Qatar Airways offers online visa service to Chinese passengers

Qatar Airways said on Saturday it has launched online visa services for Chinese passengers traveling to the State of Qatar in a bid to encourage more Chinese tourist inflow. The service enables Chinese passengers to apply for a month-long, single-entry tourist visa, which is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. The validity of the visa and the visa period cannot be extended. The new system eases the process of applying for a tourist visa to Qatar for eligible passengers, while providing passengers with the convenience of tracking their visa application status online. The airline recommended that passengers apply a minimum of 10 days prior to their arrival for a Normal Single Entry Tourist Visa at a cost of 55 U.S. dollars per person. There is also an option for an Urgent Single Entry Tourist Visa, which takes seven days to process and is available at a cost of 120 U.S. dollars per person. To be eligible for the online services, applicants need to submit supporting documents, including a confirmed return or onward air ticket on a Qatar Airways flight, and proof of a confirmed hotel reservation through "Discover Qatar," a hotel subsidiary of Qatar Airways. China is one of Qatar Airways' biggest markets and the carrier currently serves seven cities in China, providing connections from Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong to more than 130 destinations worldwide. Qatar Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest fleets in the world, consisting of 131 aircraft serving 137 key destinations on six continents.