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With the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 scheduled out, all the football enthusiasts are getting ready to head towards Qatar for the big game. Most of them are already booking their Qatar World Cup tickets, airline tickets, and accommodation within the vicinity of the stadium.
One question, however, that pops up is whether you need a visa to travel to the country. While Qatar has waived-off visas for citizens and residents of certain countries, certain rules are still to be kept in mind. Moreover, there is also the aspect of travel insurance, which could prove beneficial in case an individual faces any medical or another emergency there.
In this article, we will discuss all the major details related to visa-waivers, the nations with non-visa entry, and the best travel insurance plans for your trip to Qatar. You can also find out more about other mandatory documents that you would need to carry for hassle-free entry into the country.
Qatar is providing a visa waiver for football aficionados so that they can enjoy their favourite matches without being required to apply for a visa to travel to Qatar every time their favourite team plays.
This applies to nations whose nationals and residents get a visa waiver that exists for 180 days from the issue date. It implies that the entitled person will be able to stay for up to 90 days in Qatar, whether during multi-trips or on a single trip.
Here are the nations that get this visa waiver
Antigua and Barbuda | Sweden | Serbia | The Netherlands | Liechtenstein |
Ukraine | Belgium | Denmark | Germany | Latvia |
Argentina | Spain | Romania | Malta | Italy |
Turkey | Bulgaria | Dominican Republic | Greece | Cyprus |
Austria | Slovenia | Portugal | Malaysia | Seychelles |
Switzerland | Croatia | Estonia | Holland | Czech Republic |
Bahamas | Slovakia | Poland | Luxembourg | Finland |
Hungary | Lithuania | Iceland | France | Norway |
This waiver is valid for 30 days from the issue date and permits the entitled individual to stay up to 30 days in Qatar, either on a single trip or multiple trips. The waiver can be further extended for up to 30 days for ease of travel.
Listed below are the nations where this waiver is valid
Andorra | The United Kingdom | Singapore | Panama | Ireland |
Venezuela | Brazil | Colombia | Georgia | Mauritius |
Australia | Thailand | San Marino | Pakistan | Japan |
Vatican City | Brunei | Costa Rica | Guyana | Maldives |
Azerbaijan | Suriname | Rwanda | New Zealand | Kazakhstan |
Uruguay | Canada | Cuba | Hong Kong | Macedonia |
Belarus | South Korea | Russia | Montenegro | Macau |
The United States | Chile | Ecuador | India | Lebanon |
Bolivia | South Africa | Peru | Monaco | Moldova |
China | Paraguay | Falkland Islands | Indonesia | Iran |
French Guiana | Mexico |
Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations don’t require any visa to enter Qatar. Travellers from the following countries can watch their favourite teams play without a Qatar visa –
In case you don’t qualify for a Qatar tourist visa waiver or visa-free entrance into the country, you can always apply for an Electronic Travel Authentication (ETA). So if you have a valid residence permit or a visitor visa for Schengen and other countries like Australia, Canada, the UK, the US, or New Zealand, you can apply for free ETA and travel to Qatar to watch FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
To apply for the ETA, you would need to provide the following details –
If none of the options mentioned above work for you, you can always register for a Qatar tourist visa. The visa costs around AED 100.75 and is valid for a stay of up to 30 days. You can easily apply for the visa via the Qatar visa service site, although you would need to make sure that you have all the documents ready to apply for the visa.
Another option is available for GCC residents, who can qualify for a one-time entry GCC resident visa to Qatar. The cost of the same comes to around AED 100.75. You can even extend the duration of your stay on this visa. However, it must be noted that you would need to provide evidence of your profession for entrance.
If you are arriving in the country before November 1st, these visa rules would apply to you. If you plan to visit Qatar from November 1, you would need a Hayya card – no other visit or travel or visa-free permits will be issued during this period. Even the UAE and other GCC nations will need a Hayya card to enter Qatar November 1st onwards.
The Hayya card is also mandatory for travellers visiting Qatar for purposes other than watching the game. However, they would need to wait to apply for the same. Currently, Qatar officials are catering to football enthusiasts’ requirements with confirmed match tickets to apply for Hayya. Moreover, their accommodation also needs to be confirmed during the process.
Note: Hayya card is mandatory to attend the matches as well. This even applies to Qatar residents.
Whenever you travel to watch FIFA World Cup Qatar, make sure you also purchase a travel insurance plan.
A travel insurance plan for Qatar will financially cover you for any emergency medical expense and travel convenience that you may incur during the trip. In case the flight is cancelled, the travel insurance provider will reimburse you up to a certain limit. Without a travel insurance plan, such costs can easily exhaust your travel budget.
If someone meets an accident or has a medical emergency, their expenses for the treatment are covered up to a particular limit. The insurance providers specify a list of network hospitals where the policyholder can get treated.
Here are the best Qatar travel insurance plans –
Travel Insurance Plan |
Coverage Region |
Medical Cover |
---|---|---|
Alliance Insurance – Standard Traveller |
Gulf |
USD 100,000 |
Orient Insurance – Orient Travel Lite Plus |
Worldwide excluding the US |
USD 50,000 |
Alliance Insurance – Premium Traveller |
Gulf |
USD 500,000 |
Allianz – Travel Extra Single-Trip Individual |
Worldwide |
USD 250,000 |
Alliance Insurance – Elite Traveller Annual |
Gulf |
USD 1 Million |
Allianz – Gold Annual Multi-trip Individual |
Worldwide |
USD 1 Million |
Here are some key inclusions for Qatar travel insurance plans listed above:
Travel Insurance Plan |
Inclusions |
---|---|
Alliance Insurance – Standard Traveller |
|
Orient Insurance – Orient Travel Lite Plus |
|
Alliance Insurance – Premium Traveller |
|
Allianz – Travel Extra Single-Trip Individual |
|
Alliance Insurance – Elite Traveller Annual |
|
Allianz – Gold Annual Multi-trip Individual |
|
Policybazaar UAE, with its integrated research, analysis, and customer reviews makes the process of purchasing Qatar travel insurance a completely hassle-free experience. On our quotes page, you can search, compare, and select the best plans that suit your requirements. As an online insurance aggregator, we provide plans from the top insurance providers in the UAE under one roof.
The process is fairly straightforward, as you would need to visit policybazaar.ae and head to the ‘travel insurance’ section under the ‘general insurance’ category. Here, you can fill out the lead form with the specified details to reach the quotes page. You can then easily navigate and compare the plans as per their premiums, features, inclusions, and more, and get the most suitable one for yourself at the best price.
When you purchase Qatar travel insurance from Policybazaar.ae, you can –
With FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 around the corner, it is crucial to be aware of whether you need a Qatar tourist visa. If you are travelling to Qatar from the UAE, you can enter the country without a visa. However, if you enter the country from November 1st, you would need a Hayya card. In fact, citizens of all the nations travelling to the country to watch the World Cup need to have a Hayya card.
This card is mandatory even for people who are travelling to Qatar for a purpose other than watching World Cup. Besides a Hayya card, you should also have a Qatar travel insurance plan in place. This type of insurance can cover you financially in case of any medical emergency or travel inconvenience.