If you are interested in a trip to the middle east to explore its mysterious beauty, what better option do you have than Qatar? Not to mention Qatar’s stunning natural beauty as it is located right next to the Persian Gulf shoreline! However, as it applies to most things in life, there is no rose without a torn, and Qatar’s torn could be its visa for you! Rest assured, today we will answer all of your questions regarding the Qatar visa and Qatar visa application.
Guidelines for Qatar Visa
Qatar is known to be a welcoming country for tourists. Therefore, it offers a lot of opportunities for tourists. In this guideline, we will give you the right information about who is required to get a Qatar tourist visa and who is not! Depending on your nationality, you may not need to get a visa for Qatar at all! Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates citizens do not need a visa for Qatar but that is not all there is to it! Qatar is offering more visa exemptions for 80 more countries in addition to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. In this guideline, we will be informing you about who needs a Qatar visa, the Qatar visa requirements, and how to apply for a Qatar visa.
Do you need a Qatar visa?
You may need a visa for various reasons. You may want to visit Qatar just as a tourist or you may be interested in working in Qatar. Therefore, you may need a Qatar work visa. Perhaps, you would like to study in a higher education institution in Qatar, and you are wondering if you need a Qatar student visa. We guarantee you that the Qatar visa policy is clear and straightforward. As long as you are certain about the purpose and the duration of your visit, deciding the type of Qatar visa to apply for will not be a hassle for you. In some cases, you will not even need to apply for a Qatar visa as Qatar does not require visas from the citizens of many countries.
Qatar Visa Exemptions
There are many foreign nationals that do not need to go through the Qatar visa application process. Some foreign nationals are privileged to stay in Qatar for up to 180 days while some other foreign nationals can stay in Qatar for up to 30 days without getting a Qatar visa.
So, if you are a citizen of the following countries, you are not required to apply for a Qatar visa and stay in Qatar for up to 180 days: EU Member States (except Ireland), Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Bahamas, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.
On the other hand, if you are a citizen of these following countries, you are not required to apply for a Qatar visa and stay in Qatar for up to 30 days: Andorra, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bolivia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Georgia, Guyana, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Maldives, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, San Marino, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, and Venezuela.
If you are a citizen of the 30 days visa-exempt category countries, you can always extend your visa while you are in Qatar! We will get to that by the end of this guideline. Also, both 180 and 30 days visa-exempt citizens can enter Qatar multiple times within the allowed period of stay in Qatar.
In addition to the visa-exempt countries above, there are also some conditional visa exemptions. If you are a citizen of India, you can travel to Qatar without applying for a Qatar visa only if you have these documents below with you:
- A minimum of 6 months of a valid passport.
- A confirmed return ticket.
- A confirmed hotel reservation or proof of another type of accommodation.
Just like India’s condition, citizens of Pakistan can also enter Qatar without a Qatar visa but the following documents are required:
- A minimum of 6 months of a valid passport.
- A confirmed return ticket.
- A confirmed hotel reservation or proof of another type of accommodation.
- Proof of vaccination against polio
- A valid credit/debit card
Bear in mind that if you are a citizen of Pakistan, unfortunately, you do not have the opportunity of a Qatar visa extension.
Qatar Visa On Arrival
In addition to the visa-exempt countries, the following countries’ citizens can all for a Qatar visa on arrival: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and Vatican City.
It is good to mention that a Qatar visa on arrival allows you to travel to both Qatar and Oman for up to a month.
Qatar eVisa
If you have a valid visa or a residency card for the following countries, you can apply for a Qatar e visa: Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, All of the Schengen countries, United States, and New Zealand.
Electronic Travel Authorisation of Qatar (also known as ETA), allows you to travel to Qatar by applying for a visa online. So, if you would like to apply for Qatar online visa, you need to follow these steps:
- Submitting proof of accommodation in Qatar such as a hotel reservation
- Submitting proof of a return-trip ticket or onward ticket
- Submitting a scanned copy of your passport.
- Submitting a scanned copy of your visa or residence permit for the countries listed above. Bear in mind that your visa or residence permit must be valid for at least a month.
When you submit your online Qatar visit visa form and attach these documents listed above, your Qatar visa application will be reviewed by Qatar’s Ministry of Interior and then you will be notified about the status of your application. Keep in mind that a Qatar eVisa is only valid for 30 days. So, if you are planning to stay longer than 30 days in Qatar, we suggest you apply for a different type of Qatar visa.
