Qatar waives entry visa fees for 80 nationalities, including Australians
Applications and entry fees are officially no more.
In an effort to boost tourism to the region, Qatar Ministry of Interior, Qatar Tourism Authority and Qatar Airways have announced a waiver on pre-applications and entry fees into the country for citizens of 80 nations. And yes, Australia is included.
Effective immediately, this waiver provides the bearer with a multi-entry pass into the country and will be issued upon arrival at the port of entry.
Depending on the visitor's nationality, you may be entitled to one of two possible multi-entry visas. The first is valid for 180 days from the date of issue and entitles the holder to spend no more than 90 days in the country. The second is valid for only 90 days and entitles the holder to spend no more than 30 days in Qatar. This is the visa valid for Australian citizens and can be extended upon application for another 30 days if approved.
Prior to this waiver, the only way for Australians to enter Qatar for free was on a transit visa. This was implemented in November 2016 and provided transit passengers from all nations the ability to stay up to 96 hours (four days) in the country without application or charge. To further encourage visitors to explore the country, Qatar Airways offered complimentary five-star accommodation to those who chose an extended stopover in Doha earlier this year.
Chief tourism development officer at QTA, Al Ibrahim, said, “With 80 countries eligible for a visa waiver, Qatar is now the most open country in the region and we are delighted to invite visitors to discover our renowned hospitality, cultural heritage and natural treasures.”
This year alone, Qatar Airways has been helping to boost tourism from our shores to Doha, launching the A380 on its Melbourne flights in July and increasing flights between Adelaide and Doha in December.
Next year, the airline will also connect Canberra to Doha with seamless flights from February onward.
Nationals entitled to stay for 90 days within a 180-day period
1. Austria
2. Bahamas
3. Belgium
4. Bulgaria
5. Croatia
6. Cyprus
7. Czech Republic
8. Denmark
9. Estonia
10. Finland
11. France
12. Germany
13. Greece
14. Hungary
15. Iceland
16. Italy
17. Latvia
18. Liechtenstein
19. Lithuania
20. Luxembourg
21. Malta
22. Netherlands
23. Norway
24. Poland
25. Portugal
26. Romania
27. Seychelles
28. Slovakia
29. Slovenia
30. Spain
31. Sweden
32. Switzerland
33. Turkey
Nationals entitled to stay for 30 days within a 90-day period
1. Andorra
2. Argentina
3. Australia
4. Belarus
5. Bolivia
6. Brazil
7. Brunei
8. Canada
9. Chile
10. China
11. Colombia
12. Ecuador
13. Panama
14. Costa Rica
15. Georgia
16. Guyana
17. Hong Kong
18. India
19. Indonesia
20. Ireland
21. Japan
22. Kazakhstan
23. Lebanon
24. Azerbaijan
25. Macedonia
26. Malaysia
27. Maldives
28. Mexico
29. Moldova
30. Monaco
31. New Zealand
32. Paraguay
33. Peru
34. Russia
35. San Marino
36. Singapore
37. South Africa
38. South Korea
39. Suriname
40. Cuba
41. Thailand
42. Ukraine
43. United Kingdom
44. United States
45. Uruguay
46. Vatican City
47. Venezuela
