The US has announced it was admitting Qatar into its visa waiver program, allowing visa-free travel by Qatari citizens for up to 90 days starting from December 1.
The US Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State said in a statement that Qatar is the first Gulf country to be admitted to the US Visa Waiver Program, commending Doha for meeting the strict security requirements to join, reported Reuters.
Similarly, stating from October 1, US citizens will also be able to visit Qatar without a visa for up to 90 days.
The Gulf state has played a key role in mediation talks with Hamas and Israeli officials in relation to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages captured by the Palestinian Islamist group in its October 7 cross-border attack on Israel.
An administration official told reporters the US has a strong defence relationship with Qatar and praised Doha for taking the lead on pressing the Taliban on human rights and providing assistance in Sudan, among other issues.
“Qatar’s fulfillment of the stringent security requirements to join the Visa Waiver Program will deepen our strategic partnership and enhance the flow of people and commerce between our two countries,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
It has become the second Muslim-majority country (after Brunei) to be included in the US Visa Waiver Programme, allowing its citizens to travel to the United States without obtaining a visa.
Though Qatar’s population exceeds 3 million, only around 320,000 Qatari citizens are eligible for the programme, as most residents are foreign workers or expatriates without Qatari passports, reported The Indian Express.
For admission to the program allowing visitors traveling for tourism or business purposes to stay up to 90 days without a visa, Washington requires countries to meet requirements on issues such as counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, document security, and border management.
Qatar put forth a “significant whole-of-government effort to meet all program requirements,” including on partnering to share information on terrorism and serious crimes, according to the statement.
Qatar is the 42nd member of the program, with nations added infrequently. Israel, admitted to the programme in 2023, was the last country to join despite concerns over its treatment of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim Americans.
