What I Need for Qatar Transit Visa?

If you travel internationally and have a layover at Hamad International Airport for at least 5 hours, you must have valid information about a Qatar transit visa and whether you need it or not. There are multiple elements that you have to keep in mind such as whether you will leave the airport or not,  tickets and a single airline or from 2 different airlines, etc.

Here, this article will give you comprehensive details related to Qatar transit visa and after leaving the airport how can you enjoy the facilities and accommodation provided by the Government of Qatar.

Is It Necessary to Have a Qatar Transit Visa?

It depends on you, if you don’t want to leave the airport and stay inside the transit area then it is not necessary to have a Qatar Transit Visa.

But in some situations, you need a transit visa like you have to collect your baggage from one flight and check in for the 2nd flight. In such conditions pre-apply for the visa to make your travel peaceful and memorable.

The details are here,

Are you leaving the Transit Area?

If your transit flight has 5 hours of layover and you are planning to leave the airport to visit Doha city to see the attractive sites or enjoy the food, it is obliged to have a transit visa. If not interested then other important information you must know before traveling to Qatar is discussed below.

How to Book Transit Flights?

The next question is, if you have a transit flight then how can you book a ticket from one place to another while transiting in Qatar? Here are some cases discussed:

  • single ticket with the same airline.
  • single ticket with two different airlines
  • on separate tickets with different airlines.

Single ticket and same Airline:

Let’s suppose that you are traveling from New York to Mumbai transiting in Qatar from ABC’s Airline with a single ticket (paid at once), collecting a boarding pass and the same airline will arrange two flights for you. 

In this situation, you don’t need a transit visa if you are not leaving the transit area because the airline is responsible for it. You don’t need to collect your baggage or pass through any immigration process. So, I don’t need a Transit visa for Qatar.

Qatar Transit Visa, Single ticket and same Airline

Single ticket and two different Airlines:

In this case, you are traveling from New York to Mumbai transiting in Qatar, and booking a flight with a single ticket (paid at once) from ABC’s Airlines, but the airline will assign you two different airlines: New York to Doha on Airline ABC, and from Doha to Mumbai on Airline XYZ ( airlines shares the codes with Airline ABC).

The same situation will be applicable in this case as mentioned above, the airline is responsible for the collection of check-in baggage, and no need to pass through any immigration process. So, in this case, there is no need for a Transit Visa for Qatar.

Qatar Transit Visa, Single ticket and two different Airlines

Two tickets and Two different Airlines

In the 3rd case, if you are booking a ticket for two different airlines (Airline X and Airline Y) or two separate tickets from the same airline (Airline X). in this scenario you have to collect your Check-in luggage.

For the collection of baggage, you have to pass through the immigration counter. Now you need a visa to pass through the counter even if you are not leaving the airport. It also requires health insurance (for all visitors) and booking of accommodation ( in some cases).

Qatar Transit Visa, Two tickets and Two different Airlines

Noted: First you have to collect the luggage from the Arrival area and then check-in again through the Departure area. Before booking the tickets it is important to keep in mind that the duration between the two flights will be enough, and it is suggested that it should be at least 4 hours. Thankfully, the Arrival and Departure areas at Hammad International Airport are in the same building.

https://hukoomi.gov.qa/en/contact-us

109 (inside Qatar)

+974.44069999 (from outside Qatar)

contact@hukoomi.ga (Email Address)

Nationalities No Need for Transit Visa

If you are a citizen of 101 countries, you are allowed to enter Qatar visa-free. But others have to apply for a pre-approved transit visa, otherwise, the scheme will not allow you to stay for up to 96 hours. You will be permitted to stay up to 96 hours.

Noted: Qatar Transit Visa is free for 96 hours (4 days) only.

If you are not among the Visa on Arrival (VOA)  nations, you can contact the Qatar Airways Office for more information and you can also apply for an Online Tourist Visa through the Hayya Portal.

Visa-Free Nations

Some nationalities have the advantage of visiting and staying in Qatar without any visa for 60 to 90 days (not extendable).

More than 90 countries are eligible for Visa on Arrival or for free visa entry in Qatar. The requirements for entering include a passport with a validity of at least six months, a return ticket or onward ticket, hotel accommodation, and health insurance. Nationals of Pakistan, India, Thailand. Iran and Ukraine are required to reserve hotels through the Discover Qatar website. They have to book the hotel for their entire period of stay and hotel reservations from any other site aren’t acceptable.

Citizens of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada,  and some European countries are also eligible for Visa on Arrival, and they can book their hotels from any website or directly from hotels.

Qatar Airways Complimentary Transit Accommodation

You can now benefit from a Qatar Airways complimentary transit accommodation package when you fly with the World’s Best Airline.

This service is for passengers who have a transit time of 8 to 24 hours, with no immediate connections. 

The package includes a hotel room, Airport transfer, and entry visa. For more details and information contact Qatar Airways.

Qatar Transit Tours

The Qatar Government is also facilitating transit visitors by providing tour services such as Airport tours, Discover Doha, desert,  sea tours, and many more. For these Qatar Transit Tours, you have to book them through  Discover Qatar website.

  • Transit Exclusive: Discover Doha – QAR 115 per person
  • Transit Exclusive: Discover the Art of the Airport – QAR 36 per person
  • Transit Exclusive: Discover the Desert and Inland Sea (Private Tour) – QAR 227 per person
  • Transit Exclusive: Discover Championship Golf (6 Holes) – QAR 440 per person
  • Transit Exclusive: Discover Squash at the Airport – QAR 90 per person
  • Transit Exclusive: Discover Golf Simulator at the Airport – QAR 120 per person

Furthermore, If you have a transit time of 2 hours you can avail the transit tour of Discover the Art of the Airport with Discover Qatar’s expert guide. 

On the other hand, if you can not book Discover Qatar’s transit tours online then visit the Duty-Free area of Hamad International Airport to check the live availability of transit tours or contact:

https://hukoomi.gov.qa/en/contact-us

109 (inside Qatar)

+974 44069999 (from outside Qatar)

contact@hukoomi.ga (Email Address)

Qatar Airways Stopover Transit Tour Packages

Qatar Airways has now launched various kinds of stopover transit tour packages, which include hotels and other amenities depending on your layover time. The following are the various types of transit packages.

Packages1 Night2 Nights3 Nights4 Nights
Standard (Includes 4-star Hotels)14 USD22 USD47USD74 USD
Premium (Includes 5-star Hotels)23 USD41 USD75 USD108 USD
Premium Beach( 5-star hotels with access to Doha Sands Beach)30 USD55 USD95 USD135 USD
Luxury (5-star luxury hotels including breakfast)81 USD158 USD249 USD340 USD
All Inclusive Beach (5-star hotels including breakfast and all-inclusive Doha Sands Beach access)144 USD283 USD437 USD591 USD
Qatar Airways Stopover Transit Tour Packages

For more updated details and information follow Qatar Stopover Transit Tour Packages.

FAQ’s

  1. Is hotel accommodation included in the Qatar Transit Visa? 

    Hotel accommodation and other expenses are not included in the visa, only a transit visa is free of cost for all nationalities.

  2. What is Qatar Transit Visa process time?

    The processing time of a Qatar transit visa is from a few working days, it depends on many factors such as the number of visa applications to proceed, method you follow for applying or any other requirement.

Similar Posts