Visa-Free Entry to Qatar: Who Qualifies and Which Countries

BySofia Bint Tariq Last Updated:

Visa-free entry to Qatar, as MOI words it, is not one single regime. MOI mixes “on-arrival” and “visa-free” wording in its headings, and it publishes separate detail pages for separate groups of nationalities, each with its own stay length, conditions and, in some cases, fee. This guide reproduces the verified MOI lists in full, in MOI’s own heading wording for each category, and states the conditions exactly as MOI states them. It covers only the lists on the MOI pages opened. No date or version is shown on the MOI lists, so their currency is unconfirmed, and the lists must be re-checked on the live MOI pages before travel. No check date is stated in this guide. For the GCC-resident routes, see the companion Q12 post. This guide does not restate the GCC-resident figures.

How MOI words these categories

The MOI General Directorate of Passports “On Arrival Visas” index lists ten on-arrival categories. The index headings mix the two wordings, for example “Free on-Arrival Tourist Visa” and “90-days Visa-free Entry for US Citizens”. This guide therefore uses MOI’s own heading wording for each category below, and does not relabel the whole set as visa-free. Fees are stated in a section only where the heading or the detail-page text states a fee figure. Where a heading states a fee, the fee is stated in that section.

90 days, non-extendable: the 43 countries

MOI heading: “Free On-arrival Tourist Visa for 90 Days Non-extendable for (43) Countries”. The 43 countries, counted from the table on the MOI detail page, are: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech (MOI wording), Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey.

The conditions on that page are: passport valid at least three months; confirmed return ticket; hotel reservation at any hotel in Qatar during the visit period, or a clear address of a friend or relative; and health insurance from an accredited insurance company, with a link to moph.gov.qa. The heading states 90 days, non-extendable. No extension procedure is stated, because the heading states that the visa is non-extendable.

30 days, extendable: the 39 countries

MOI heading: “Free on-Arrival Tourist Visa valid for 30 days (extendable) for 39 countries”. The 39 countries, counted from the table on the MOI detail page, are: Andorra, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Britain (MOI wording), Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Georgia, Guyana, Monaco, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Maldives, Mexico, Moldova, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzog [sic, MOI page spelling], San Marino, Singapore, Suriname, United States, Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela.

MOI text states that nationals in this group are granted a free on-arrival visa for a period of 30 days extendable for a similar period. The conditions are: passport valid at least three months; confirmed return ticket; confirmed hotel reservation at any hotel in Qatar, or a clear address of the stay; and health insurance from an accredited insurance company. No extension procedure or fee is stated on the page beyond the words “extendable for a similar period”, so this guide does not state a procedure or fee for the extension.

The United States appears in this 39-country list and also has its own dedicated MOI page with a different regime, set out in the next section. Both are MOI pages. The dedicated US page states the US regime set out in the next section.

United States citizens: a separate regime, and a conflict to check

MOI heading: “90-days Visa-free Entry for US Citizens”. MOI states: “U.S. citizens can now obtain a visa valid for two years or until the passport expires (whichever comes first), with the possibility of multiple entries, each allowing a stay of up to 90 days.” The fee is $21 USD, equivalent to 76 Qatari Riyals, paid upon first entry only. The passport must be valid at least 3 months at entry. There is no waiting period between visits. All US passport types are permitted: diplomatic, official, service, ordinary, and emergency or temporary. Entry with travel documents is not permitted. The extra requirements are a valid round-trip ticket and a clear address within Qatar. The ways to obtain the visa are pre-registration via the Hayya platform, or upon arrival. First entry is via normal passport-control counters. Subsequent entries are via e-gates until the visa or passport expires.

A Hayya guide titled “How to Apply for Visa-Free for US Citizens (F1)” also exists. No verified Hayya F1 terms are stated here. Check the live Hayya F1 page and the live MOI US page before travel, and follow the page for the route you will actually use.

Qatar-Oman joint visa: 6 countries

MOI heading: “Qatar-Oman Joint on-Arrival Tourist Visa for (30) days for a fee of (QR 100), for (6) countries, extendable”. The 6 countries, in MOI page wording, are: Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Macau, Mauritius, Montenegro, S. China (Taiwan). The fee is QR100, the stay is 30 days, and the visa is extendable. The conditions are: passport valid at least three months; confirmed return ticket; confirmed hotel reservation at any hotel in Qatar, or clear address of the stay; and health insurance from an accredited company. No extension length, procedure or fee beyond the heading word “extendable” is stated on the page.

