5 Countries may get Schengen Visa-free travel

Citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar could eventually travel to the Schengen Area without visas after the Council of the European Union welcomed a process to consider visa waivers on October 19.

The move marks an initial step, not final approval. The European Commission must assess whether the five countries meet the required criteria, including travel document security, border management, migration and security cooperation, according to Visanews.

Citizens of the five countries must continue to obtain Schengen visas for short stays until the EU formally changes its rules. No implementation date has been announced.