|
  
|
Qatar revises visa rules for GCC residents
Qatar plans to do away with the visa-on-arrival facility for expatriates resident in other GCC countries from May 1.
Expatriates holding valid residency permit of other GCC states would instead need to apply for an entry visa for Qatar in advance. ‘Arabian Business’ website reported yesterday that entry visa rules which have been in place for expatriates resident in other GCC states were being revised by Qatar.
The website quoted a Qatari diplomat at the country’s consulate in Dubai as saying that the processing of visa applications would take two to three days.
Qatar, like many of its neighbours in the GCC, introduced visa-on-arrival system for expatriates resident in other GCC countries several years ago.
Visitors were required to provide details of contacts in Qatar and where they would be staying and were issued an entry visa upon arrival at the Doha International Airport.
A visa-on-arrival normally attracted a fee of QR105 for 14 days. The visa was renewable for another 14 days. The ‘Arabian Business’ website, however, said the fee for processing visa applications under the new regime was not known.
The diplomat said he was not even aware if any particular profession or professions were to be exempted from the new regulations.
Only recently Qatar announced it was revising from May 1 the visa-on-arrival system for the citizens of 33 ‘affluent’ countries.
British and American citizens will be among the nationals of these 33 countries who will have to apply for a visa prior to arrival in Qatar from May 1.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=April2010&file=Local_News201004122553.xml |
|
