The kind of visa that you require for entry into Qatar depends on several different factors such as your nationality, the purpose of your planned visit and its planned duration.
If you are a national citizen of a GCC country you may acquire a visa on arrival in Qatar. You will simply need to produce your GCC country passport upon arrival at the point of entry into Qatar.
The following categories of visitors may receive their visit visa at the airport upon arrival
- Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, The Netherlands, USA, UK, Vatican City.
- GCC expatriate residents may also receive visa on arrival, however this is limited to certain job titles and criteria.
It should be noted that this list may vary slightly from time to time and it is therefore best to check with your local Qatari embassy or the airline that you are using to fly to Qatar.
If you do NOT fall into one of the above categories, you will require a visa and a sponsor for your visit.
The sponsor normally applies for the visa on your behalf. Valid sponsors may be as follows:
- Hotels & Tourist Companies can apply, on your behalf, for a Tourist Visa
- Airlines & Airlines Handlers apply on behalf of their crew members for a Transit Visa.
- Other Organizations based in Qatar may only apply for Visit Visas and Service Visas.
- Individuals (Relatives or Friends) already resident in the Qatar may, subject to guidelines, also apply on your behalf for a Visit Visa