Visa policy of Qatar

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Visitors to

GCC
countries or if they are citizens of one of the countries eligible for a visa waiver on arrival.

Visa policy map

Visa policy of Qatar
  Qatar
  Freedom of movement
  Visa not required (90 days)
  Visa not required (30 days)
  Visa on arrival / Hayya eVisa
  Hayya eVisa
  Visa required

Freedom of movement

Citizens of the following Gulf Cooperation Council countries enjoy freedom of movement in Qatar. They do not require a visa under any circumstances, and are permitted to use a national ID card in lieu of a passport to enter Qatar:[1][2]

Visa exemption (free visa on arrival)

Citizens of the following countries is granted automatically a free visa upon arrival for stays up to the duration listed below. They must hold passports valid for at least six months from the date of arrival, as well as a return or onward ticket (unless if holding a valid visa issued by Oman). However, some nationalities must meet additional criteria in order to be granted the visa waiver:[1][2][3]

90 days within any 180 days

  • European Union citizens
    (excluding Ireland)

30 days*

* - May apply to extend their stay for another 30 days.[2]
1 - Must present a confirmed hotel reservation in one of the designated VOA hotels booked through Discover Qatar for the period of stay.[5]
2 - Must present a polio vaccination certificate.[2]

Visa on arrival

Nationals of the following countries can obtain a visa on arrival. The fee is QR 100, and they must hold passports valid for at least 3 months from the date of arrival, as well as a return or onward ticket.[1]

30 days*

* - Includes French Guiana and Falkland Islands.
1 - Must present a confirmed hotel reservation in one of the designated VOA hotels booked through Discover Qatar for the period of stay.[5]
2 - Must present either a credit card or a debit card with a balance of at least 1000

USD.[2]

3 - If entering Qatar for tourism, a credit card or at least QAR 5000 in cash must be presented. If entering Qatar for business, an invitation letter from a company certified by the Qatari government must be presented.
[2]
4 - Qatar-Oman Joint on-Arrival Tourist.

Non-ordinary passports

Holders of diplomatic or official / service category passports of the following countries do not require a visa for 30 days (unless otherwise stated) :[2]

D - Diplomatic passports only.
1 - 90 days

Future changes

Qatar has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet entered into force:

Country Passports Agreement signed on
 Ghana[6] Diplomatic, service March 2022
 Dominican Republic[7] Diplomatic, official, service January 2022
   Nepal[8] Diplomatic, service October 2018
 Ethiopia[9] Diplomatic, service November 2017

Transit

Regardless of nationality, travelers who are in transit through Hamad International Airport do not require a visa if they depart within 24 hours.[2]

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.[10][1]

Visitor statistics

Most visitors arriving to Qatar were from the following countries of nationality:[11][12][13]

Country 2017 2016 2015
 India 333,708 340,104 375,910
 United Kingdom 120,495 132,301 135,645
 United States 101,144 102,774 93,174
 Pakistan 49,510 49,012 86,670
 China 45,627
 Germany 44,440
 Egypt 43,614 81,283 92,036
 Australia 42,765
 France 42,026
 Italy 37,436
 Saudi Arabia 949,145 855,555
 Bahrain 135,202 132,913
 United Arab Emirates 134,578 117,575
 Oman 98,617 102,332
 Kuwait 93,115 91,843
Total 860,765 2,116,131 2,083,653

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Qatar entry rules". Qatar Tourism. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Visa policy of Qatar".
  4. ^ "Qatar Visas".
  5. ^ a b "VISA ON ARRIVAL HOTELS".
  6. ^ "The Republic of Ghana signs visa waiver agreement with Qatar". 6 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Qatar, Dominican Republic hold round of political consultations". 27 January 2022.
  8. ^ "Qatar-Nepal talks focus on enhancing ties". 30 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Qatar, Ethiopia sign accords to cement bilateral relations". 15 November 2017.
  10. ^ "New Transit Rules Make Visiting Qatar Easier".
  11. ^ Annual Tourism Performance Report 2015
  12. ^ "2016 Annual Tourism Performance Report" (PDF).
  13. ^ | title=2017 Annual Tourism Performance Report

External links