A new regulation will soon allow U.S. citizens to visit the Gulf country of Qatar for extended periods and grant Qataris visa-free access to the U.S. for tourism or business purposes, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.
Qatar becomes the latest country — and the first Gulf nation — to join the Visa Waiver Program, which allows certain foreigners to travel to the U.S. without a visa if their governments agree to enhance security and information-sharing arrangements with Washington. The arrangements with Qatar include U.S. government access to passenger data and databases of serious criminals and known or suspected terrorists, U.S. officials said in a call with reporters.
Although US officials say they are still working on a specific date, visa-free travel to the US for Qataris is scheduled for December.
As part of the arrangement, the government in Doha will allow American travelers to stay longer in Qatar. American tourists and business travelers can already travel to the Gulf country visa-free. But starting Oct. 1, they will be allowed to stay for up to 90 days — up from the current 30-day limit.
“Qatar’s completion of the strict security requirements to join the Visa Waiver Program will deepen our strategic partnership and improve the flow of people and trade between our two countries,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “Qatar’s accession will make travel between the United States and Qatar safer, more secure, and more convenient for Americans and Qataris alike.”
The Visa Waiver Program applies to citizens of 42 countries, most of which are U.S. allies in Europe. Although citizens of those countries can travel to the U.S. without a visa, participants in the program are still screened by U.S. officials before they are allowed to enter the country.
Qatar would be the third country to be added to the program under the Biden administration, which has also admitted Croatia and Israel to the initiative.
