Visitors to Qatar must obtain a visa, unless if they are citizens of one of the GCC countries or if they are citizens of one of the countries eligible for a visa waiver on arrival.

Qatari visas can be obtained online by visitors wishing to enter Qatar, either from an official site, or Qatar Airways' website when travelling with the airline.[1]

Visa policy map

Visa policy of Qatar
  Qatar
  Freedom of movement
  Visa waiver on arrival (90 days)
  Visa waiver on arrival (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:[2][3]

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:[2][3][4]

90 days within any 180 days

30 days*

* - May apply to extend their stay for another 30 days.[3]
1 - Must present a confirmed hotel reservation in one of the designated VOA hotels booked through Discover Qatar for the period of stay.[6]
2 - Must present a polio vaccination certificate.[3]

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.[2]

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.[6]
2 - Must present either a credit card or a debit card with a balance of at least 1000 USD.[3]
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.[3]
4 - Qatar-Oman Joint on-Arrival Tourist

Transit

Regardless of nationality, travelers who are in transit through Hamad International Airport do not require a visa if they depart within 24 hours.[3]
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.[7][2]

Diplomatic and service category passports

Holders of diplomatic or service category passports of the following countries do not require a visa for 30 days (unless otherwise stated) :[3]

D - diplomatic passports only
1 - 90 days

  • Visa waiver agreements for diplomatic, private and service passports were signed with  Ethiopia in November 2017,[8]    Nepal in October 2018[9] but they are yet to be ratified.
  • Visa waiver agreement for diplomatic, official and service passports was signed with  Dominican Republic and it's yet to be ratified.[10]
  • Visa waiver agreements for diplomatic, private and service passports was signed with  Ghana [11]

Visitor statistics

Most visitors arriving to Qatar were from the following countries of nationality:[12][13][14]

Country 2017 2016 2015
 India333,708340,104375,910
 United Kingdom120,495132,301135,645
 United States101,144102,77493,174
 Pakistan49,51049,01286,670
 China45,627——
 Germany44,440——
 Egypt43,61481,28392,036
 Australia42,765——
 France42,026——
 Italy37,436——
 Saudi Arabia—949,145855,555
 Bahrain—135,202132,913
 United Arab Emirates—134,578117,575
 Oman—98,617102,332
 Kuwait—93,11591,843
Total860,7652,116,1312,083,653

See also

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Qatar.

References

  1. ↑ Qatar Visa Online
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Qatar entry rules". Qatar Tourism. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "Visa policy of Qatar".
  5. ↑ "Qatar Visas".
  6. 1 2 "VISA ON ARRIVAL HOTELS".
  7. ↑ New Transit Rules Make Visiting Qatar Easier
  8. ↑ "Qatar, Ethiopia sign accords to cement bilateral relations". 15 November 2017.
  9. ↑ "Qatar-Nepal talks focus on enhancing ties". 30 October 2018.
  10. ↑ "Qatar, Dominican Republic hold round of political consultations". 27 January 2022.
  11. ↑ "The Republic of Ghana signs visa waiver agreement with Qatar". 6 March 2022.
  12. ↑ Annual Tourism Performance Report 2015
  13. ↑ 2016 Annual Tourism Performance Report
  14. ↑ 2017 Annual Tourism Performance Report


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