People from 37 countries can get Qatar-Oman joint tourist visa upon arrival at the Hamad International Airport (HIA), according an official of the Ministry of Interior (MoI). The visa on arrival, which is valid for 30 days in Qatar and Oman, allows for multiple entry to both countries and is extendable for an additional 30 days.This was disclosed at a webinar titled ‘Safe Travel’ organised by the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior in association with the Airport Passports Department and Airport Security Department. According to the official, citizens of countries eligible for the joint visa include Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States and Vatican City.This visa is not issued to temporary passport and travel document holders, and applicant must have a return ticket and the arriving passenger must possess a minimum of cash amount of $1,400 (approximately QR5,000) or a valid credit card which applies for an entire family.Captain Muhammed Mubarak Al Buainain, media officer at Airports Passport Department, said the visit visa is issued to residents of the GCC countries upon their arrival at Doha International Airport and this is a single-entry visa only. He added that applicant must be an expert in one of the approved professions, and the visa, which costs QR100 payable by Visa or MasterCard, is valid for 30 days upon entry and can be extended for an additional three months, adding that a visa holder who violate the stay conditions will be fined QR200 for each day.He added that family accompanying the GCC residents can also receive entry visa upon arrival at HIA.Captain Muhammed said that visa is issued to newborns that are less than six months old free of cost when entering the country with one or both parents, however the child’s father must be a resident of Qatar with a valid residence permit.Giving travel advice, Captain Muhammed urged people planning to travel to check Metrash2 to ensure they are not under travel ban, stressing that anyone with absconding case must rectify it before planning to travel.For his part, Major Zayed Rashid Ali Al Nuaimi, inspection officer at Airport Security Department, urged travellers to confirm their travel documents are valid for more than six months, their flight reservation; and ensure that they are carrying items that are not permitted in the hand baggage. He advised travelers carrying cash or any valuable items worth more than QR50,000 to declare them at the Customs Office under the General Customs Authority.
Source: Civil Aviation Authority – Qatar