Staying airside at Hamad needs no visa. Leaving the airport depends on your passport: most Western passports are visa-free, and others need a transit visa, a Hayya e-visa or a hotel booked through Discover Qatar.
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Short answer
Staying airside at Hamad International Airport needs no visa, for up to 24 hours. To leave, UK, US, EU and Schengen, Canadian and Australian passports are visa-free, among about 100 nationalities. Indian and other passports that aren't visa-free need the QAR 100 Discover Qatar transit visa (Qatar Airways or code-share tickets only), a Hayya e-visa or, for some nationalities including Indian, a Discover Qatar hotel booking for visa on arrival.
Staying airside: no visa needed
If you’re connecting at Hamad International Airport (DOH) and not leaving the terminal, you don’t need a visa. On arrival, follow the Transfer signs (not Arrivals) to the transfer halls in concourses A to D, where your hand luggage is screened again.
The one limit: you can’t stay in the transit area for more than 24 hours between flights. That includes nights at the Oryx Airport Hotel inside the terminal.
You can still sleep properly without a visa. The Oryx Airport Hotel and the Sleepover pod lounges are both inside the transit area, so you never pass immigration. See at the airport for prices.
Leaving the airport on a visa-free passport
Qatar lets about 100 nationalities in without a visa. Qatar calls this “visa-free entry”, which is the new name for what used to be the free visa on arrival. Nothing else changed.
| Passport | Can you leave the airport? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Yes, visa-free | Full British Citizen passports. Allow 6 months’ passport validity. |
| US | Yes, visa-free | Sources give different stay lengths, but all exceed a layover. |
| EU and Schengen | Yes, visa-free | Widely reported as up to 90 days in 180. |
| Canada, Australia | Yes, visa-free | Widely reported as 30 days. |
| India | Not visa-free | Needs a transit visa, Hayya e-visa or Discover Qatar hotel booking. |
Passport validity: Visit Qatar asks for 3 months, but the UK government and Qatar’s own visa waiver rules say 6. Travel with at least 6 months left.
Entry is always at the immigration officer’s discretion. Qatar Airways’ holiday arm notes that the visa waiver is generally expected to be used for at least an overnight stay, so on a short layover bring your onward boarding pass and be ready to explain your plans.
If your passport isn’t visa-free
Discover Qatar transit visa
This is the route built for layovers, run by Qatar Airways’ tour company.
- Fee: QAR 100 (a rejected application is refunded less QAR 25).
- Ticket: you must be flying Qatar Airways or a code-share.
- Up to 12 hours: apply at the Discover Qatar desk in the airport. It’s processed on the spot, and you need a Discover Qatar transit tour booking.
- 12 to 96 hours: apply online at least 4 working days ahead, with a Discover Qatar or Qatar Airways Holidays hotel booking.
- It can’t be extended beyond 96 hours.
Older guides still describe a free 96-hour transit visa. That was the 2016 scheme, and the current terms charge QAR 100.
Hayya e-visa
Qatar’s Hayya platform issues e-visas for QAR 100. The A3 category is for holders of a valid visa or residence permit from the US, UK, Schengen area, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, which suits many Indian travellers who fly through Doha often. Apply before you travel.
Visa on arrival with a hotel
Visit Qatar lists India, Pakistan, Ukraine and Taiwan as eligible for visa on arrival only with a hotel booked through Discover Qatar in advance.
Qatar Airways’ free transit hotel
If you’re flying Qatar Airways with a long connection, check this before you book a room yourself. Qatar Airways gives a free hotel on some fares when:
- your connection in Doha is between 8 and 24 hours,
- there’s no Qatar Airways flight to your destination within 8 hours of your arrival, and
- at least one flight on your ticket is marketed and operated by Qatar Airways.
The stay is in a 4 or 5-star hotel, with return transfers. If your passport needs a visa, the visa application is included too. Book it at least 3 days before departure. After that, ask at the transfer desk when you land. Your checked bags go through to your final destination, so pack a small overnight bag in your hand luggage.
Not every fare qualifies, so check your booking on the Qatar Airways site.
Stopover packages: 12 to 96 hours
For a planned stop of 12 to 96 hours, Qatar Airways and Discover Qatar sell discounted hotel packages. You need a Qatar Airways, codeshare or oneworld ticket. Prices seen in October 2026, a person a night, sharing a double room:
| Package | From |
|---|---|
| Standard, 4-star | About US$14 (QAR 52) |
| Premium, 5-star | About US$24 (QAR 88) |
| Premium Beach | About US$31 (QAR 113) |
| Luxury, with breakfast | About US$83 (QAR 304) |
Discover Qatar is the same company that runs the transit visa above. Flying another airline? Compare with city hotels, or the Oryx Airport Hotel if you’d rather stay airside.
Before you leave the airport
- Keep your onward boarding pass with you.
- Check whether your checked bags are going through to your final destination.
- Remember you’ll pass passport control and security again on the way back in, so be back at the airport 90 minutes before departure. See getting into the city for return timings.
A transit tour you can book
If you're allowed to leave Hamad International Airport, a tour that collects you at the airport takes care of the timing. Check that the tour's length fits your layover, leaving time to get out of the airport and to be back 90 minutes before your flight.