Qatar now allows nationals of 80 countries visa-free access, making it the "most open country in the region" to foreign visitors.
Nationals of these 80 countries will no longer need to apply for visa or pay for them on arrival. Instead, they will simply be able to show their passport at customs and enter the country, according to state-owned Qatar Airways.
While many of the countries on the list already had relatively easy access to Qatar, simply having to pay a fee of 100 Qatari riyals ($27.50) upon arrival to obtain a tourist visa, this payment will now be waived.
"The visa exemption scheme will make Qatar the most open country in the region," Hassan al-Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development officer at Qatar Tourism Authority said, according to Reuters.
33 nations will be able to visit Qatar visa-free for up to 90 days
"The waiver will be valid for 180 days from the date of issuance and entitle its holder to spend up to 90 days in Qatar, during either a single trip or on multiple trips," according to Qatar Tourism Authority.
And 47 countries will be able to visit Qatar visa-free for up to 30 days
"The waiver will be valid for 30 days from the date of issuance and entitle its holder to spend up to 30 days in Qatar, during either a single trip or on multiple trips. This waiver may be extended for a further 30 days," the tourism website says.
Qatar has already taken steps to open its borders
In June, Qatar opened up visa on arrival to 30 new nationalities under its old scheme. These countries included Lebanon, Russia, China, South Africa, and Indonesia.
Prior to that change, Qatar only allowed visa on arrival access to just over 30 countries.
Last November, Doha opened up the country's borders to all Qatar Airways passengers, granting them automatic 4-day transit visas, regardless of nationality. Also last year, free 96-hour visas were rolled out to passengers of cruise ships docking in Qatar.
Further changes are in the works
Qatari authorities are planning to open the borders even further.
Some of the changes under consideration include granting visa-free access to legal residents of Gulf Cooperation Council countries as well as non-citizen residents of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Schengen countries.
"Easing entry to Qatar is a key enabler for the growth of Qatar’s tourism industry. With this announcement we are already turning the pages of the Next Chapter of Qatar’s journey towards 2030," al-Ibrahim said.
"There is no doubt that facilitating and streamlining access at all ports of entry are key factors in creating a positive first and lasting impression of Qatar."