India, Pakistan and Thailand: 30 days with a Discover Qatar only hotel rule

MOI heading: “Free on-Arrival Tourist Visa for a maximum of (30) days (Pakistani, Indian and Thai nationalities)”. MOI states a free on-arrival tourist visa for Pakistani, Indian and Thai nationals for a maximum of 30 days, or according to hotel reservation. The requirements are: passport valid at least three months; confirmed round-trip ticket; confirmed hotel reservation through www.discoverqatar.qa only, with MOI stating “Hotel reservations from other sites are not accepted”; and health insurance from an accredited company. The Discover Qatar only rule is the point that sets this group apart from the 43-country and 39-country groups, where MOI states a hotel reservation at any hotel in Qatar.

Ukraine: 90 days with the same hotel rule

MOI heading: “Free on-Arrival Tourist Visa for a maximum of (90) days (Ukrainian nationality)”. MOI states a free on-arrival tourist visa for Ukrainian nationals for a maximum of 90 days, or according to hotel reservation. The requirements are as for India, Pakistan and Thailand above, including the Discover Qatar only hotel reservation. The stay maximum differs, 90 days for Ukraine against 30 days for India, Pakistan and Thailand, while the hotel rule is stated in the same terms.

Iran and Belarus: tourist or business visas, with different business maxima

MOI heading for Iran: “On-Arrival Tourist or Business Visa for 30 days (Iranian nationality) for a fee”. MOI states an on-arrival tourist or business visa for Iranian nationals for a fee, up to 30 days or depending on hotel booking. The requirements are: passport valid at least three months; confirmed round-trip ticket; confirmed hotel reservation through Discover Qatar only; and health insurance from an accredited company. MOI states the visa is granted per Minister’s Decision No. (19) of 2007: (a) tourist visa for an expatriate for one month, not extendable, fee QR100; (b) visit visa for an expatriate (business) for one month, maximum six months, fee QR200 per month, granted if there is an invitation letter from a Qatari establishment.

MOI heading for Belarus: “On-Arrival Tourist or Business Visa for 30 days, for a fee (Belarus Nationals)”. MOI states an on-arrival tourist or business visa for 30 days, for fees. The requirements are: passport valid at least three months; confirmed round-trip ticket; possession of cash equivalent to USD 1000 or a valid credit card; hotel reservation in one of the hotels in Qatar; and health insurance from an accredited company. Per Minister’s Decision No. (19) of 2007: (a) tourist visa for one month, not extendable, fee QR100; (b) visit visa (business) for one month, maximum 3 months, fee QR200 per month. The business maximum differs between the two MOI pages, 6 months on the Iran page and 3 months on the Belarus page. Both are reported as stated. Note also that the Belarus page states a cash or credit-card condition and a hotel reservation in one of the hotels in Qatar, without the Discover Qatar only wording used on the Iran page.

What MOI does not state

No date or version is shown on the MOI detail pages, so this guide does not state that the lists are current. The GCC-citizen entry rule is not stated on the MOI or Hayya pages cited here, so this guide does not state a GCC-citizen rule. No total number of countries is stated in this guide, because MOI publishes separate lists and no total is stated on an official page cited here. No extension procedure or fee is stated for the 39-country list beyond the words in the MOI text. No Hayya visa-free country list is stated here. Re-check the live MOI On Arrival Visas pages and the live Hayya guides before travel.

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Sofia bint Tariq Qatar Visa Expert at myidstatus,

Sofia bint Tariq is a highly skilled professional with extensive experience in Qatar's visas. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Diplomas in Foreign Service, International Relations, and Communication Studies, which establish her as an authority in the field of public services. Thanks to her expertise, Sofia comprehensively understands Qatar's immigration regulations and procedures. She has developed clear guidelines to assist individuals and families in navigating the processes related to visas, passports, Civil IDs, and residency permits. Sofia's technical proficiency and meticulous knowledge make her a dependable source for immigration policy information, visa processing, ID and residency applications, and other legal matters. Our website proudly showcases Sofia as our expert, providing our audience with unparalleled expertise and guidance.

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