have the largest population of about 15.3 million people, representing about 24.3% of the national population, by the end of this month. The Northern Cape has the smallest population, with about 1.37 million people, which is 2.2% of the country’s population.
The number of men is projected to be about 30.6 million people, with the women expected to be 32.4 million. The population projections guide the allocation of resources more effectively by identifying areas with higher population concentration.
According to Joshua Kembo, a senior researcher at BMR, the report means government must ensure that healthcare, education, infrastructure development and social services are targeted where they are most needed.
He said:
In essence, local governments should use these projections to plan and implement targeted interventions to optimise the resource allocation as well as develop strategies to access the demographic trends
Kembo gave an example of KwaZulu-Natal, which has a population of 12.6 million, saying it would need substantial investment to cater for the people’s needs. KwaZulu-Natal accounts for 20% of the national population.
The report notes that the ageing population has increased slightly, while the youth segment has decreased slightly in the past year. Kembo says this means government should develop strategies to address this demographic trend.
“The 65 to 69 age group has grown from 2.58% of the total population in 2022 to 2.64% this year, with an increased female representation from 2.90% to 2.97%. This trend continues into the 80+ category, which remains stable at 1.1% of the total population but shows a notable female majority at 1.5%, surpassing the male percentage of 0.7%,” states the report.
According to Kembo, this will affect the provision of healthcare and social services:
The South African population is gravitating towards ageing as there is a substantial increase in the proportion of the population reaching 65 and above. This will affect healthcare and social services [provision]. Government should make sure there are adequate resources to cater for this segment of the population, as most of them will be relying on state support as they will be out of employment
With the report also showing a slight decrease in the youth population of those aged zero to 14, Kembo says this represents not only challenges but opportunities for government to create employment for this age cohort.
According to the latest Stats SA report, the official unemployment rate stood at 32.9% in the first quarter of this year, with youth unemployment at 45.5%.
“The sustained yet declining youthful base suggests that, while the immediate workforce replenishment is secure, the gradual ageing will necessitate strategic workforce planning, with a focus on youth skill development to offset the impending retirements of the older working-age population.
“They will need employment after their school years and it means [national] government and local government should ensure [there are] employment opportunities by getting them the right skills for them to be employable.”
While some might see this as a challenge, particularly with the latest unemployment rate among the youth, Kembo believes it creates opportunities to ensure there is always an adequate supply of labour.
He said:
This is a great opportunity that should be taken advantage of by giving the youth education, skills and opportunities as well
But he did raise concerns about the kind of education the youth are getting.
He added:
Are they getting the skills that are required by the industry so they can be employed [later]? Why is this a critical question that we are asking? It is because the unemployment [rate] is substantial. “A number of youth remain unemployed and we know that among them are also those who have attended tertiary [education institutions]. We must have fit-for-purpose training and we must align this training with demand
“Are they getting the skills that are required by the industry so they can be employed [later]? Why is this a critical question that we are asking? It is because the unemployment [rate] is substantial.
“A number of youth remain unemployed and we know that among them are also those who have attended tertiary [education institutions]. We must have fit-for-purpose training and we must align this training with demand.”
The ageing population is a natural phenomenon, says Kembo, as the health infrastructure develops and the eradication of communicable diseases that cause life expectancy to decline.