The United States has announced that Qatar has been granted a place on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which allows citizens of eligible countries to travel without obtaining a visa.
Qatar became the first Arab country and the second Middle Eastern country after Israel to be included in the program. With the decision, Qatari citizens will be able to travel to the United States for business or tourism purposes without a visa for up to 90 days as of December 1.
Unlike regular visa applications, approval must be obtained through the Electronic Travel Authorization System (ESTA), which is done entirely online and does not require a personal meeting.
Finally, Israel was added to the list of countries to which the US grants visa exemptions as the 41st in September 2023. The decision was criticized on the grounds that the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinian Americans was cited.
Outside of Europe, countries such as Malta, Croatia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Brunei are also included in the US Visa Waiver Program.
Many countries that want to participate in the Visa Waiver Program, such as Argentina, Romania, Bulgaria and Brazil, have taken some steps to increase their chances of acceptance.
US officials told reporters on Tuesday that the VWP is a “strong security partnership,” adding that countries on the list must “meet stringent legal and policy obligations related to counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, document security and border management.”
According to officials, Qatar has made changes in many areas, including “information sharing,” to join the VWP, allowing the U.S. to access passenger name records, more advanced passenger information, and databases of terror suspects.
“Qatar’s compliance with the stringent security requirements to participate in the Visa Waiver Program will deepen our strategic partnership and increase the flow of people and trade between our two countries,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“Qatar’s entry into the program will make travel between the United States and Qatar safer and easier for both Americans and Qataris,” Blinken said.
While the US has long worked closely with Qatar, one of the mediating countries for a ceasefire in Gaza, US officials have emphasized Qatar’s constructive role at every opportunity.
As a concrete indicator of the developing political and military relations in recent years, the US declared Qatar as an “important non-NATO ally” in 2022.
Qatar, home to the largest American military base in the region, played a key role in the evacuation of American citizens from Afghanistan after the US withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban took over. In addition to evacuation operations, Qatar also served as a mediator between the US and the Taliban.
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