UK ETA for Qatar Citizens: 2026 Guide

Yes, Qatar citizens need a UK ETA to visit the United Kingdom, and Qatar was the first country in the world required to get one. The £20 Electronic Travel Authorisation replaced the old Electronic Visa Waiver for Qatari nationals in late 2023.

TL;DR: Qatari passport holders must hold a UK ETA before travelling to Britain. It costs £20, lasts two years or until your passport expires, and allows visits of up to six months. Apply online or in the official app, and most approvals arrive within minutes. Qatar led the global ETA rollout from November 2023.

Qatari travellers have a unique place in this story: their country was the pilot for the entire UK ETA scheme. If you used the old EVW system before, the ETA will feel familiar but cheaper and longer-lasting. For the broader Gulf picture, our guide on UK ETA requirements for Saudi Arabia and the UAE sits alongside this one.

Do Qatar citizens need a UK ETA?

Every Qatari citizen travelling to the UK for tourism, business, study, or transit needs an ETA, unless they already hold a UK visa or other valid immigration status. The requirement applies to all ages, so each child needs their own authorisation, and there is no family application. Each passport needs its own ETA.

Qatar is one of the visa-exempt nationalities that use the ETA rather than a full visa for short stays. The official confirmation sits on the gov.uk ETA guidance, and travel conditions for Qatar specifically are summarised in the gov.uk Qatar travel advice. Without an ETA, the airline will refuse to let you board your flight to Britain. A few Qatari travellers are exempt: anyone holding a valid UK visa, British or Irish citizens, and dual nationals who travel on a British or Irish passport do not need a separate ETA. If you hold both a Qatari and another passport, apply with the one you will actually present at the UK border to avoid a mismatch.

A quick scenario: a family from Doha flying to London for a week’s half-term holiday needs four separate ETAs — two parents and two children — at £20 each, totalling £80. Sorting them in one sitting on the app is usually quick. Doha sees heavy summer and half-term traffic to London, so applying a week ahead — rather than the night before a dawn flight from Hamad International — keeps the trip stress-free even if one application is referred for review.

UK ETA for Qatar: cost, validity and stay

For Qatari travellers, a UK ETA costs £20 per person, lasts up to two years, and permits unlimited visits of up to six months each within that window. The fee rose from £10 to £16 on 9 April 2025 and to £20 on 8 April 2026, and it is tied to the passport you apply with. Renew that passport and you reapply.

Because the ETA is valid for two years, frequent Qatari visitors (business travellers, families with relatives in Britain, students on short courses) apply once and travel many times. If you get a new passport, the ETA ends with the old document. To understand how repeat trips work, see our guide on UK ETA multiple entries, and check the timeline in our piece on how long a UK ETA takes.

Pro tip: Apply at least three working days before you fly, even though Qatari applicants are usually approved within minutes. Building in that buffer protects you if your case is pulled for extra checks.

From EVW to ETA: why the rules changed for Qatar

Qatar was the first nationality brought into the ETA scheme. Applications for Qatari nationals opened on 25 October 2023, and the ETA became mandatory for them from 15 November 2023. They were the first nationality in the world to need one.

After the Qatar pilot proved the system, the UK extended the ETA to other Gulf states — including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan — in early 2024, then to Europe and beyond through 2025. The history is documented across gov.uk’s ETA pages. For Qatari travellers, the practical upshot is a cheaper, longer-lasting permit than the old EVW it replaced. The contrast is stark: the EVW cost around £30 and covered a single visit, so a family making three trips a year paid repeatedly. The ETA costs £20 once and stays valid for two years of multiple visits, so the same family now pays once and travels freely until their passport or the two years run out. For frequent flyers between Doha and London, that is a real saving.

How Qatar citizens apply for a UK ETA

To apply, download the official app or use the gov.uk website, scan your Qatari passport, take a photo, answer the suitability questions, and pay £20. Most applicants finish in 10 to 15 minutes, and approval usually follows within minutes. Each traveller in your group needs a separate application.

1. Scan your passport. Use the app to read your Qatari passport chip, which fills in your details automatically and reduces typos.
2. Add a photo. Take the guided facial scan in good light, without glasses or a head covering that hides your face.
3. Answer and pay. Complete the security questions honestly and pay the £20 fee by card or mobile wallet.

Step-by-step help for every screen is in our how to apply for a UK ETA online guide. Avoid the slip-ups that cause refusals by reading the most common UK ETA mistakes before you submit.

What Qatari travellers can do in the UK

With an ETA, Qatari citizens can travel as tourists, visit family and friends, attend business meetings and conferences, take a short course of up to six months, and transit through the UK. They cannot work for a UK employer, run a business, or claim public funds on an ETA. The ETA covers visits only.

Border Force still makes the final entry decision when you land, as the gov.uk border control guide explains, so carry proof of your accommodation and return travel. A Qatari businessman attending a two-day conference in London, for example, travels fine on an ETA, but signing an employment contract to work in Britain would need a different visa entirely. The rules on short business activities are strict: attending meetings, negotiating deals and going to conferences are allowed, while doing paid productive work for a UK company is not. Every visit has the same six-month limit, so a student from Qatar on a six-week summer course is well within the rules, whereas a year-long degree would require a Student visa instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Qatari citizens still use the EVW for the UK?

No. The Electronic Visa Waiver was replaced by the ETA for Qatari nationals in late 2023. You now apply for a £20 ETA, which lasts two years and covers multiple visits, rather than buying a separate EVW for each trip.

How much is a UK ETA for Qatar citizens?

Qatari citizens pay £20 per person for a UK ETA, the same as every other nationality. The fee increased from £10 on 9 April 2025. Each traveller, including children, needs their own ETA at that price.

How long can Qatari travellers stay in the UK?

Up to six months per visit. The ETA itself stays valid for two years or until your passport expires, and you can make multiple trips, but no single stay may exceed six months.

When did Qatar start needing a UK ETA?

Qatari nationals could apply from 25 October 2023 and have needed an ETA to travel since 15 November 2023. Qatar was the first country in the world included in the UK ETA scheme.

Can a Qatari family apply together?

There is no single family application — each person needs their own ETA. You can, however, pay for several applications from one account or card, which makes applying for children straightforward.

Do Qatari travellers need an ETA to transit through the UK?

Generally yes, if they pass through UK border control. A purely airside connection does not currently require an ETA, so check your specific itinerary before booking connecting flights through a UK airport.

What happens if a Qatari traveller is refused an ETA?

You would need to apply for a UK visa instead. The £20 fee is not refunded for a refusal, so answer every question accurately. If you have a complex history, applying for a visitor visa from the outset may be wiser.

Last updated: 2026-06-28 — verified against gov.uk schedule.