Visas for Visiting Family

Policy and Procedure

If a member of your family needs a visa to enter Qatar, Georgetown can request assistance from Qatar Foundation, your sponsor. The following procedure and guidelines will apply:

Visa On Arrival:

• Qatar Foundation (QF) will not process a visa request for anyone who can get it on arrival at the airport. The following is a link to the 80 nationalities in this category: approved countries.  QF will only facilitate the process for immediate family members (parents and siblings).
• The traveler’s passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months past the date of entry.
• Some residents of GCC countries are eligible for a visa on arrival – GCC residents of approved professions and those accompanying them may obtain a one-month GCC Resident Visit Visa on arrival or through a Qatari Embassy.  The visa is renewable for an additional three months.  Applicants should carry proper documentation proving their profession.

Visa In Advance:

• If your family member cannot get a visa on arrival, we need at least 2-4 weeks to process the request.
• Visa requests for official Georgetown or QF events, such as Family Day and Commencement, will be supported by Georgetown. Again, we need at least 2-4 weeks to process the request.
• QF will only facilitate the process for immediate family members (parents and siblings).
• Submit to Omar Al Swadi a copy of each traveler’s passport pages which contain a photo, country of issue and current expiration date.
• For non-event visits, family members should try to get a visa from the hotel where they are staying. Most major hotels in Qatar provide this service. If your family is unable to get a visa from the hotel, please inform Dr. John Wright, Office of Student Life.