Qatar has been under the limelight for the past few months and the rest of the world is growing more and more curious about this wonderful country. Many of your relatives or friends have probably already enquired to you about visiting Qatar and what they need to do. So we decided to give you a one stop solution for all your queries on how to apply for visa to Qatar.

As is known to all by now, nationals of 80 countries are eligible for an on-arrival visa that allows them to stay in Qatar for variable periods.

We have a quick list for you to skim through and note the category that best applies to you.

List 1

The citizens of the below 34 countries will receive a waiver of 180 days from the date of visa issuance and can spend 90 days in Qatar (either in a single trip or multiple).

1. Austria
2. Bahamas
3. Belgium
4. Bulgaria
5. Croatia
6. Cyprus
7. Czech Republic
8. Denmark
9. Estonia
10. Finland
11. France
12. Germany
13. Greece
14. Hungary
15. Iceland
16. Italy
17. Latvia
18. Liechtenstein
19. Lithuania
20. Luxembourg
21. Malaysia
22. Malta
23. Netherlands
24. Norway
25. Poland
26. Portugal
27. Romania
28. Seychelles
29. Slovakia
30. Slovenia
31. Spain
32. Sweden
33. Switzerland
34. Turkey

 

List 2

The citizens of the below 46 countries will receive a waiver of 30 days from the date of visa issuance and can spend 30 days in Qatar (either in a single trip or multiple). The waiver is extendable to 30 more days.

1. Andorra
2. Argentina
3. Australia
4. Azerbaijan
5. Belarus
6. Bolivia
7. Brazil
8. Brunei
9. Canada
10. Chile
11. China
12. Colombia
13. Costa Rica
14. Cuba
15. Ecuador
16. Georgia
17. Guyana
18. Hong Kong
19. India
20. Indonesia
21. Ireland
22. Japan
23. Kazakhstan
24. Lebanon
25. Macedonia
26. Maldives
27. Mexico
28. Moldova
29. Monaco
30. New Zealand
31. Panama
32. Paraguay
33. Peru
34. Russia
35. San Marino
36. Singapore
37. South Africa
38. South Korea
39. Suriname
40. Thailand
41. Ukraine
42. United Kingdom
43. United States
44. Uruguay
45. Vatican City
46. Venezuela

 

Special Case: Pakistan Nationals
Nationals of Pakistan can enter Qatar visa-free and spend up to 30 days in Qatar, (during a single or multiple trips) with an option to extend for another 30 days, if the below terms and conditions are met.

Terms and conditions for Pakistani nationals
• Passport must be valid for at least 6 months
• Return ticket must be confirmed
• Applicant must be in possession of 5000 QAR or the equivalent, or hold a valid credit card
• Those coming directly from Pakistan should present a certificate of vaccination against polio
• The duration of the visa can be extended only after confirming the return ticket

Visit Visa:

If your country does not fall in the visa -waivered lists above, below are the instructions on how to apply for a visit visa to Qatar.

  1. You will need an invitation letter from the person inviting you to Doha. The letter should state the reason for your visit, along with a copy of the author’s resident permit card. If you are visiting Doha without an invite from anybody in the country, write a letter yourself explaining the reason for your visit.
  2. Download the State of Qatar Entry Visa Application Form, and complete the application by typing or printing neatly in black ink.
  3. Two photocopies of your passport. Make the fee payment in the form of cheque or money order, payable to “Embassy of the State of Qatar.”
  4. Mail your application, passport, supporting materials such as three months bank statement of the applicant, the person’s residence permit copy, authentic proof of relation between applicant and the resident etc., and a prepaid envelope to the Embassy of Qatar at the address provided on the form. Alternatively, you may wait until your arrival in the country and submit your documents at the airport, but this is not recommended as your visa request may or may not be denied.
  5. Your passport should have a validity of at least six months or longer than the duration of your trip, and should include blank visa pages.
  6. On approval of the visa, a Qatar visa will be affixed to a visa page in your passport. Your passport will be returned by mail using the prepaid envelope that you provided.

Source: www.onlineqatar.com

Family Visit Visa:

You can apply for a short-term family visit visa for their families to enter Qatar. The visa is valid for one month. However, if you wish to extend the stay beyond one month, the family member can undergo a physical examination within the first 72 hours of arrival to apply for an extension.

The visa can be extended for another five months for first and second degree relatives and in-laws (Father, Mother, Sister and Children) and can be extended for only two months in case of other relatives. Foreign employees who wish to bring their families to live in Qatar should refer to the Family Visa.

Below are the steps that you can follow to apply for a Family Visit Visa.

  1. Download and fill out the application form.
  2. Attach the following documents in case of applying visa for wife:
  • Copies of personal ID or passport of the resident husband and wife’s valid passport.
  • Letter from husband’s employer citing profession and salary.
  • Copy of attested marriage contract.
  1. Attach the following documents in case of applying visa for other relatives:
  • Copies of personal ID or passport of the sponsor and valid passport of the visitor.
  • Copy of sponsor’s wife’s passport with valid residence permit or residential tenancy contract.
  • Letter from employer of the sponsor citing profession and salary.
  • Document to prove relationship.

Where to Apply?

The General Directorate of Border Passports and Expatriates Affairs.

Important Note:

The form should be typed in Arabic and name & data should be typed as written in the passport.

Please Read the note in the second page of the form carefully.

An exit permit is required if the visa holder is male and above 18 years, and will stay more than 30 days.

To cancel the visa, please visit the centers affiliated to the General Directorate of Border Passports and Expatriates Affairs.

FEES (For Visit Visa and Family Visit Visa):

A fee of QR200 applies for each visa, and QR50 for each registered dependent or companion. The visa is extended against the same fees and overstay fine of QR200 applies per day.

You can track the status of your visa application here.

For further information visit: Link

We wish you Good Luck and a happy stay in Qatar from the team of AllandAbout.


Written by Adithya Nair

Adithya is an Electronics engineering graduate who embarked on her artistic journey in her final year of college. From co-founding a handmade gifts company to being placed on the leader board of Zomato, she explores every facet of her life eagerly. She shares her paintings, poetry and blogs on her social media and is an artist in the making. Follow her on Instagram @artbyadithyanair.