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Tribune News Network
Doha
QATAR'S Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) on Sunday announced that visitors from Morocco and Algeria will be issued visas on arrival in Qatar provided they hold valid residence permits or visas from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Schengen countries, or the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The new system, which is set to take effect on September 15, 2017, will allow eligible visitors from Morocco and Algeria to obtain Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) by completing a simple online application on www.qatarvisaservice.com at least 48 hours prior to travelling to Qatar.
Applicants will be required to provide proof of accommodation (e.g. hotel booking) and details of their return (or onward) travel, in addition to a copy of their passport with a minimum validity of six months.
Once these steps are complete*, eligible travellers from Morocco and Algeria will obtain a visa-on-arrival to Qatar, which will permit visitors to stay in the country for up to 30 days during a single visit. The visa can be extended for 30 additional days to be used during the same visit. If the visitor leaves the country and wishes to return, they will need to apply for a new ETA, 48 hours before travelling to Qatar. (*Entry to Qatar is approved at the sole discretion of Qatar's Ministry of Interior)
Director General of the Department of Passport and Expatriates Affairs at MoI, Brigadier Mohammed al Ateeq, said:"We are continuously reviewing Qatar's visa policies and seek to update them in line with economic and international developments. We are delighted to announce the implementation of the ETA system for our brothers and sisters in Morocco and Algeria. This new development will facilitate cooperation between our nations and will help attract visitors from those countries. Algerian and Moroccan visitors who are not eligible for an ETA are also welcome to apply to for a regular tourist visa through the same e-visa platform."
This development comes as part of a series of measures that Qatar has taken to facilitate visitor access to the country. Last month, Qatar waived entry visa requirements for nationals of 80 countries. In July, Qatar launched an e-visa platform, which allows visitors of all nationalities to apply for a tourist visa through a seamless and transparent process.
Hassan al Ibrahim, QTA's Chief Tourism Development Officer, said:"This is one of many steps that Qatar has taken to develop its tourism sector and diversify tourist source markets. We have introduced several measures to ease entry to Qatar, and hope this will provide an added incentive to our guests from Morocco and Algeria to choose Qatar, whether as a stopover or final destination. We also aim to encourage businessmen and women to visit Qatar to attend business events and find out more about promising investment opportunities in our country. Over the next few days, we will be announcing additional measures to further diversify source markets."
