GCC expats enter Qatar with ease through Abu Samra border
Many expatriates from GCC countries visiting Qatar by road (through Abu Samra border post) are availing of the visa-on-arrival facility.
A senior official in charge of the border post said that a number of expatriate professionals, including doctors, engineers, accountants and journalists, were travelling to Qatar by road from other GCC states.
“And they are taking advantage of the visa on arrival facility to enter Qatar,” said Brigadier Sheikh Nasser bin Abdullah Al Thani.
The visa-on-arrival facility for expatriates based in other GCC countries is part of the unified entry visa rules all GCC states follow for residents with valid residence permits.
However, the residence permit of the expatriate who is seeking the facility must mention his profession.
Al Thani is director of the border post, which is open for traffic round-the-clock.
He told the latest edition of the in-house magazine of the police department, Al Shurta (meaning ‘Police’ in Arabic) in an interview that the passports of those coming into Qatar availing of the visa-on-arrival facility should be valid for at least six months.
Asked if foreign visitors to other GCC states, including relatives of expatriates, could avail of the visa-on-arrival facility, the official replied in the negative.
“No, they need a regular visa — either a tourist or a visit visa issued in advance — to enter Qatar through the border post,” said Al Thani.
When told that many people entering Qatar bring with them birds and other pets, the brigadier said there were officials from the environment and health ministries at the border post to take care of such matters.
To a question about what documents people leaving Qatar by road through Abu Samra need, the official said they required the car’s papers and the exit permit.
If the person leaving the country through the border post is not the owner of the car, he needs to produce an authorisation letter from the Traffic Department.
If a person has forgotten to take the exit permit, he should call his sponsor and urge him to use the Metrash 2 service to apply for his exit permit. He could then leave Qatar in just a few minutes. [The Peninsula]
They dont have problem to enter, we have problems entering KSA, it takes too much time and why I need Transit visa, why cant we get it on arrival like other GCC countries? major time waste is at KSA entry and exit
Nothing NEW!
Car's paper means only insurance and isthimara of the car, if the owner is travelling??? from there i will get soudi or dubai visa also???