In This Guide
Quick answer: what the Hayya card is now
The Hayya card is Qatar's digital entry permit and visitor ID. It began as the FIFA World Cup 2022 fan pass and has become the government's standard gateway for most international visitors. You apply online through the Hayya platform (hayya.qa and the "Hayya to Qatar" app), and there are four main visitor categories:
| Type | Who it is for | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A1 — Tourist | General leisure visitors | QAR 100 |
| A2 — GCC Resident | Expats living in the GCC (UAE, Saudi, Oman…) | QAR 100 |
| A3 — Visa with ETA | Residents/nationals of trusted countries | QAR 100 |
| A4 — Companion | Travelling with a GCC citizen | — |
Nationals of around 90 countries get visa-free entry (visa on arrival or free online), so many travellers pay nothing. To confirm where your own status stands once in Qatar, see our MOI Qatar visa check guide.
The Hayya visa types explained
A1 — Tourist
The general tourist entry for leisure visitors who are not visa-exempt. It typically allows a stay of up to 30 days, extendable by a further 30.
A2 — GCC Resident
For expatriates living in another GCC country. This is the one most Gulf residents use for a Qatar trip. It now permits multiple entries and stays of up to 60 days, a step up from the older single-entry setup — useful if you travel to Qatar regularly for work or family.
A3 — Visa with ETA
An electronic travel authorisation for residents and nationals of trusted countries, applied for before travel.
A4 — Companion
For someone travelling with a GCC citizen, linked to the citizen's trip.
If your visit is really about joining family who live in Qatar, a family visit visa may fit better than a tourist Hayya — see the Qatar family visit visa guide and the family residence visa guide.
Who is visa-free
Around 90 nationalities can enter Qatar without a paid visa, either visa-free on arrival or with a free online registration through the Hayya platform. Whether you fall into that group depends on your passport, not your GCC residence, so check your nationality on the Hayya platform before assuming you must pay.
Even visa-free travellers increasingly register through Hayya, because the platform is Qatar's single digital gateway for entry — it holds your permit, links to your stay, and is where extensions are handled. Treating Hayya as the starting point saves confusion at the airport.
How to apply for a Hayya card
The whole process is digital — no embassy visit.
- Go to the Hayya platform (hayya.qa) or the "Hayya to Qatar" app and create an account.
- Choose your visa type (A1, A2, A3 or A4).
- Upload the documents — a passport valid for the required period from your arrival date, and a recent colour photo on a white background. GCC residents add their residence details.
- Pay the QAR 100 fee where applicable and submit.
- Wait for approval — usually 1 to 5 business days — then carry the digital Hayya card for entry.
Apply a week or two before travel to leave room for the processing window, and make sure the passport photo meets the white-background rule, which is the most common cause of a rejected application.
Validity and extensions
- A1 tourist: typically up to 30 days, extendable by a further 30 (about 60 days in total).
- A2 GCC resident: multiple entries, stays of up to 60 days.
- Extensions are requested through the Hayya platform before your current permission expires.
As with any visit permit, overstaying carries fines, so track the expiry and extend in time. For how Qatar's overstay penalties work and how to check your status, see the Qatar overstay fine calculator and the MOI Qatar visa check.
Hayya vs family visit visa vs residence: which to use
The Hayya card is right for a visit. It is the wrong tool if your real goal is to live in Qatar or bring family long-term.
- Short leisure or business trip — a Hayya A1 (tourist) or A2 (GCC resident) is the fastest route.
- Bringing family to stay with a Qatar resident — a family visit visa or, for the long term, a family residence visa fits better than a tourist Hayya.
- Moving for work — you enter and then convert to a residence permit; the Hayya is only the entry step.
Using a tourist Hayya when you actually need a family or residence route is a common, costly detour. If you are unsure, confirm your status first with the MOI Qatar visa check.
At the airport: what to carry
- Your approved Hayya card (digital in the app is accepted) and the passport it was issued against.
- Passport valid for the required period from your arrival date.
- Return or onward ticket and, if asked, proof of accommodation.
- GCC residents (A2) — carry your valid GCC residence permit; entry is tied to it.
