Short answer
At a GCC land border, citizens of GCC states, expatriate residents and visitors are treated differently. Citizens can generally travel between member states with their national ID card. Residents and visitors travel on passports and need whatever visa or entry permission the destination requires.
- GCC citizens can generally use national ID cards between member states
- The ID-card privilege is for citizens, not residents
- Residents and visitors carry passports and check the destination's entry rules
- Jordan is not a GCC state and sets its own rules
Interactive Check
- Passport plus residency permit
- Entry rules of the destination for your nationality
- Saudi residents: exit/re-entry visa
GCC citizens
Citizens of GCC states can generally travel between member states using their national ID card instead of a passport. Individual states attach conditions. For example, some require that the citizen also holds a valid passport. Check your own country's current rules.
Expatriate residents of a GCC state
Residents travel on their passport. Living in one GCC country does not give automatic entry to another. Check the destination's rules for your nationality and residency.
Residents of Saudi Arabia also need an exit/re-entry visa to leave and come back.
Visitors
Visitors need a valid passport and a visa or entry permission for each country they enter. If you hold a visa, check that it allows entry by land and whether it allows more than one entry, before you plan a route that leaves and comes back.
Mixed groups
Families and teams often include people of different status: a GCC citizen, a resident spouse and visiting relatives. Every traveler's documents are checked individually, so plan for the strictest requirement in the group.
Jordan
Jordan is not a GCC member. Arrangements between GCC states do not automatically apply to Jordan. Check Jordan's official guidance for entry.
Questions
Can GCC citizens cross land borders with an ID card?
Generally yes, between GCC member states, subject to each state's conditions. Check your own country's current rules.
Can GCC residents use their residence card to cross?
No. The ID-card privilege is for citizens. Residents travel on a passport and need any visa or permission the destination requires.
Does a visit visa allow entry by land?
It depends on the visa. Check that yours allows land entry, and multiple entries if you will leave and return.
What if our group has different nationalities?
Each person's documents are checked individually. Plan for every traveler's requirements, not just one.
Official Sources
- GCC General Secretariat (opens in a new tab)
- Saudi Ministry of Interior (opens in a new tab)
- UAE ICP (opens in a new tab)
- Bahrain NPRA (opens in a new tab)
- Qatar Ministry of Interior (opens in a new tab)
- Kuwait Ministry of Interior (opens in a new tab)
- Royal Oman Police (opens in a new tab)
- Jordan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (opens in a new tab)
Related
Need private transport across a border?
We arrange private cross-border road transportation and confirm the vehicle and driver arrangement before you book. We do not handle visas or immigration.