Western Asia · UN member
Qatar: Travel Guide & Requirements
State of Qatar · دولة قطر
Qatar is a country in Western Asia with its capital in Doha. It has a population of 3.0 million (#138 in the world) and covers 11,586 km². The official language is Arabic. The currency is the Qatari riyal (QAR, ر.ق).
Where is Qatar? Map of Qatar
Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia.
- Region
- Western Asia
- Coordinates
- 25.5° N, 51.25° E
- Neighbours
- 1 — see list
- Coastline
- 563 km
- Qatar
- Neighbours
- Capital
- Largest cities
Map of Qatar showing Doha (capital) and the largest cities: Umm Ghuwaylīnah.
Travel requirements
What you need to travel to Qatar
- Passport
Hayya, which issues Qatar's e-visas, lists a minimum of 3 months' passport validity from the date of arrival among the requirements for entry through Hayya.
- Visa or eTA
Depends on your passport: of 198 passports, 89 need no visa, 97 need an eVisa, 6 get a visa on arrival, 6 need a visa from an embassy. Check yours or see Qatar entry requirements for every passport.
- Return or onward ticket
Hayya, Qatar's official e-visa platform, lists a return flight ticket among the requirements for entry into Qatar through Hayya, together with the Hayya E-Visa, a passport valid for at least 3 months from arrival and pr…
- Proof of funds
No official requirement.
- Travel insurance
No official requirement. The UK government says that if you are staying in Qatar for more than 30 days you must buy health insurance from a registered Ministry of Public Health insurance provider before you travel, and that the standard premium…
- Vaccinations
WHO's country list marks Qatar as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 9 months and over arriving from countries at risk of yellow fever transmission.
- Customs allowance
The UK government says that if you are taking money, precious metals or gems worth more than QAR 50,000 into Qatar, including Qatari riyal or foreign currencies, cheques, gold, silver and precious stones, you must compl…
- Travel advice
High risk — US and UK advice.
Entry rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset (CC BY 4.0), each rule cited to an official government source. Always confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel.
Before you go
10 things to know before you travel to Qatar
- Safety: Travel to Qatar carries a high risk: the US State Department rates Qatar Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
- Best time to go: December to March — when daytime highs in Doha are around 22–28°C.
- Money: the Qatari riyal (QAR) — 1 US dollar is about 3.6400 QAR.
- Plugs: type D, F, G and L, 240 V, 50 Hz — standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
- Emergency numbers: Police 999, Ambulance 999, Fire 999.
- Language: Arabic is official; English is also spoken.
- Driving: on the right — speed limits are 100 km/h in built-up areas and 120 km/h outside built-up areas.
- Time zone: UTC+3 in Doha.
- Capital: Doha; the largest city is Ar-Rayyan. About 3.0 million people live in Qatar.
- Outdoors: 1 national park.
Key facts
Qatar at a glance
Languages spoken: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Geography & history
About Qatar
Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar within the last 60 years transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant hydrocarbon revenues. Former Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, who overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995, ushered in wide-sweeping political and media reforms, unprecedented economic investment, and a growing Qatari regional leadership role, in part through the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's mediation of some regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and by 2007, Doha …
Read the full history
Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar within the last 60 years transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant hydrocarbon revenues. Former Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, who overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995, ushered in wide-sweeping political and media reforms, unprecedented economic investment, and a growing Qatari regional leadership role, in part through the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's mediation of some regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and by 2007, Doha had attained the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar did not experience domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2011, due in part to its immense wealth and patronage network. In mid-2013, HAMAD peacefully abdicated, transferring power to his son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad. TAMIM is popular with the Qatari public for his role in shepherding the country through an economic embargo from some other regional countries, for his efforts to improve the country's healthcare and education systems, and for his expansion of the country's infrastructure in anticipation of hosting international sporting events. Qatar became the first country in the Arab world to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2022. Following the outbreak of regional unrest in 2011, Doha prided itself on its support for many popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. This stance was to the detriment of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which temporarily recalled their respective ambassadors from Doha in 2014. TAMIM later oversaw a warming of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in November 2014 following Kuwaiti mediation and signing of the Riyadh Agreement. This reconciliation, however, was short-lived. In 2017, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE (the "Quartet") cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in response to alleged violations of the agreement, among other complaints. They restored ties in 2021 after signing a declaration at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia. In 2022, the United States designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.
Location
Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Climate
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain
mostly flat and barren desert
Highest point
Tuwayyir al Hamir 103 m
Natural resources
petroleum, fish, natural gas
Natural hazards
haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
National symbols
a white serrated band with nine white points on top of a maroon field
Driving
Speed limits & road rules in Qatar
The default speed limits in Qatar are 100 km/h in built-up areas and 120 km/h outside built-up areas. Posted signs always take priority over these defaults.