Keep the Hayya accessible on arrival; immigration links your entry to it. An expired GCC residence permit undermines an A2 entry even with an approved Hayya.
Why Hayya applications get rejected
Most refusals trace to the same avoidable issues:
- Photo not on a plain white background — the single most common cause.
- Passport validity too short from the arrival date.
- Incomplete or mismatched documents, especially GCC residence details for an A2.
- Applying in the wrong category for your nationality or residence.
Apply a week or two before travel so a rejection can be fixed and resubmitted in time, and double-check the photo rule before paying.
Visiting or moving to Qatar?
For a straightforward tourist or GCC-resident trip, the Hayya card is a quick online job. It gets more involved when the visit is really the first step toward living in Qatar — bringing family, converting to a residence permit, or sorting paperwork on a deadline.
Wathim handles Qatar residency, family sponsorship and entry-permit cases end to end. Contact us, or read the related guides: Qatar family visit visa, family residence visa, and MOI Qatar visa check. Everything else is on the Qatar services hub, and the entry services sit inside the MOI Qatar portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Hayya card is Qatar's digital entry permit and visitor ID. It started as the FIFA World Cup 2022 fan pass and is now the government's standard gateway for most international visitors, applied for online through the Hayya platform (hayya.qa and the Hayya to Qatar app). It groups visitors into categories such as A1 tourist, A2 GCC resident, A3 ETA and A4 companion.
The A1 tourist, A2 GCC resident and A3 ETA visas each cost QAR 100 (roughly USD 27), applied for online. Nationals of about 90 countries enter visa-free, either on arrival or through a free online registration, so many travellers pay nothing. Check your nationality on the Hayya platform before assuming a fee applies.
The A2 is the Hayya category for expatriates living in another GCC country, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Oman. It costs QAR 100, permits multiple entries, and allows stays of up to 60 days — an upgrade from the older single-entry setup — which suits Gulf residents who visit Qatar regularly.
Apply digitally on the Hayya platform (hayya.qa) or the Hayya to Qatar app: create an account, choose your visa type, upload a passport valid for the required period and a recent white-background colour photo, pay the QAR 100 fee where applicable, and submit. Approval usually takes 1 to 5 business days, so apply a week or two before travel.
The A1 tourist Hayya typically allows a stay of up to 30 days, extendable by a further 30 days for about 60 days in total. The A2 GCC resident visa allows multiple entries with stays of up to 60 days. Extensions are requested through the Hayya platform before the current permission expires.
Most GCC residents apply for the A2 GCC Resident Hayya visa at QAR 100, which gives multiple entries and up to 60 days per stay. Some nationalities are visa-free regardless of residence. Because eligibility depends on both your passport and your GCC residence, confirm your specific case on the Hayya platform before booking.
The most common reason is a passport photo that is not on a plain white background. Others are a passport whose validity is too short from your arrival date, incomplete or mismatched documents (especially GCC residence details for an A2), or applying in the wrong category for your nationality or residence. Apply a week or two ahead so a rejection can be corrected and resubmitted in time.
Use a Hayya card (A1 tourist or A2 GCC resident) for a short visit. If your goal is to bring family to stay with a Qatar resident, a family visit visa or a family residence visa fits better; if you are moving for work, you enter and then convert to a residence permit, with the Hayya only as the entry step. Using a tourist Hayya when you need a residence route is a common, costly detour.
Carry your approved Hayya card (the digital version in the app is accepted) and the passport it was issued against, with the passport valid for the required period from arrival, plus a return or onward ticket and, if asked, proof of accommodation. GCC residents on an A2 must carry a valid GCC residence permit, since the entry is tied to it.
Stuck on a Government Service Step?
Wathim publishes free plain-English guides to GCC visas, IDs, driving licences, attestation, and fines. If a fee table looks off or a step is missing, tell us and we will update the guide. You can also book a free guidance call with our GCC services desk.
Wathim Editorial
GCC Services Desk
The Wathim team writes plain-English guides to GCC government services. We track ICP, GDRFA, MOHRE, Absher, Muqeem, Qiwa, Metrash, LMRA, ROP Oman, and MOI Kuwait so expats can plan visa, residency, ID, and licence steps without guesswork.
