No new visas for Qataris

Move targets Qatari regime for its irresponsible violation of international laws and norms

The Kingdom will stop issuing visas for Qatari nationals after “hostile behaviour” from the part of Doha government, the government announced yesterday.

The Interior Ministry declares that “in response to hostile behaviour against the Kingdom of Bahrain, it was decided to stop issuing visas to Qatari nationals, except Qatari students studying in the kingdom,” a Bahrain News Agency statement said. The statement said that the action was not aimed at targeting the Qatari people, with who the statement described having “fraternal brotherly relations,” but to stop “the actions of the Qatari authorities” which is said was acting “irresponsibly” and not following international laws or norms.

As well as students, those with existing visas would be exempt from the new ruling. Nationals from Gulf Cooperation Council members - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - can travel to other member states using just an ID card. Bahrain announced in November 2017 that Qatari nationals would require a visa for entry after it said that several people travelling from other countries “which sponsored terrorism” were entering the kingdom using Qatari documents.