Hayya E-Visa Qatar: A1, A2, A3, A4 and F1 Explained
Hayya is Qatar’s e-visa platform. It offers five tourist e-visa categories, and the differences between them matter: different people qualify, different papers are listed, and only two categories have a stay length stated anywhere on the site. This guide covers only what Hayya’s own pages state. Where Hayya states nothing, this guide says so instead of filling the gap from other websites.
The five categories
Hayya’s home page lists five e-visa types under “Hayya Tourist E-Visas”:
- Tourist Visa (A1): for people visiting Qatar for tourism and leisure. The FAQ adds that A1 is for anyone travelling to Qatar for tourism or to visit friends and family.
- GCC Resident Visa (A2): for GCC residents regardless of nationality, holding a valid GCC residence permit (valid for 3 months from the date of application), travelling to Qatar from the country of residency.
- Visa with ETA (A3): for people holding a valid visa or residency of the US, the UK, Canada, Schengen, Australia, or New Zealand.
- Visa for Companion of GCC Citizen (A4): only for companions of GCC citizens. Companions must travel with the GCC citizen sponsor and are not allowed to enter Qatar alone.
- Visa-Free for US Citizens (F1): for holders of US nationality or citizenship.
Hayya does not state that A1 is mandatory for everyone. The A1 FAQ states that multiple visa options still exist, and whether to apply for a regular visit visa from the Ministry of Interior or a Hayya Tourist Visa depends on the traveller’s profile and purpose of visit.
Fees: QAR 100, and QAR 76 for F1
No category is stated to be free. The General FAQ tab states the E-Visa fee is QAR 100, non-refundable regardless of travel status or arrangements, and payment must be made within 14 days of the status changing to “Pending Payment”, or the application is cancelled for non-payment. The A2, A3 and A4 requirements lists each state a fee of QAR 100. No A1-specific fee statement was found in the A1 tab, so the QAR 100 figure for A1 rests on the General tab statement only. F1, despite the “Visa-Free” name, states a fee of QAR 76 in its requirements list.
How long you can stay: stated for two categories only
Only A2 and F1 have stay statements in their personal FAQ tabs. A2 is a single-entry visa allowing its holder to remain in Qatar for up to 30 days from the date of entry. F1 is a multiple-entry visa: US citizens can stay up to 90 days on each visit, and may enter Qatar within 2 years of their F1 approval.
No validity or stay length for A1, A3 or A4 is stated in their personal FAQ tabs, so none is given here. A Business Services tab grouping lists “Tourist Visas (A1, A2, A3 & F1)” as 30 days, single entry, but that grouping is in a business and organisation context only, conflicts with the F1 tab’s multiple-entry and 90-day wording, and omits A4 entirely. It is not used here as the personal-tourist validity for any category.
To extend an E-Visa before it expires, Hayya states only this: go to the Directorate of Passport at Hamad International Airport, where all visa extensions are processed, and apply there. No extension duration, extension fee, or online extension route is stated.
Documents for each category
Passport validity of 3 months from the date of arrival is stated throughout. The complete requirements lists are:
A1: minimum 3 months passport validity; proof of accommodation (hotel booking or hosted by family and friends); return flight ticket; Hayya E-Visa.
A2: minimum 3 months passport validity; a GCC ID copy valid at least three months from arrival; a return flight ticket (required for check-in for those travelling by air); Hayya E-Visa; fee of QAR 100. No accommodation item is listed.
A3: a valid visa or residency for the US, UK, Canada, Schengen, Australia, or New Zealand at the time of receiving the E-Visa; return flight ticket; fee of QAR 100. The foreign visa or residency must be valid when the E-Visa is received, and the passport needs 3 months validity from arrival.
A4: a valid passport at the time of applying for the companion; minimum 3-month passport validity from arrival; a GCC ID copy valid at least three months from arrival; a return flight ticket (required for check-in for air travel); the companion must accompany the GCC citizen sponsor; fee of QAR 100. No accommodation item is listed, and companions need no proof of accommodation.
F1: US nationality or citizenship at the time of application; accommodation details; a return flight ticket; a fee of QAR 76. No passport-validity bullet is listed for F1.
A personal digital photograph appears only in the text inside the How-To Guides’ phone-screenshot images, with no specification or dimensions given in FAQ text. Health insurance is listed as a requirement nowhere on the pages checked; the only mention is a Customer Support pointer to the Ministry of Public Health website for approved travel health insurance.
Accommodation: two options, and it must cover the whole stay
Hayya states two accommodation options: Host Family and Friends, where the host applies to host the guest in their owned or rented property; and Booked Accommodation, where the guest books and uploads the details. Booked accommodation must align with the flight ticket dates, covering the entire stay from arrival to departure without gaps; if the stay is extended, the guest should rebook or find alternative accommodation.
Indian applicants are specifically stated to have flexibility: they are not restricted to Discover Qatar and may book through any platform, or choose the Host Family and Friends option. The only Discover Qatar condition found is that a hotel booking through Discover Qatar requires initial approval, and accommodation requirements may vary by e-visa type. No Discover Qatar-only booking rule exists on the pages checked, and no Pakistan, Iran, Thailand or Ukraine condition was found anywhere checked.
Steps to apply, per category
Hayya’s How-To Guides give these steps. A1: Select Visa, Personal Information, Validate Information, Accommodation Confirmation, Payment, Hayya E-Visa. A3 follows the same six steps. A4 has five steps: Select Visa, Personal Information, Validate Information, Payment, Hayya E-Visa, with no Accommodation Confirmation step, matching its FAQ. F1 shows six numbered steps, the first five matching A1’s, with the sixth step’s label not rendered on the page.
The A2 guide on the site contains errors and is flagged here rather than copied: its first step is mislabelled with the A1 name, and it still shows an Accommodation Confirmation step although the A2 FAQ requirements list has no accommodation item.
Applications are managed through the Hayya portal or the Hayya app. Hayya states no fixed processing time for personal applications: processing varies with visa type and request volume, there is no fixed service-level agreement, and applicants should apply well in advance. Two hard deadlines are stated: payment within 14 days of the “Pending Payment” notification, and accommodation details within 30 days of the “Pending Accommodation Confirmation” notification, failing which the application is cancelled.
Not stated
No overstay fine, penalty amount or overstay rule was found on any Hayya page checked, so no overstay figure appears in this guide. No fixed processing time, no validity or stay length for A1, A3 or A4, no extension duration or fee, no nationality list beyond US citizens for F1, and no health-insurance requirement are stated on the pages checked.
Related guides
Sources (official only)
- Hayya, home: https://hayya.qa/en
- Hayya, How-To Guides: https://hayya.qa/en/how-to-guides
- Hayya, FAQ General: https://hayya.qa/en/faq
- Hayya, FAQ A1: https://hayya.qa/en/faq?tab=a1
- Hayya, FAQ A2: https://hayya.qa/en/faq?tab=a2
- Hayya, FAQ A3: https://hayya.qa/en/faq?tab=a3
- Hayya, FAQ A4: https://hayya.qa/en/faq?tab=a4
- Hayya, FAQ F1: https://hayya.qa/en/faq?tab=f1
