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Qatar Airways has announced that the government of Qatar has relaxed visa restrictions to citizens of 80 countries. The move which is designed to boost tourism to the small kingdom with a rough political climate dovetails nicely with the deal from Qatar Airways offering free hotels and transit visas this summer. The 80 countries are split into two groups. The first group of 33 countries is entitled to a 90-day stay, while passport holders from the other group of 47 countries receive up to a 30-day stay.
90-Day Waiver Countries
Nationals of the following countries are entitled to a visa waiver upon arrival. It is valid for 180 days from the date of issue and allows up to 90 days in the country. The 90 days can be used for a single trip or during multiple visits to Qatar.
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Seychelles
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
30-Day Waiver Countries
Nationals of the following countries are entitled to a visa waiver upon arrival valid for 30 days allowing up to 30 days stay in the country. At the end of that 30-day period, the waiver can be extended one time for a further 30 days. It can be used for single or multiple visits during the initial or extended 30-day period.
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Ecuador
- Georgia
- Guyana
- Hong Kong
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Lebanon
- Macedonia
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- New Zealand
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Russia
- San Marino
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Suriname
- Thailand
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
Our Take
The motivation for Qatar opening up like this is quite clear, in a time of rising tension and problems with its neighbors, the small country which is 11 times smaller than New York State but is the richest in the world in terms of per capita GDP, is looking to make all the friends it can. Free visa on arrival is a great way to remove a barrier to entry for foreigners
Source: Travel Update & Qatar Airways
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I guess Qatar has to do this. Better get thing straightened out soone rather than later
Qatar is a perfectly safe place to travel. I’ve never had any problems there.
Hmm, still no Israel on the list
But is it safe to travel there right now?
Absolutely. I’d monitor https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html for any potential concerns of international destinations — and at the same time take any warning with a grain of salt depending on exactly what your plan is.
This is a pretty good idea, but I wonder why Qatar didn’t go with an ETA-based visa. It works as an electronic travel authorization – Canada uses it. You apply for it online and it gets approved quickly without having to send in all your documents for an actual visa. It’s a little bit more secure.
The goofy grins on their faces in that pic says to me they’re as desperate as anything to get you to spend money there. They hemorrhaging money.
I like the idea of visa free entry to countries. It makes planning much easier if you don’t need to worry about getting a visa and saves you money!
Doha is boring for 3 days even ( saying nothing about 30 or 90). It is basically a destination for Saudis to drink alcohol legally. Nothing else.
They need more tourists now that they are fighting their neighbors.
It’s not like Qatar is high on anybody’s list of interesting places to visit, but it sure was annoying to pay a visa fee for an overnight layover in a nearby hotel.
Nice, but why would I visit Qatar? what’s there?
you could explore the country before it will change when all the stadiums and buildings are built for the 2022 FIFA World cup
Desperation ploy amid political turmoil.
Some great news, the recent visa requirements have been for some tricky so a head in the right direction.
This is a great move! A country that markets itself as a transit hub should have minimal visa requirements.
Is it really safe to travel there, given that their neighbors have boycotted them as well?
Good news. Sometimes in the near future I’d like to visit a couple of days during a transit in Qatar.
I hope Qatar will add the possibility of doing a stop over free of charge.
This is certainly a great idea – (although I am also cynical that it is related to lower bookings and politics).
I spent a pleasant few days in Qatar a couple of years ago, visiting friends who were working at one of the American Universities in Doha. I honestly can’t remember the visa process, so it must have been one that was granted on arrival. Unless you are staying longer, I’m not sure this is a big change for US citizens.
Amazing achievement! This will make transiting in Qatar much easier as the previous transit visa facility was not very stable.
For a company that claims to be global, this measure was more than necessary. Obviously that ceritifying to ensure the safety of everyone.