Are you on a visit visa in Qatar and planning to attend the World Cup? If your visit visa is expiring during the tournament, make sure to change Qatar visit visa to Hayya Card visa.
With Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup™, more than a million visitors will be arriving in Qatar from November to December 2022. As announced earlier, a Hayya Card and Hayya Entry Permit are mandatory for visitors to Qatar from 1 November.
There are many visitors who are already in Qatar under other types of visit visas like a family visit visa, which may be expiring during the World Cup. If they have purchased FIFA match tickets, obviously they would be planning to stay for the tournament.
However, there are some questions they should be asking now:
- Can Hayya Cardholders continue to stay on a visit visa?
- Will there be any fine if a Hayya Card holder’s visit visa expires and he continues to stay?
- Should visit visa holders leave the country and come back using Hayya Entry Permit?
- How can I change Qatar visit visa to Hayya Card visa?
Here are the answers to all these questions according to the Hayya website and answers from Hayya support team:
Can Hayya Card holders continue to stay on visit visa?
If you are on a visit visa and your visa expires during the tournament, you should change your visa type to a Hayya visa.
Will there be any fine if a Hayya Card holder’s visit visa expires and he continues to stay?
Having a Hayya Card doesn’t mean your visa is automatically renewed. If you do not change your visa to a Hayya visa you may be fined for overstaying.
Should visit visa holders leave the country and come back using Hayya Entry Permit?
If your visa expires before 1 November 2022, you should exit and re-enter with a Hayya Entry Permit. If your visa is expiring between 1 November and 23 December, you can follow the steps below.
How To Change Qatar Visit Visa To Hayya Card Visa
If you are on a visit visa, which will expire between 1 November and 23 December 2022:
- Visit the nearest Ministry of Interior (MOI) Service Center with your Hayya Entry Permit / Hayya Card.
- Request a change of visa status.
- Pay the service fee of QR 500.
- MOI officials will change your visa status in the system.
Below is the screenshot from the Hayya website regarding this:
The Ministry of Interior (MOI) in Qatar handles the country’s policing, immigration and national security. You can visit any MOI Service Center for this purpose.
Note that you should be visiting an MOI Service Center from 1 November 2022 only. If the visa is expiring earlier, you should leave the country and come back after 1 November, or you should pay the penalty for the number of days overstaying.
How long is this visa valid?
Once you pay QR 500 and your visa type is changed, you will receive a paper with the visa validity. From what we have seen so far, it is valid till 23 January 2023.
How long can I stay in Qatar with a Hayya Entry Permit?
Hayya Entry Permit holders can stay until 23 January 2023. The Hayya Entry Permit is like a multiple-entry visa. The last date for entering Qatar will be 23 December 2022.
2 NOVEMBER 2022 UPDATE: Ministry of Interior, in a statement, said that visitors may go to the General Directorate of Passports and MOI Services Centres and get their visa converted for a service fee of QAR 500. The Ministry stated that this visa validity will last until January 23, 2023.
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- How To Apply for UAE Visa With Hayya Card
- How To Apply for Saudi Visa With Hayya Card
- How To Apply for Oman Visa With Hayya Card
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Hi, My wife is in Qatar on a visit visa, is there any possibility of changing the visa to a haya card which was recent approval up to stay Jan 2024 before the visit visa expiry (without leaving the country)?
Hi Jezzy, As per current available information (from MOI officials), you have to exit and come back on Hayya.
can I change hayya visa
Hi Basharat, If you have another approved visa, you can exit the country and come back on a new visa.
Hi Dohaguide team!
I would like to have your advice. My Family is here in Qatar under Hayya Visa. I want to apply them for family visit visa. do they need to go out Qatar and come back under family visit visa?
Is it possible to let them stay here in Qatar while i’m processing their family visit visa and i will just pay the fine for over staying under Hayya visa? is this possible?
Hi Red, As far as we know, those who recently tried to change from Hayya to other visas were asked to exit and come back. Also, note that the fine for overstay is QR 200 per day and you can’t predict how many days it would take for approval.