Qatar Visa on Arrival : Being ‘the most open country in the Middle East’, Qatar allows citizens from over 95 countries to obtain a visa waiver on arrival in the country. Passengers from eligible countries can now apply for a Qatar visa on arrival visa hassle-free by simply going through some procedures and requirements.
Here is all you need to know about Qatar visa on arrival along with its procedure, requirements, the countries eligible to apply for the visa, and more.
Qatar Visa on Arrival
Qatar visa on arrival 2022 latest news With FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 around the corner and the airlines and hotels amping up travel packages for football fans heading to Qatar, the authorities have now announced that effective from 1 November 2022 to 23 January 2023, entry to Qatar will be restricted to Hayya card holders, residents and nationals of Qatar.
The Hayya Card will serve as the only entry permit for visitors to Qatar during this period, and no other standard visit or travel or visa-free permits will be issued during this period.
Moreover, the UAE and GCC residents and travellers intending to visit Qatar for any other purpose will also need a Hayya card to enter Qatar starting from 1 November 2022. However, travellers who do not have match tickets will have to wait to apply for the Hayya card.
Additionally, visitors without World Cup tickets will be able to enter Qatar after the group-stage matches conclude on December 2. Even though a match ticket is no longer required for inbound arrivals to Qatar, visitors must still present a Hayya Card before traveling.
It is important to note that those who are already in Qatar on a visit visa and intend to stay for the World Cup must go to the nearest service centre to alter their permit status and obtain a Hayya Card if their visit visa expires in November or December.
Qatar visa on arrival eligible countries
The Qatar visa on arrival allows nationals of 95 eligible countries to obtain a visa waiver upon arrival to Qatar by presenting a valid passport with a minimum validity of six months and a confirmed onward or return ticket.
The nationals of these countries do not require any prior visa arrangements before travelling to Qatar. Visitors intending to stay in Qatar must hold a valid hotel booking for the duration of the stay.
The countries eligible for the Qatar visa on arrival will, however, be divided into two categories depending on the types of visas on arrival they are eligible.
90-day stay period
For nationals of the countries listed below, the waiver will be 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:
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine
30-day stay period
For citizens of the following countries, a visa-free stay of 30 days is allowed from the date of issuance and may be extended for another 30 days.
Andorra, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Georgia, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Macau, Macedonia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, San Marino, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Thailand, The United Kingdom, The United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela.
Qatar visa on arrival rules for travellers from India, Pakistan, Iran
Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has now implemented a new measure amending the requirements for visas on arrival for Indian, Iranian and Pakistani nationals. They will be required to meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply for a Qatar visa on arrival:
- The applicant must have purchased hotel accommodation from the Discover Qatar website for the entire duration of their stay in Qatar.
- The length of visa granted must correspond to the duration of the hotel booking, ranging from a minimum of 2 days to up to 30 days, with the option of a one-time extension of their visa for 30 days in Qatar.
- They must meet all other criteria as mandated by the Ministry of Interior.
Please note that due to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Discover Qatar will only take bookings for check-ins up to 15 September 2022 with the last check-outs on 15 October 2022. The visa on arrival (VOA) accommodation will again be available for check-ins from 23 December 2022.
Visa exemption for GCC countries
In addition to the countries eligible for visa-free entry to Qatar, nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) also do not require a visa to enter Qatar.
Qatar visa on arrival requirements
Passengers from countries eligible for the Qatar visa on arrival can possess visa-free entry to Qatar and obtain a visa waiver on arrival if they meet the following requirements:
- The passenger must be a citizen of an eligible country.
- Must present a valid passport with a minimum validity of six months
- Must possess a confirmed onward or return ticket.
- Passengers intending to stay in Qatar must hold a valid hotel booking for the duration of the stay.
- Passengers from Pakistan and India might also require:
- proof of fund or a credit card to be eligible for the Qatar visa on arrival. Make sure to carry an International Debit/Credit Card, under your name, with a minimum balance of QAR 5000.
- a bank statement from the last three months might also be required to prove that the balance is equivalent to QAR 5000.
Please note that passengers from India, Pakistan and Iran will have to go through some additional requirements to obtain the Qatar visa on arrival, as mentioned above.
Qatar visa on arrival application process
1. Ehteraz travel permit
As Qatar is expecting an unprecedented 1.2 million visitors during the November 20th to December 18th tournament, visitors entering Qatar will no longer be required to present a negative PCR test or RAT result. Furthermore, the requirement for showing Covid-19 status on the Etheraz app has also been dropped.
However, travellers must still show the app before entering a healthcare facility.
Please make sure to download the Ehteraz mobile application if you want to enter a healthcare facility in Qatar.
2. Visiting the immigration counter
Visit the Immigration counter in Doha, and show the officer your travel permit.
Submit all the required documents like Passport, Return or onward ticket, hotel booking confirmation, vaccine certificate and International Credit/Debit Card with three months’ bank statement (for India and Pakistan) to the Immigration Officer, and go through all the procedures and requirements the officer asks you to.
If confirmed, the Immigration Officer will fix a small sticker to your passport, marking the acceptance of a visa on arrival to Qatar.
Qatar visa on arrival fee
The Qatar visa on arrival is absolutely free of cost for all the travellers eligible for the visa. The extension or renewal of the Qatar visa on arrival is also free of cost.
Qatar visa on arrival extension
Passengers from countries eligible for the 30-day visa are the ones eligible to extend the Qatar visa on arrival for an additional 30 days. The visa extension can be done online through the Ministry of Interior portal, by following the steps given below:
- Visit the Ministry of Interior (MOI) website.
- Fill in all the details including, “Visa Number” (can be found on the sticker attached to your passport), “Passport Number”, and “Nationality”.
- Enter the Captcha displayed on the screen, accurately.
Your Qatar visa on arrival will now be extended for 30 days.