Qatar, which is officially known as the State of Qatar, is a small country located in western Asia and among the Arabian Peninsula.

The country is bordered by Saudi Arabia in the south while the rest is surrounded by Persian Gulf which also separate Qatar from Bahrain.

The State of Qatar is an oil rich territory with the world’s third largest natural gas and oil reserve and this is a huge reason the nation has a very high Gross Domestic Product per Capita of about $88,221 amidst indexes that it may rise even more.

Qatar is known as the high income economy because of its affluence and wealth which provides a great deal of benefits on its citizens amidst top, innovative and interesting tourism that attracts foreigners to the small territory of about 2.6 million people.

As an Arab nation, Qatar is predominantly a nation of high number of Islamic believers and even go as far as making foreigners oblige to some Islamic beliefs during the Ramadan Islamic Fasting Periods.

Most member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council have stringent policies concerning immigration but Qatar is regarded as the most open country for foreigners to visit and work because of its recent policy bordering on Visa Free entry.

However, as many nations and countries of the world have regulations and rules for immigration and visa application and acquisition, Qatar also has such put in place.

For anyone willing to visit Qatar, you must be aware of these regulations. There are various visa applications available and details are explained succinctly below.

Visa-Free Entry

Recently, Qatar made the announcement that nationals of some 80 countries will be able to enter into Qatar free without visa and stay eligible in the country for varying number of days.

The nationals of these eligible countries will be able to get this waiver upon arrival in Qatar, after presenting a valid passport which is valid for six months and a confirmed return or onward ticket.

The nationals of some countries out of the 80 eligible countries will have the waiver work for 90 days after issuance of such waiver while the others have the waiver work for just 30 days after day of issuance.

Examples of the countries with 90 days free visa entry are:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Austria
• Bahamas
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Iceland
• Spain
• Portugal
• Turkey and others.

Examples of countries with 30 days visa free opportunity are:

• Andorra
• Argentina
• Belarus
• Canada
• Brazil
• China
• Chile
• Georgia
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Russia
• Thailand
• South Korea
• United States
• United Kingdom
• etc

For countries under this policy, the 30 days waiver can be extended for further 30 days.

You can find more updated info here – https://www.qatarairways.com/en/visa-free-arrival.html

Electronic Travel Authorization

Nationals of countries that are not eligible for the visa-free entry but hold a valid residence permit or visit visa of any of the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries, Canada, USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia and Schengen countries can apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization(ETA) which is free of any charge.

Application for ETA is done online before travelling. However, ETA applicants must possess:

• Proof of Accommodation in Qatar which may be hotel booking or reservation or your host’s address
• A copy of Passport with at least six months validity
• A Copy of the Resident Permit or Visit Visa of the Eligible countries stated among the 30 day free entry policy.

You can apply for ETA on www.qatarvisaservice.com

Online Tourist Visa

For people that are not eligible for the visa free entry and ETA, you can apply for the Tourist Visa to be eligible to go into Qatar. You can enter Qatar with the tourist visa which cost just QAR 100 (QAR is the Currency used in Qatar).

To apply for Tourist Visa, you need;

• Complete Online Form
• Passport Scans and Personal Photograph uploaded online
• Give Airline Booking or Flight reservation
• Make payment online with your credit card

GCC Resident Visit Visa

Residents of any of the GCC member states can also get entry into Qatar if they are approved professionals by obtaining the GCC Resident Visit Visa valid for 30 days on a single entry policy.

You can obtain this upon arrival with a payment of 100 Qatari Riyals.

Visa Exemptions

Nationals of the GCC countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait do not need any visa to enter Qatar.