Football fans from all over the world are looking forward to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar. While some will watch the games on TV or other screens, others are planning to travel to the peninsular Arab country to see them in person.
Nigeria didn’t qualify for the World Cup, but that hasn’t stopped people here from wanting to travel to Qatar. There are other things to do in Qatar aside from watching football, after all.
Perhaps you want to visit the museums and galleries or the markets, or you have to attend a business meeting or other corporate function.
Qatar allows visa-free entry to citizens of more than 95 countries, but Nigeria isn’t among them. To visit Qatar from Nigeria with a Nigerian passport, you must apply for, and obtain a visa. In this post, you’ll find out how to get a Qatar visa from Nigeria.
About the Qatar Visa
Qatar issues electronic visas (eVisas) for tourists. It was introduced, for the first time, in 2017. The eVisa aims to speed up the visa application process. It’s much faster than applying for a paper visa offline at an embassy.
An eVisa eliminates the need for, and inconvenience of, queuing at the embassy to apply for visas. You can complete the entire process from the comfort of your home. It’s simple, as you’ll find out later on.
However, note that the eVisa is for tourist purposes only. If you intend to travel to Qatar for a different reason, you’ll have to apply for a different type of visa. Furthermore, not all countries can apply for an online visa, but Nigerians can.
For countries that don’t support the eVisa, applicants are advised to visit the Qatar embassy to apply for a consular visa.
How to Apply for a Qatar Visa
If you don’t qualify for a visa on arrival or visa-free entry, you must apply for a Qatar visa online before traveling to the country.
You can apply for a Qatar visa online at qatarvisaservice.com or via Qatar Airways’ website. You should use the latter if you’re travelling with the national airline company. The application process is rigorous but not hard. Here’s what you should do:
- Fill out the online application form and upload all required documents.
- Pay the visa fee with a debit or credit card. The website supports Visa or MasterCard. The online visa charge in Qatar is QAR 100 (about NGN 11,500).
That’s all. You’ll receive the result of your visa application via email. If approved, simply print the eVisa and carry it to Qatar with you.
While applying, it’s important that you upload only legit information. Also, upload only original documents, as the visa officials will examine them for authenticity.
You should get feedback about your visa application within four working days if all of your documentation is in order and there are no issues with your application.
As mentioned before, the cost of a tourist visa in Qatar is QAR 100 (about NGN 11,500). There is a cost of QAR 50 (about NGN 5,800) for each person traveling with you, such as dependent family members. Note that the agency managing your visa application may charge you an extra service fee. That’s if you use one.
Your Qatar tourist visa is valid for 30 days and allows a single entry. In other words, if you leave Qatar before the 30 days, you can’t re-enter unless you obtain a new visa. However, if the 30-day period elapses, you can extend your stay by applying to the Ministry of Interior in Qatar.
Like the initial visa application, the application for visa extension is also online and is done via the Qatar Ministry of Interior’s website. You’ll have to enter your visa number, passport number, and a security code that’ll be displayed.
Next, choose how long you’d like to extend your visa, pay the appropriate fee, and wait for your result. The charge for a 30-day visa extension is QAR 200 (about NGN 23,000).
What countries can enter Qatar without a visa?
Perhaps you’re a Nigerian citizen and also a citizen of some foreign country. If so, you may be able to enter Qatar without applying for a visa if the country is any of the following:
1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. Argentina
3. Austria
4. Bahamas
5. Belgium
6. Bulgaria
7. Croatia
8. Cyprus
9. Czech Republic
10. Denmark
11. Dominican Republic
12. Estonia
13. Finland
14. France
15. Germany
16. Greece
17. Holland
18. Hungary
19. Iceland
20. Italy
21. Latvia
22. Liechtenstein
23. Lithuania
24. Luxembourg
25. Malaysia
26. Malta
27. Netherlands
28. Norway
29. Poland
30. Portugal
31. Romania
32. Serbia
33. Seychelles
34. Slovakia
35. Slovenia
36. Spain
37. Sweden
38. Switzerland
39. Turkey
40. Ukraine
41. Andorra
42. Australia
43. Azerbaijan
44. Belarus
45. Bolivia
46. Brazil
47. Brunei
48. Canada
49. Chile
50. China
51. Colombia
52. Costa Rica
53. Cuba
54. Ecuador
55. Falkland Islands
56. French Guiana
57. Georgia
58. Guyana
59. Hong Kong, China
60. India
61. Indonesia
62. Iran
63. Ireland
64. Japan
65. Kazakhstan
66. Lebanon
67. Macau
68. Macedonia
69. Maldives
70. Mauritius
71. Mexico
72. Moldova
73. Monaco
74. Montenegro
75. New Zealand
76. Pakistan
77. Panama
78. Paraguay
79. Peru
80. Russia
81. Rwanda
82. San Marino
83. Singapore
84. South Africa
85. South Korea
86. Suriname
87. Thailand
88. United Kingdom
89. United States
90. Uruguay
91. Vatican City
92. Venezuela.