Doha Airport Stopover
 

Can anyone please tell me the visa situation in Qatar. I have an 8 hour stopover in Doha and wondered if you can purchase your visa at the airport (like in Egypt) or do I need to have one prior to arriving.

I thought I might leave the airport for a bit - more to waste time than view sights. So anything I see would be fine.

Is there anything close to Doha Airport that is worth seeing in such a short time?

Much appreciated.

I may be replying too late, but I had a stopover in Doha a year ago and was told by Doha airport staff that I could buy a visa (to cover a brief visit only) then and there. However, I was advised not to bother as my stopover was for less than five hours and I had arrived during the rush hour.

But, please don't rely on my advice as visa regulations can change at any time. This link looks useful:
http://www.dohaairport.com/services_....html?linksr10

If you make any plans that depend on getting a visa I would also recommend that you phone your country's consulate in Qatar for the most up-to-date info. Good luck, and I hope you get to see more of Qatar than I did!

Oh, and I stupidly forgot to mention that your own nationality could be crucial to this question. I recommend you phone Qatar Airways or your country's consulate in Qatar to check which restrictions will apply to you. I've been no help at all, have I?

It depends on the country you are coming from - you can get a visa on arrival from certain countries (US, GBR and Germany). The Qatari's recently were saying that this was no longer going to be allowed unless they were granted the same privlidges in other countries for their citizens, but that has not gone into effect yet.

If you are only there for a few hours - it's not worth getting a visa.

I am from Australian. Monkier... you were helpful thanks.