Qatar / Travel Information / Immigration Regulations

All nationalities, except for Gulf Cooperation Council citizens, require a visa to enter Qatar, whether as a tourist, a business visitor, a family visitor or a would-be resident worker (including dependents).

It is impossible to come to Qatar without a sponsor. This is a company or individual who guarantees your stay and is responsible for you while in the country. Sponsors must be registered in the State of Qatar (in the case of a company) or be a Qatari national (in the case of an individual) or be a hotel. The only exception to this is the salaried head of a household, with a valid residence permit, who may in turn sponsor dependents (including domestic servants).

Visas are most easily obtained through a sponsor within Qatar, although some types of visa can be issued by Qatari embassies overseas (see listing for details ).

It is worth knowing that no airline in the country of origin will permit passengers who are not in possession of a valid visa of one type or another to board aircraft destined for Qatar.