A new arrangement will soon allow American citizens to visit Qatar for longer periods of time and give Qataris access to visa-free travel to the U.S. for tourism or business.

Qatar has announced a reciprocal visa-free travel deal with the US as part of a major development between the two nations. Qatar has joined the United States Visa Waiver Program, becoming the first country in the region to do so. This development reflects the ongoing strategic partnership between Qatar and the United States.

Qatar becomes the second country in the Middle East, after Israel, and the first Arab country to join the VWP. Israel was admitted into the program 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 VWP.

The Biden administration has admitted Qatar into the U.S. Visa Wavier Program, allowing citizens from the Gulf country to visit the United States for up to 90 days without first securing the travel endorsement.

Qatar became the second Muslim-majority country admitted to the US Visa Waiver Program, allowing its citizens to travel visa-free for up to 90 days. This highlights the growing US-Qatar partnership, with reciprocal visa-free stays for US citizens in Qatar.

The United States announced on September 24, 2024 that Qatar is being added to its Visa Waiver Program, allowing Qatari citizens to visit the U.S. without a visa for up to 90 days. This change, set to take effect no later than December 1,