Qatar Offers 4-Day Transit Visa for Free

Passengers who are are arriving in Qatar for a minimum of five hours can avail of a transit visa for up to four days. In line with the celebration of World Tourism Day last September 27, The Ministry of Interior, Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism Authority declared this plan to encourage more travellers to come to the country.

Qatar Free Transit Visa on Arrival

The transit visa will be available on arrival at Hamad International Airport to passengers of all nationalities upon confirmation of onward journey and completion of passport control procedures. Be advised that these visa are issued and approved at the discretion of the Ministry of Interior.

doha-airport-transit-visa

photo credit: visitqatar.qa

This new arrangement has been made possible to boost the tourism in Qatar. There will be slight changes from the past protocol.

Old Transit Visa Process vs New Transit Visa Process
The previous transit visa process allowed travellers with a minimum 8-hour layover to spend up to 2 days in the country. Now, the new process allows passengers with a minimum 5-hour layover to spend up to 4 days in the country – this is truly a significant leap in positioning Qatar as a viable tourist destination.

hamad-international-airport-free-transit-visa

photo credit: visitqatar.qa

Qatar is becoming more transparent in the application of tourist visa schemes and this is one in a series of the developments that they have planned to promote tourism in the country.

Journeying to another country for business or holiday visits are made better when a flight has a stopover flight. But usually, passengers are mostly allowed to stay in the airport. In Qatar, it’s different. Passengers can opt-in for a free transit visa for up to 96 hours (four days) to enter and explore the country.

More information here – New Transit Visa Rules Make Visiting Qatar Easier