- Qatar announced a free instant tourist visa valid for 90 days covering 43 countries across the world
- Only two countries made the list of African nations whose citizens qualify for the visa-on-arrival
- Qatar's Ministry of Interior outlined four key conditions travellers must meet before they can access the free visa
Qatar has announced a free instant tourist visa valid for 90 days for citizens of 43 countries, and only two African nations made the cut.
According to Qatar's Ministry of Interior, the visa is free, non-extendable, and granted instantly upon arrival.
Source: UGC
The full list of eligible countries spans Europe, Latin America, and parts of Asia, covering nations such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Malaysia, South Korea, Russia, and Turkey, among others.
Below are the only two African countries on the full list of 43 eligible nations, leaving the vast majority of the continent's travellers outside the arrangement:
1. South Africa
2. Seychelles
Citizens from countries not on the list, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Egypt, are not covered by the free visa arrangement and would need to apply through standard channels to visit Qatar.
Qatar: What travellers need to qualify
Qatar's Ministry of Interior outlined four conditions that travellers must satisfy before they can benefit from the free 90-day visa:
1. Applicants must hold a passport with at least three months of validity remaining.
2. They must present a confirmed round-trip travel ticket.
3. They are required to show either a hotel reservation or a verified address for a relative or friend in Qatar.
4. Travellers must carry health insurance from one of Qatar's approved insurance companies.
The visa is described as instant, meaning eligible travellers do not need to apply in advance or visit a consulate before departure. However, because the visa cannot be extended, visitors from qualifying countries must depart within the 90-day window.
For South Africans and Seychellois in particular, the arrangement significantly lowers the barrier to visiting Qatar, whether for tourism, leisure, or brief stopovers, without the cost or administrative burden typically associated with international travel visas.
In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Qatar announced the conditions citizens of 47 countries must meet to qualify for multiple-entry visas.
Qatar: Countries eligible for visas with ETA
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Qatar announced its visa with ETA scheme and the 34 countries whose nationals may qualify through a valid visa or residency permit.
The list includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Schengen countries—meaning travellers with the right documents could be eligible without relying on their nationality alone.
Source: Legit.ng