Pakistani travellers face new visa restrictions in Qatar as Doha has reportedly suspended the visa-on-arrival facility, requiring visitors to apply for visas through an online portal.
According to media reports, Qatar has reportedly suspended visa-on-arrival facilities for Pakistani citizens and halted visa processing through its online portal, according to several prospective travellers.
According to media reports, the Foreign Office have also confirmed the development, although Pakistan has not yet received any formal communication from Qatari authorities regarding the reported restrictions.
Officials at the Foreign Office said the matter would be raised with the Qatari government at the earliest opportunity to seek clarification on the decision. The sudden move is reportedly linked to the evolving regional security situation following the recent escalation in the Iran–US conflict. Similar changes in visa policies have also been reported across the Gulf region amid heightened security concerns.
With the reported suspension, Qatar becomes the second Gulf state after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to impose restrictions affecting Pakistani travellers. The UAE has reportedly been limiting visa issuance to Pakistani citizens since last year.
However, Islamabad has rejected speculation surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ visa policy for Pakistani citizens, saying the UAE is issuing significantly more visas to Pakistanis than the number of nationals being deported to Pakistan. According to Pakistani officials, the UAE is currently granting visas to Pakistani nationals at a rate around seven times higher than the number of people being repatriated.
The UAE is home to an estimated 1.8 million Pakistanis and remains one of Pakistan’s key sources of foreign remittances. In recent months, however, Pakistani visa applicants have raised concerns over lengthy processing times and increased scrutiny. Both Pakistani and UAE authorities have consistently maintained that there is no official visa ban on Pakistani nationals.