Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism Authority Launch Transit Visa Scheme

Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) have launched a new transit visa scheme.

Passengers of all nationalities, with layovers of five hours or more at Hamad International Airport, can now request a complimentary transit visa which allows them to enter Qatar for up to 96 hours in between flights.

To ensure passengers can make the most of the new transit visa, Qatar Airways has restructured its fares for international flights transiting through Hamad International Airport. This will allow passengers to have a free stopover in Doha without any additional charges to their ticket, either on the outbound or inbound journey. However, passengers traveling from the GCC and Middle East on return tickets will be able to take a stopover in Doha on their outbound journey only without additional charges.

Mr. Hassan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer at QTA, said, “Visa facilitation is an important factor in increasing the attractiveness of a destination, and we encourage investors and tourism business owners to capitalise on the opportunities presented by this development to diversify Qatar’s tourism products and services.”

To be eligible for the transit visa, passengers must have a confirmed ticket for a journey into Qatar, with a confirmed onward journey out of Qatar on a Qatar Airways-operated flight.

Passengers must also be holding a passport that is valid for a minimum of six months from the time of arrival in Qatar, and a valid email is required to facilitate the visa process, which can be applied for a minimum of seven days (excluding public holidays) prior to arrival in Qatar, and a maximum of 90 days prior to arriving in Qatar.

Once approved, the transit visa will be valid for 90 days from the date of issuance, and will be valid for a single entry into Qatar.

Passengers must hold a copy of the pre-approved transit visa at the time of boarding at their airport of origin, as well as upon arrival into Qatar.

Passengers can apply for their free transit visa through any of Qatar Airways’ offices, or online.

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