Qatar residents to enjoy visa-free...

Nation becomes first Arab country to join waiver programme

The US government has added Qatar to its list of countries approved for its Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), allowing citizens to travel to the US without the need for a visa.

Qatar becomes only the second country in the Middle East, after Israel, and the first Arab country to join the VWP.

Israel was added in September 2023, but its admission faced backlash after Palestinian Americans claimed they still weren't treated equally when trying to enter Israel, even as US citizens, under the programme.

Qatar joins 41 other countries on the list. Many countries that want to join, including Argentina, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Brazil have tried to better their chances of admission.

Visa-free travel helps boost tourism and elevates a country’s economic and security ties with other countries afforded the same privilege.

According to administration officials, the programme is “first and foremost a security partnership”.

Programme countries must meet strict requirements related to counterterrorism, law enforcement, document security, border management and immigration enforcement.

Qatar is said to have made changes in multiple areas – “mostly all related to information sharing” – in order to join the VWP.

The Arab nation will allow the US to access passenger name records and other passenger information and gain access to known and suspected terrorist databases.

“Qatar has been a great partner, meeting all requirements,” officials added.

The country is set to join the VWP at the beginning of December 2024 latest.

For more information, visit https://qa.usembassy.gov

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