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The Gulf state of Qatar Tuesday became the second Muslim-majority country to be included in the US Visa Waiver Programme, allowing its citizens to travel to the United States without obtaining a visa for up to 90 days, news agency AP reported.
The US departments of State and Homeland Security jointly announced that Qatar had met stringent eligibility requirements to join the visa waiver program, while commending Doha for meeting strict security requirements, Reuters reported.
Many countries whose citizens can visit the US without a visa are longstanding allies in Europe and Asia. The only other Muslim-majority country to have joined the program is the Southeast Asian nation of Brunei.
The US Visa Waiver Programme allows citizens of qualifying nations to enter the United States for business or tourism without a visa for up to 90 days, if the nations meet the eligibility requirements.
Those requirements, according to AP, include a low visa refusal rate, a low rate of visa overstays and a demand of reciprocal treatment of American travelers, who are already allowed to visit Qatar without a visa for up to 30 days.
Starting October 1, US citizens will be allowed to stay in Qatar without a visa for 90 days.
Washington requires countries to meet requirements on issues such as counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, document security, and border management, news agency Reuters reported.
Israel, admitted to the programme in 2023, was the last country to join despite concerns over its treatment of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim Americans. Qatar is the 42nd member of the program. Croatia was added in 2021. The program requires countries to allow US citizens similar visa-free travel.
Although Qatar’s population is just over 3 million people, only about 320,000 are actually Qataris who would be eligible for the program if they hold valid passports, AP reported. The vast majority of people who live in Qatar are foreign workers and other expatriates who do not hold Qatari passports.
The waiver, according to the report, allows Qatari citizens to enter the US for business or tourism for up to 90 days, though they must still obtain electronic approval via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), an online process that does not require an in-person interview.
“Qatar has been an exceptional partner for the United States, and our strategic relationship has only grown stronger over the past few years,” the departments of State and Homeland Security said in a statement. “This is further evidence of our strategic partnership and our shared commitment to security and stability.”
Qatar played a key role in negotiation talks between Hamas and Israeli officials for a cease-fire deal in Gaza and release of hostages captured by Hamas in its October 7 attack on Israel.
The Gulf country was also an instrumental US partner before and during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, is the 42nd country to be admitted to the program, according to the Associated Press.
An administration official told reporters the US has a strong defense relationship with Qatar and praised Doha for taking the lead on pressing the Taliban on human rights and providing assistance in Sudan, news agency Reuters reported.
“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,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
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.
