Qatar Visa for Pakistanis: Hayya E-Visa, Hotel Rule and QAR 100 Fee

Pakistani passport holders can visit Qatar two ways: a visa on arrival, which needs a hotel booked through Discover Qatar before you fly, or a Hayya e-visa applied for online. The Hayya e-visa fee is QAR 100 where it is charged, and it is not refundable. Your passport needs at least 3 months of validity from arrival.

Qatar's Ministry of Interior (MOI) sets the rules, and they reach travellers through three official channels: Visit Qatar, the Hayya platform and Discover Qatar. We read all three on 29 September 2026. The MOI's own portal did not show its visa pages to us, so every rule below is as those three sites state it.

The hotel rule is the one Pakistanis most need to know. Discover Qatar names only four nationalities that must book through it for a visa on arrival: India, Pakistan, Thailand and Iran.

The Discover Qatar hotel rule for Pakistanis

For a visa on arrival, the MOI requires Pakistani passport holders to book their hotel through Discover Qatar before travelling. A booking made elsewhere does not meet this rule. Discover Qatar keeps a QAR 100 cancellation fee if the authorities reject your application.

Discover Qatar's "mandatory hotels for visa on arrival" page lists the approved hotels. It also says booking through it is mandatory for certain nationalities applying for a Hayya permit. The page says other nationalities may be added at the State of Qatar's discretion, so check it close to your travel date.

• Who it applies to: passports issued by India, Pakistan, Thailand and Iran.
• What to book: a hotel from Discover Qatar's approved list, before you fly.
• If refused: Discover Qatar charges a QAR 100 cancellation fee.
• Changes: handled only in office hours, which change during Ramadan.

Read the booking terms before paying. The QAR 100 cancellation fee is the price of a refusal, on top of whatever the hotel itself keeps under its own terms.

Hayya e-visa types a Pakistani can use

Hayya is Qatar's official visa platform, on hayya.qa and the "Hayya to Qatar" app. A Pakistani living in Pakistan normally applies for the Tourist Visa (A1). A GCC resident uses A2, and someone holding a US, UK, Canada, Schengen, Australia or New Zealand visa or residency can use A3.

So a Pakistani working in Dubai on a UAE visa, or in Riyadh, applies differently from one flying from Lahore. That is the single most useful thing to settle before you start the form.

Hayya's FAQ says an A2 visa allows up to 30 days from entry, single entry. The FAQ we read does not give the A1 stay length for a Pakistani applicant, so check the visa itself once it is issued.

Requirements for a Qatar tourist visa from Pakistan

Hayya lists four things for a tourist visa: a passport valid for at least 3 months from arrival, proof of accommodation, a return flight ticket and the Hayya e-visa itself. Your booked stay must cover every night of the trip without gaps.

1. A passport with at least 3 months of validity from the date you arrive in Qatar. If yours is close, passport renewal at a NADRA centre is an option.
2. Proof of accommodation: a hotel booking, or being hosted by family or friends. Some applicants must book through Discover Qatar.
3. A confirmed return flight ticket.
4. The approved Hayya e-visa, or a visa on arrival where you qualify.

Visit Qatar also recommends health insurance that covers Qatar's medical facilities, and says you can buy a policy on arrival. It is a recommendation on that page, not a listed visa condition.

If you renew your passport after the e-visa is issued, Hayya says you must update the application with the new passport. Travelling on a passport that does not match the e-visa can get you refused at boarding.

How to apply on Hayya, step by step

Apply on hayya.qa or the app, wait for approval, then upload your accommodation voucher. After the authorities accept it, pay QAR 100 if asked, within 14 days. The status changes at each stage, so you always know where the file stands.

1. Submit the Hayya e-visa application. The status shows "Pending".
2. After approval, the status changes to "Pending Accommodation Verification".
3. Upload your accommodation voucher within 30 days of that email.
4. Once accepted, the status changes to "Pending Payment".
5. Pay the QAR 100 e-visa fee within 14 days, if you are asked to.
6. After payment, the application goes to final approval.

Two deadlines can quietly cancel a file. Miss the 30 days for accommodation or the 14 days for payment and Hayya cancels the application, and you start again. You also cannot open a second application while one is still "Pending".

Need more days once you are there? Hayya says extensions are handled by the Directorate of Passports at Hamad International Airport, before the visa expires. Your hotel booking has to be extended to match.

Qatar visa fees and what they do not cover

The Hayya e-visa fee is QAR 100 where charged, and it is not refundable whatever happens to your trip. Discover Qatar adds a QAR 100 cancellation fee if a visa-on-arrival application is rejected. The hotel is paid separately, at the hotel's price.

Hayya's wording is "visa charges may apply," so not every applicant is asked to pay. The status tells you: only a file marked "Pending Payment" needs the QAR 100.

Some routes are not open to Pakistanis on this passport. The Qatar-Oman joint tourist visa is issued only to a list of mainly European and East Asian nationalities, and Pakistan is not on it. A transit visa of up to 4 days is available to Qatar Airways passengers with at least a 6-hour layover who are not eligible for visa-free entry, through Discover Qatar's transit desk.

A visit visa is not a work visa. Pakistanis going to the Gulf for a job follow separate rules, such as those for an Oman work visa from Pakistan, and an agent who offers a job on a tourist visa is a warning sign.

Common questions

Do Pakistanis get a visa on arrival in Qatar?

Yes, if they book a hotel through Discover Qatar before travelling. The MOI requires this for Pakistani passport holders. Otherwise, apply for a Hayya e-visa in advance.

What is the Qatar visa fee for Pakistanis?

The Hayya e-visa fee is QAR 100 where charged, and it is non-refundable. Discover Qatar charges QAR 100 if a visa-on-arrival booking is rejected.

Can I stay with relatives in Qatar instead of a hotel?

Hayya lists being hosted by family or friends as accommodation proof, but some applicants are asked to book through Discover Qatar. For a visa on arrival, Pakistani passport holders must book a Discover Qatar hotel.

How much passport validity do I need for Qatar?

At least 3 months from the date you arrive in Qatar, according to Hayya.

Can a Pakistani living in the UAE apply for a Qatar visa?

Yes, through the Hayya GCC Resident Visa (A2). It needs a GCC ID valid for 3 months and costs QAR 100, for a stay of up to 30 days.

Can I work in Qatar on a Hayya tourist visa?

No. The A1 is for tourism and visiting family and friends. Work needs a separate employment visa.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 29 September 2026. The visa on arrival and Hayya options, the health insurance recommendation, the Qatar-Oman joint visa list and the transit visa are read on Visit Qatar's visa page. The MOI hotel rule for India, Pakistan, Thailand and Iran, the QAR 100 cancellation fee and the Hayya status stages are read on Discover Qatar's mandatory hotels page. The A1, A2 and A3 requirements, the 3-month passport rule, the 14-day and 30-day deadlines, the QAR 100 non-refundable fee and the extension process are read on Hayya's FAQ. The MOI portal did not display its visa pages to us, so we have not quoted it directly. We did not submit an application.