What to have ready
- Discover Qatar hotel booking before travelling (minimum 2 nights), mandatory for Pakistani passports
- Passport valid for at least 3 months from arrival
- QAR 100 visa fee
- Alternative: Hayya A1 e-visa applied for before travel (QAR 100)
How to apply
Book your hotel on Discover Qatar
Pick an approved hotel for at least 2 nights and pay for it before you fly. A booking from any other site won't count at the airport. discoverqatar.qa ↗
Fly to Hamad International Airport
Carry your passport, the Discover Qatar confirmation and a card for the QAR 100 fee.
Show the booking at immigration
The officer checks your booking and issues the visa on the spot. Your stay follows your hotel dates.
Prefer a visa before you fly?
Apply for the Hayya A1 tourist e-visa instead. You still need a hotel reservation, and the fee is QAR 100. hayya.qa ↗
Do this, not that
Do
- Book the hotel through Discover Qatar before you buy a non-refundable flight.
- Print the hotel confirmation. Phones die at the worst moments.
- Check your passport has at least 3 months left from the day you land.
- Look at visitqatar.com a few days before you fly. This rule changed twice in 2026.
Don't
- Don't book on Booking.com or Agoda and expect visa on arrival. Only Discover Qatar bookings count.
- Don't pay an agent to "process" a tourist visa. Hayya is free to use, you only pay QAR 100.
- Don't go to the Qatar Visa Center for a holiday. It handles work and residence visas.
- Don't stay past your hotel dates. Your permitted stay is tied to them.
What people get wrong
You'll hearQatar visa on arrival is still closed for Pakistanis.
ActuallyIt was suspended on 31 March 2026. On 28 September 2026 both official Qatari tourism sites list Pakistan again.
You'll hearAny hotel booking is enough.
ActuallyNot for a Pakistani passport. It has to be booked and paid through Discover Qatar.
You'll hearYou must show QAR 5,000 in cash.
ActuallyNo official page asks for it. Having a working card with you is still sensible.
You'll hearTravel insurance is compulsory.
ActuallyVisit Qatar recommends it but doesn't require it for a short tourist trip.
What has changed
Qatar suspended visa on arrival for Pakistani nationals on 31 March 2026. By 28 September 2026 it was back on the official lists. Because it changed twice this year, check again right before you book.
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 28 September 2026 | Official Visit Qatar and Discover Qatar pages list Pakistan for visa on arrival again (with mandatory Discover Qatar hotel booking) |
| 31 March 2026 | Visa on arrival suspended for Pakistani nationals with immediate effect (Pakistan Embassy Doha advisory) |
| 14 April 2022 | Discover Qatar hotel booking made mandatory for Pakistan, India and Iran visa on arrival |
| 30 August 2017 | Visa on arrival introduced for Pakistani nationals (30 days + 30-day extension) |
From our journal: Qatar visa on arrival is open to Pakistanis again
Where each date comes from: the sources behind every Qatar visa on arrival change.
Disclaimer
This guide is for a tourist trip on an ordinary Pakistani passport. Qatar changed this rule twice in 2026, so check Visit Qatar again before you pay for flights or a hotel. The immigration officer at Hamad International Airport decides whether you enter.
This is general travel information, not legal or immigration advice. We're not linked to the government of Qatar or Pakistan. Seen a newer rule? Report an outdated Qatar rule.
