Visa policy of Qatar

Qatar entry stamp and visa on arrival sticker
Qatar exit stamp

Travellers to Qatar require a visa unless:

  • they are citizens of one of the GCC countries.
  • they are citizens of one of the eligible countries for visa waiver.

Qatari visas can be obtained online for visitors requiring a visa, either from its official site, or Qatar Airways' website when travelling with the airline.[1]

All visitors, except GCC citizens, must hold passports valid for at least three months from the date of arrival. GCC citizens are permitted use National ID Cards to enter Qatar, however the governments of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have prohibited their citizens from traveling to Qatar.[2][3]

Visa policy map

Visa policy of Qatar

Freedom of movement

Citizens of the following Gulf Cooperation Council countries enjoy freedom of movement in Qatar and do not require a visa to enter Qatar under any circumstances:[4]

Visa exemption

On 9 August 2017, the Qatari Government announced it would grant visa-free entry to citizens of 80 countries, with immediate effect for those travelling as tourists. Citizens of these countries no longer need to apply or pay for a visa; instead, a multi-entry visa waiver will be issued free-of-charge at the port of entry, upon presentation of a valid passport with a minimum validity of six months and a confirmed onward or return ticket. Visa waiver is only available at Hamad International Airport.[5][4]

Nationals of the 37 countries listed can obtain a visa waiver upon arrival valid for 180 days from the date of issuance and entitle its holder to spend up to 90 days in Qatar, during either a single trip or on multiple trips.[4]

Nationals of the 46 countries listed below can obtain a visa waiver upon arrival valid for 30 days from the date of issuance and entitle its holder to spend up to 30 days in Qatar, during either a single trip or on multiple trips. This waiver may be extended for a further 30 days.[4]

Visa on arrival

Nationals of  Iran travelling on business can obtain a visa on arrival at a cost of QAR 200 for a maximum stay of 30 days, provided holding QAR 5000 or a major credit card, return ticket, hotel reservation during stay period and an invitation from any company in the country.[7]

Electronic Travel Authorisation

From 27 September 2017 citizens of all nationalities who hold valid residence permits or visas from either Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, the United States of America or the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council can obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation for up to 30 days. The visa may be extended online for 30 additional days.[8]

Online visa

Qatar introduced an e-Visa system on 23 June 2017. All other countries except  Egypt and  Israel that do not qualify for visa on arrival may apply for a tourist visa online through the eVisa system.[9] Visas are issued within four working days if all documents are submitted and are valid for a stay period up to 30 days in Qatar.[10]

Transit

Regardless of nationality, travelers who are in transit through Hamad International Airport do not require a visa if they depart within 24 hours.[11]

On 26 September 2016, the Ministry of the Interior announced the issuance of free transit visas for passengers of any nationality transiting through Hamad International Airport. Only travellers travelling on Qatar Airways, with layovers between 5 and 96 hours are eligible.[12]

Diplomatic and service category passports

Holders of diplomatic or service category passports of the following countries do not require a visa:[11]

D — diplomatic passports only

Visa waiver agreements for diplomatic, private and service passports were signed with  Ethiopia in November 2017[13] and  Argentina in October 2018[14] but they are yet to be ratified.

Visitor statistics

Most visitors arriving to Qatar were from the following countries of nationality:[15][16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Qatar Visa Online
  2. ↑ http://alwatannews.net/article/718398/
  3. ↑ https://arabic.rt.com/middle_east/884560-/
  4. 1 2 3 4 Visas for Visitors
  5. ↑ Qatar offers visa-free entry to citizens of 80 countries
  6. ↑
  7. ↑
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ Qatar visas
  10. ↑
  11. 1 2 "Country information (visa section)". Timatic. International Air Transport Association (IATA) through Olympic Air. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  12. ↑ New Transit Rules Make Visiting Qatar Easier
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ https://www.gulf-times.com/story/608434/Qatar-and-Argentina-vow-to-consolidate-relations
  15. ↑ Annual Tourism Performance Report 2015
  16. ↑ 2016 Annual Tourism Performance Report
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