The new transit visa structure allows passengers with a minimum transit time of five hours at Hamad International Airport (HIA) to stay in Qatar for up to 96 hours (four days), without applying for an entry visa ahead of time.

This is a significant increase from the previous transit visa scheme, which allowed travellers with a minimum layover of eight hours and a maximum of 48 hours (two days) in Qatar.
The transit visa will be available on arrival at HIA to passengers of all nationalities upon confirmation of onward journey and completion of passport control procedures. All visas are approved and issued at the sole discretion of MoI.

The move is designed to make stopovers easier and more attractive to QA’s global passengers. It aims to deliver additional value to the local economy while strengthening Qatar’s position as an attractive tourist destination.

“Whether travelling for business or leisure, we want to enrich the journey of all of our passengers and are restructuring our fares to reflect this initiative and to promote stopovers to travellers,” QA group chief executive Akbar al-Baker said in a press statement.

The development, announced on the eve of World Tourism Day (WTD), is the third in a series of enhancements that Qatar has made to facilitate entry into the country for visitors. It aims to promote the country as a world-class stopover destination.

Officials also announced a new process to quicken the entry of tourists arriving on board cruise ships, and representatives have now signed an agreement with VFS Global, which will see the development of a new, faster and more transparent tourist visa application mechanism.

United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) secretary-general Taleb Rifai commended Qatar on its rapid advancement in this area saying that promoting visa facilitation is a priority for tourism development worldwide and a key element in the competitiveness of tourism destinations.

Brigadier Abdullah Salim al-Ali, director general of the General Directorate of Nationality, Borders and Expatriates Affairs at MoI said: “We are pleased to further facilitate the movement of the 30mn passengers who pass through HIA every year,” he said. “We welcome them to spend time in Doha and discover Qatari hospitality.”

QTA’s chief tourism development officer Hassan al-Ibrahim, added: “As we celebrate WTD’s ‘Tourism for All’ theme, we are delighted to make Qatar more accessible to people from around the world and invite them to discover our country, our cultural heritage and our natural treasures.”