New tourist visa to give Americans longer access to this once-closed country

While Qatar once had a strict tourist visa policy an awful lot like fellow Gulf nations like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the oil-rich nation has spent the last decade seeking to promote itself as a tourist destination amid the success of nearby UAE cities reminiscent of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

In 2016, Qatar introduced a transit visa for individuals who wanted to refer to with america on a brief stopover that was once eventually expanded to visa-upon-arrival for holders of certain passports. After the selection of stopover visitors spiked by nearly Forty% in one year, Qatar opened up visa-free get entry to from just nearby Arab nations to more Western citizens.

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For the previous couple of years, American citizens may per chance consult with the capital of Doha and other parts of Qatar for as much as 30 days with no visa — a period that, as of Oct. 1, has been extended to ascertain the ninety days they currently get in an awful lot of European and Asian countries. While less renowned than the United Arab Emirates as a tourist destination, Qatar is a of course prosperous u.s. that many come to for futuristic architecture and an ultra-luxury scene.

Want to refer to with Qatar? Listed here are the visa changes to know about

The new go backwards and forwards rules are a section of a cooperation with the US that also gives Qataris the equivalent visa-free ninety-day go backwards and forwards period. This makes Qatar, which has been key in negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and Arab countries contained in the wake of the war in Gaza, the first Gulf u.s. to enroll for the U.S. Visa Waiver Program that extends to citizens of countries reminiscent of Japan, Australia, Israel and European Union countries.

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"Qatar's fulfillment of the stringent security requirements to enroll for the Visa Waiver Program will deepen our strategic partnership and beef up the float of people and commerce between our two countries," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on the changes.

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'Will make go backwards and forwards safer, more secure and not more tough for both American citizens and Qataris'

Qatar's ascension signifies that forty two countries now make up the visa waiver program. When it comes to American citizens and citizens of other countries coming to Qatar, Qatar Airways has been running a stopover program an awful lot like ones before everything popularized by Icelandair and now also offered by airlines reminiscent of Turkish Airlines, Spain's Iberia and fellow Gulf competitor Etihad Airlines since 2021.

The Abu Dhabi stopover launched in 2022 lets in those flying Etihad to get some place else to book a free stay at a neighborhood economy hotel or get Forty% cut price at a four- or five-superstar one for as much as 2 nights, while people who are taking a look to spend longer contained in america can keep off their connecting flight longer without cost.

While get entry to for American citizens was once opened up on Oct. 1, the U.S. State Department and Department of Fatherland Security are still working out a start date for Qataris that they said will no longer be farther away than December 2024.

On top of the capital of Doha, other renowned tourist destinations in Qatar consist of the ancient village of Al Wakrah and northern city of Al Khor.

"Qatar's entry will make go backwards and forwards between the US and Qatar safer, more secure, and not more tough for both American citizens and Qataris," Blinken said in the same way.

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