GCC Visa & Residency Changes Tracker 2026
Track material changes to work, family, investor, property and longer-term residence routes across GCC countries.
Tracker overview
Eligibility, sponsorship, documentation, renewal and rights attached to GCC residence routes.
Scroll horizontally to review every tracker field.
| Country | Current Status | Current Stage | Key Date | Latest Development | Last Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | Monitoring | Official-source monitoring | See latest authority notice | Latest official material reviewed for: Employment, family, investor, property and long-term residence categories. | August 29, 2026 |
| Saudi Arabia | Monitoring | Official-source monitoring | See latest authority notice | Latest official material reviewed for: Work residence, premium residence and investor pathways. | August 29, 2026 |
| Qatar | Monitoring | Official-source monitoring | See latest authority notice | Latest official material reviewed for: Employment, family, investor and qualifying property residence. | August 29, 2026 |
| Kuwait | Monitoring | Official-source monitoring | See latest authority notice | Latest official material reviewed for: Sponsor-led work and family residence. | August 29, 2026 |
| Bahrain | Monitoring | Official-source monitoring | See latest authority notice | Latest official material reviewed for: Employment, investor, property and longer-term residence. | August 29, 2026 |
| Oman | Monitoring | Official-source monitoring | See latest authority notice | Latest official material reviewed for: Employment, investor and long-term residence programmes. | August 29, 2026 |
No country rows match these filters.
Country details
Status, scope and dates are separated so an announcement is not mistaken for an implemented requirement.
United Arab Emirates
MonitoringEmployment, family, investor, property and long-term residence categories. Current review focus: Eligibility thresholds, category names, insurance, status adjustment and dependant rules.
- Current stage
- Official-source monitoring
- Who is affected
- Applicants, sponsors, employers, investors and family members using the affected residence or entry route.
- Latest development
- Latest official material reviewed for: Employment, family, investor, property and long-term residence categories.
- Last verified
- August 29, 2026
Key dates
- Latest official-source review completed
Saudi Arabia
MonitoringWork residence, premium residence and investor pathways. Current review focus: Product categories, employer process, investment evidence, family rights and renewal.
- Current stage
- Official-source monitoring
- Who is affected
- Applicants, sponsors, employers, investors and family members using the affected residence or entry route.
- Latest development
- Latest official material reviewed for: Work residence, premium residence and investor pathways.
- Last verified
- August 29, 2026
Key dates
- Latest official-source review completed
Qatar
MonitoringEmployment, family, investor and qualifying property residence. Current review focus: Salary and profession tests, property zones, documents, approvals and dependants.
- Current stage
- Official-source monitoring
- Who is affected
- Applicants, sponsors, employers, investors and family members using the affected residence or entry route.
- Latest development
- Latest official material reviewed for: Employment, family, investor and qualifying property residence.
- Last verified
- August 29, 2026
Key dates
- Latest official-source review completed
Kuwait
MonitoringSponsor-led work and family residence. Current review focus: Profession and salary rules, family eligibility, entry procedures, security checks and renewal.
- Current stage
- Official-source monitoring
- Who is affected
- Applicants, sponsors, employers, investors and family members using the affected residence or entry route.
- Latest development
- Latest official material reviewed for: Sponsor-led work and family residence.
- Last verified
- August 29, 2026
Key dates
- Latest official-source review completed
Bahrain
MonitoringEmployment, investor, property and longer-term residence. Current review focus: Qualifying thresholds, LMRA process, insurance, dependants and renewal evidence.
- Current stage
- Official-source monitoring
- Who is affected
- Applicants, sponsors, employers, investors and family members using the affected residence or entry route.
- Latest development
- Latest official material reviewed for: Employment, investor, property and longer-term residence.
- Last verified
- August 29, 2026
Key dates
- Latest official-source review completed
Oman
MonitoringEmployment, investor and long-term residence programmes. Current review focus: Investment categories, employer clearance, property routes, dependants and renewal.
- Current stage
- Official-source monitoring
- Who is affected
- Applicants, sponsors, employers, investors and family members using the affected residence or entry route.
- Latest development
- Latest official material reviewed for: Employment, investor and long-term residence programmes.
- Last verified
- August 29, 2026
Key dates
- Latest official-source review completed
How to use this tracker
Residence programmes can change through laws, executive decisions, authority instructions and portal procedures. This tracker focuses on changes that affect eligibility, documents, sponsorship, renewal or the rights attached to a residence category.
Use the tracker to identify a changed requirement, then verify the live application route and evidence list before filing or making an investment decision.
Verification questions
- Has the legal eligibility rule changed, or only the application procedure?
- Does the change affect new applicants, renewals or both?
- What evidence and ongoing conditions apply after approval?
What to verify before acting
Confirm the current legal text, executive guidance, effective date, taxpayer or applicant scope and any transition rule. A summary can identify the issue, but it cannot resolve facts that are specific to an entity, transaction, employee or application.
Recent tracker updates
This history records material data reviews and changes made to the tracker.
- United Arab Emirates
Residence-category and authority-link references were revalidated for the UAE.
Review source (opens in a new tab) - Saudi Arabia
Premium Residency route references were reviewed against the official product pages.
Review source (opens in a new tab) - Bahrain
Bahrain residence and labour-market authority links were refreshed.
Review source (opens in a new tab)
No update-history entries match this year and country.
Official sources
Status is based on the official authority sources linked below and is separated from proposals or commentary.
- UAEUAE ICP (opens in a new tab)Official authority reference
- Saudi ArabiaSaudi Premium Residency Center (opens in a new tab)Official authority reference
- QatarQatar Ministry of Interior (opens in a new tab)Official authority reference
- KuwaitKuwait Ministry of Interior (opens in a new tab)Official authority reference
- BahrainBahrain Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (opens in a new tab)Official authority reference
- OmanRoyal Oman Police (opens in a new tab)Official authority reference
Frequently asked questions
Are GCC visa changes effective immediately?
Not always. An announcement, legal effective date and portal implementation date can be different.
Does the tracker cover visit visas?
Material visit-entry changes may be noted, but the main focus is work, family, investor, property and longer-term residence.
Why should portal requirements be checked again?
Operational document lists and workflows can change after a policy is announced, so the live authority route remains important.