Requirements for a Qatar Visa
Before applying for a Qatar visa, it is always good to know the Qatar visa requirements that are expected from you. Any failure with providing the necessary documents may result in the rejection of your Qatar visa application. To prevent any situation from happening to you, we have listed all of the Qatar visa requirements below:
- A valid passport along with its scan of biometric info page (name and photo)
- Qatar visa photo
- A confirmed airline ticket
- Proof of accommodation in Qatar, such as a hotel reservation.
- If you prefer staying in another accommodation option like staying with a Qatar citizen who is your friend, then you need to submit a copy of his/her Qatar ID
- Previous visas issued by Qatar, Schengen countries, UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada.
In addition to these, you may be asked to submit a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, and a document showing you have invested at least $8,000 in Qatar. Lastly, if you are a citizen of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, you are required to submit an ID card and a residence visa.
Qatar’s Ministry of Interior will be handling your Qatar visa application and you may be asked to submit additional documents depending on your situation. Make sure you get all of these documents above scanned in color before applying for a Qatar visa. As long as you follow these rules, you are safe! You will be getting your Qatar visa in no time!
How can you apply for a Qatar visa?
If your country is not listed for a Qatar visa on arrival, do not worry. Qatar visa application is taken online and Qatar has a great portal for Qatar visa tracking that you can check your Qatar visa status. When you apply for a Qatar visa online, make sure you complete the online Qatar visa application form and submit it along with your supporting documents. Also, you must pay the Qatar e Visa fee while applying for your visa which is around $27. When you apply for your Qatar e Visa, you will be receiving a tracking number for your application which you can use for MOI Qatar visa status. Lastly, make sure you bring your MOI Qatar visa with you in a printed format.
Unfortunately, if you are a citizen of Egypt, Israel, Kosovo, or Palestine, you cannot apply for a Qatar visa online. If you are a citizen of these countries, you must go to the nearest Qatar embassy/consulate to apply for a Qatar visa in person.
Qatar Transit Visa
If you have booked a transferring flight or you are planning to, you should be careful about your decision. Generally, if Qatar is not your final destination, you do not need to get a Qatar visa. However, if your transfer will take more than 5 hours, you are obligated to apply for a Qatar transit visa. Since applying for this visa type is for free, we strongly recommend you to apply for a Qatar transit visa when transferring through Qatar. Thanks to the Qatar transit visa, you have 4 days to spend in Qatar and the opportunity to discover what Qatar has to offer. The application for the Qatar transit visa is just like the eVisa but you do not need to pay anything. Keep in mind that a Qatar transit visa cannot be extended. If you want to spend some more time in Qatar, you should be applying for a Qatar tourist visa.
Qatar Visa Fees
If you are applying for a Qatar tourist visa, you should expect to pay around $27. However, if you are going to be accompanied by family members, you should also be paying $13 for each of the individuals coming along with you. Keep in mind that additional fees may be required depending on the situation and special needs you might have. It is always advised to contact the Ministry of Affairs of Qatar before you pay the Qatar visa fee.
Duration of a Qatar Visa
If you do not know how to check Qatar visa status, you can always follow the website of the Ministry of Interior. On the website, you can see the duration of the Qatar visa which is issued for you. Usually, a Qatar visa is issued for 30 days and given as for single-entry. However, you can always extend your stay by following the legally required steps.
Qatar Visa Extension
Qatar visa extension is not too complicated as it may sound. If you currently have a Qatar visa but you would like to extend your stay in Qatar you need to login to the MOI Qatar visa website and fill in your visa number, passport number, and the shown security code into the required fields. Then, you should choose how long you want to extend your visa. Then, depending on the given duration, you are required to pay the indicated Qatar visa extension fee.
On the other hand, if you have traveled to Qatar with your privilege of visa exemption and you would like to extend your stay, then you may or may not be able to extend your visa. According to the list we have given on top of this guideline, foreign citizens who can travel to Qatar for up to 30 days can extend their Qatar visa for an additional 30 days. For this, you can go to the nearest Immigration office in person. However, if you have come to Qatar with a visa exemption of 90 days or 180 days, then you cannot extend your visa by any means.
