An Update On Qatar Immigration Process

Following recent changes introduced by the Qatar government to facilitate greater access to the country, the nationals of 80 countries will now no longer need to apply or pay for a visa upon arrival into Qatar. Instead, a multi-entry waiver will be issued free of charge upon the presentation by the visiting national of a valid passport with a minimum validity of six months and a confirmed onward or return ticket.

Hassan Al-Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer at the Qatar Tourism Authority notes that: "The visa exemption scheme will make Qatar, the most open country in the region".

The 80 countries are divided into two groups. The first group consists of 33 countries whose nationals are eligible for a visa waiver that is valid for 180 days from the date of issuance and entitles its holder to spend up to 90 days in Qatar during either a single trip or multiple trips. These include:

Austria Germany Norway Bahamas Greece Poland Belgium Hungary Portugal Bulgaria Iceland Romania Croatia Italy Seychelles Cyprus Latvia Slovakia Czech Republic Liechtenstein Slovenia Denmark Lithuania Spain Estonia Luxembourg Sweden Finland Malta Switzerland France Netherlands Turkey The second group consists of 47 countries whose nationals are eligible for a visa waiver that is valid for 30 days from the date of issuance and entitles its holder to spend up to 30 days in Qatar during either a single trip or on multiple trips. This visa waiver may be extended for a further 30 days. These include:

Andorra India United Kingdom Argentina Indonesia United States Azerbaijan Ireland...