Qatar Hayya
Everything you need to apply for your Qatar Hayya: the requirements, the documents, and the steps from start to approval.
Official Qatar government portalOverview
Hayya is Qatar's official entry platform, and the Hayya entry visa is the document it issues for visiting Qatar for tourism or a stopover. It is not a residence or work permit: it authorises a short visit to Doha and the rest of the country, with your details checked against entry records before you travel. The Hayya entry visa is valid 30 days, allows a single entry and a stay of up to 30 days, and can be extended by a further 30 days from inside Qatar through the same platform.
It covers leisure travel, business meetings and the long layovers that make Doha a popular stopover on routes between Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. The requirement itself depends on your nationality. GCC nationals enter freely, around one hundred nationalities including most Western travellers enter without a visa and only register through Hayya, and the remaining travellers apply for the Hayya entry visa before they fly.
Whichever route applies to you, the registration and any documents are handled through the official Qatari system, and the same passport you applied with must be the one you travel on. Your nationality's current requirement is checked, the correct Hayya application is prepared in your own language, reviewed for completeness, submitted to the official platform and the outcome tracked, so you reach Doha with everything in order rather than discovering a missing step at the airport.
Requirements in detail
The Hayya application asks for a focused set of details, and the value of getting them right is that a clean submission clears quickly. You need a passport with at least six months of validity beyond your travel dates, and you should have its number, its issue and expiry dates and the issuing country to hand, because each must match the passport exactly. A recent digital passport photograph is required: a clear head-and-shoulders shot on a plain white background, in colour, with no glasses or head covering that obscures the face, and no filters or shadows.
Have your accommodation confirmation ready, since the platform asks where you are staying in Qatar, and keep your return or onward flight booking accessible, which also covers travellers using Doha as a stopover. A valid email address receives the authorisation, and a payment card settles one all-inclusive price that includes the government fee and the service fee, with the government portion itemised on your receipt. The single most common avoidable error is a mistyped name or passport number that does not match the passport page: one wrong character is enough to delay an entry check, so every field is verified against the document before anything is submitted, and a photo that the platform is likely to reject is flagged.
What you'll need
Have these ready before you begin your application. Requirements can vary by nationality and trip purpose.
- Passport with at least six months validity
- Recent digital passport photograph (white background)
- Confirmed accommodation in Qatar
- Return or onward flight booking
- Email address for Hayya delivery
- Payment method (one all-inclusive price)
How to apply
Three steps from start to approval.
Complete the form
Answer the official questions online. Your draft is saved for 30 days, so you can finish once your documents are to hand.
Pay securely
You see the one all-inclusive price before you pay. We check your application for completeness before it reaches the government portal.
Receive by email
Your approved travel authorisation arrives by email. Bring it, or a copy, together with the passport you applied with when you travel.
On arrival
Carry your approved Hayya with you when you fly, saved on your phone and ideally with a copy of the approval email, so it is ready if the airline or a border officer asks to see it. Travel on the exact passport you used for the application, because the authorisation is tied to that document. Your Hayya allows you to board and to request entry; the immigration officer at Hamad International Airport makes the final admission decision and may ask about your trip, so have your accommodation details and your return or onward ticket to hand.
If you are using Doha as a stopover, the same applies: the Hayya lets you leave the airport and explore the city during a long layover, then continue your journey on your existing booking.
Government processing time
What the issuing authority typically takes once the application is submitted.
Government processing: the Qatari Ministry of Interior (Hayya portal) decides in 1 to 7 business days. VisitPass review: Standard 1 to 3 business days; Rush 1 business day; Super Rush less than 6 hours. The application is checked for completeness, submitted to the authority, and the confirmation issued.
As a guide, apply at least one to two weeks before departure so a routine query never collides with your flight; if you are booking a last-minute Doha stopover, the Rush and Super Rush tiers exist for exactly that, and your tracking code shows each step from submission to approval.
At a glance
- Validity
- 30 days
- Maximum stay
- 30 days
- Entry type
- Single
Who can apply
Hayya is Qatar's official entry platform for visiting for tourism or a stopover. The Hayya entry visa is valid 30 days for a 30-day stay, extendable by a further 30 days, single entry. Requirements vary by nationality; the Hayya application is prepared in the traveller's own language and reviewed for completeness before it is submitted to the authority.
Qatar help desk
Have questions about your Hayya? Email the Qatar desk and we reply within 24 hours.
qatar@visitpass-online.com