- 100100 km/hBuilt-up areasTowns and citiesWHO data (2017)
- 120120 km/hOutside built-up areasCountry roadsWHO data (2017)
- International Driving PermitRecognised: 1968 ViennaCarry the IDP together with your national licence
- Driving sideDrive on the rightOvertake on the left
- Seat beltsRequired by law
- Child seatsNo national child-restraint law
- Motorcycle helmetsRequired for riders
- Road deaths (2021)7.3 per 100,000 peopleSafer than most countries (median 12.4)
Speed limits: OpenStreetMap wiki — Default speed limits (CC BY-SA 2.0) and WHO. Road-safety laws: WHO Global Health Observatory. Compare speed limits and alcohol limits by country. Defaults for cars; local signs, weather and vehicle type can lower them.
Safety
Is Qatar safe to visit?
Travel to Qatar carries a high risk: the US State Department rates Qatar Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
US State Department
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Latest update: Updated information about bringing prescription and controlled medication into Qatar, including the Ministry of Public Health's online permit application system ('Health' page).
Updated 19 Aug 2026 · Full travel advice
Sources: US Department of State travel advisories (public domain) and UK FCDO foreign travel advice (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0). Checked daily. Advice can change quickly — always read the official page before you travel.
Weather
Best time to visit Qatar
The best time to visit Qatar is December to March, when daytime highs in Doha are around 22–28°C. November is also a good time to go. July is the warmest month (43°C by day), January the coldest (13°C at night).
- Jan22°C13°C
- Feb24°C14°C
- Mar28°C17°C
- Apr33°C21°C
- May39°C25°C
- Jun41°C28°C
- Jul43°C30°C
- Aug42°C30°C
- Sep40°C28°C
- Oct36°C25°C
- Nov29°C21°C
- Dec24°C16°C
Best time Good Less ideal
Before you go
Plugs, voltage & emergency numbers in Qatar
Plugs & sockets
- Type Dthree large round pins in a triangle
- Type F (Schuko)two round pins with earth clips on the sides
- Type Gthree rectangular pins in a triangle
- Type Lthree round pins in a row
240 V, 50 Hz · Standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
Emergency numbers
Save the local numbers before you travel — 112 or 911 may not connect here. All countries →
Sources: Wikipedia — Mains electricity by country and List of emergency telephone numbers (CC BY-SA 4.0).
National parks
1 national park in Qatar
- oldest from 2006
Largest: Umm Tais National Park
Currency · 26 October 2026
Qatari riyal exchange rates today
Qatar uses the Qatari riyal (QAR, ر.ق). One US dollar buys 3.6400 QAR; over the last 30 days the QAR has gained 0.0% against the dollar.
What other currencies cost in QAR
Currency converter
Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0), 26 Oct 2026. Banks and exchange offices add a margin.
World rankings
Where Qatar ranks
How Qatar compares with the rest of the world — open any card for the full ranking.
Airports
Airports in Qatar
21 airports and airfields — 2 large, 1 medium and 4 small, plus 14 heliports. 2 have scheduled passenger flights.
Borders
Neighbouring countries
Qatar borders 1 country along 87 km of land borders. Coastline: 563 km.
Military
Qatari armed forces
Qatar ranks #65 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with a defence budget of $15.4 billion (2022).
People
Population & society
Religion
Largest cities: Ar-Rayyan (798,000), Doha (658,000)
Economy
Economy
Main industries
liquefied natural gas, crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizer, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair
Export partners
China 18%, India 11%, S. Korea 10%, Japan 7%, Pakistan 6% (2023)
Top exports
natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, plastics, fertilizers (2023)
Travel tools
Handy before every trip to Qatar
Next public holiday
Qatar National Day — Friday, 18 December 2026. Then National Sports Day (9 Feb).
Qatari passport
Ranked #92: 70 countries visa-free, 31 with visa on arrival, 7 with an eTA and 24 with an eVisa.
Qatari passport photo
Exact size, head position and background for Qatar's passport and visa photos — make one free with AI checks.
Calling Qatar
Dial +974 before the local number. Internet domain .qa.
Climate footprint
125.8 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 — 41.27 t per person.
Entry requirements
Visa rules for every passport visiting Qatar: visa-free stays, eVisas, visas on arrival and documents to bring.
News
Latest travel news about Qatar
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Frequently asked questions about Qatar
What do I need to travel to Qatar?
How long must my passport be valid for Qatar?
Where is Qatar?
What is Qatar known for?
What is the capital of Qatar?
What language is spoken in Qatar?
What currency does Qatar use?
What is the calling code of Qatar?
Which countries border Qatar?
How strong is the Qatari passport?
What is the speed limit in Qatar?
Is Qatar safe to visit?
When is the best time to visit Qatar?
What plug type does Qatar use?
How many airports does Qatar have?
Sources: CIA World Factbook (public domain); World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0); names, languages and currencies: mledoze/countries (ODbL); flag: flag-icons (MIT); coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (file page); exchange rates: Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0); airports: OurAirports.