Visa
Visa on arrival for tourists is available for over 30 countries. Or you can always apply at the embassy at your country. A typical tourist visa allows one month stay.
Expatriates with family status can get up to 6 months visa for their family members like parents or siblings.
For more detail, please check the latest visa application requirements here.
Language
Official language is Arabic though fluent English is spoken in many places.
Currency
Currency used in Qatar is Qatar Riyal (QAR or QR) and each Riyal is divided into 100 Dirham.
The Qatari Riyal is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed exchange rate of USD 1 = QR 3.64 in 2001. <read more>
Banks
Banks opening hours: Sunday – Thursday 7:30a.m. – 1:00p.m. Certain banks may open from 5p.m. to 7p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and also Saturday morning.
Click here to see more about banks and ATM in Qatar.
Weather
Qatar is hot in general. Best months to visit are November to April with temperature ranging between 21 – 30C in November or 14 – 22C in January. Rainy season starts from September to December.
Best time to visit depends where do you come from and what’s the hottest temperature you can bear. Click here to see the annual monthly average temperature of Doha.
Clothing
The general rule is not to show too much skin in public places, as a courtesy to both Qataris and Muslims. For both men and women, tops should cover the shoulders and upper arms. Shorts or skirts should at least cover the knees. Women do not necessarily cover their hair. Though it is particularly important to be modest in the Holy month of Ramadan.
Beachwear and swim suits are for hotel beaches only.
Postal Services
There are over 200 post boxes in Qatar. You can easily find them in museums and tourist attractions like Katara. See list of QPost branches here. More information can be found at Qpost.
