Countries / Territories
- 🌐
Related offices
Related offices
Related offices
Following the announcement yesterday, the entry, residency and transit ban of Qatari nationals and the withdrawal of diplomatic staff from Qatar by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen has taken effect. Qatari nationals must leave Bahrain and the UAE within 14 days of June 5, 2017. Multiple UAE and Bahraini airlines have also discontinued air operations with Qatar.
However, it is still unclear whether foreign national residents of Qatar seeking to enter either Bahrain or the UAE on a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Resident Visitor Visa will be able to do so. It is likely that the relevant authorities may not recognize the Qatar Residence Permit as a valid permission to enter resulting in foreign nationals either being refused to board the aircraft or denied an E-Visa approval when applying for the UAE's GCC Visitor Visa. Therefore, foreign national traveling to Qatar should prearrange their Business or Tourist Visas in advance and consider other sponsorship categories such as companies, airlines, hotels or tourist agencies.
Qatari authorities have not yet announced whether reciprocal measures impacting nationals or residents of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will be applied. However, this is subject to change without prior notice.
Although there is no official announcement from any of the courier companies, courier services and document deliveries to or from Qatar to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are severely delayed.
What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals
Considering the nature of this situation, many aspects related to entry, residency and transit remain either unclear or subject to change without prior notice. Foreign nationals should refrain from travelling on the basis of the Qatar Residence Permit unless they obtain a prearranged visa.
Fragomen can help identify impacted foreign nationals and advise on potential restrictions applicable to them.
Fragomen will continue to monitor the developments and will provide further updates as new information is released.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected]
Countries / Territories
- 🌐
Related offices
Related offices
Related offices
Explore more at Fragomen
Awards
Fragomen is recognized with multiple honors at the 2026 FEM Americas EMMAs, including Outstanding Agility & Crisis Management as a Service Provider and Thought Leadership – Best Survey or Research Study of the Year for the Worldwide Immigration Trends Report 2026.
Blog post
Destination Services Director Christine Sperr examines how housing market reforms, rent stabilization measures and cost-of-living dynamics in Saudi Arabia are influencing workforce mobility, compensation planning and long-term settlement strategies under Vision 2030.
Visas
Manager Dr. Adela Schmidt explains how German authorities assess past travel and business activities and why suspected unauthorized work during prior visits can lead to visa refusals and temporary entry bans.
Podcast
Partner Cosmina Morariu and Senior Director Leah Rogal discuss the mission of Fragomen’s Center for Strategy and Applied Insights and how it helps organizations and governments navigate evolving immigration policy and global talent mobility challenges.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and Papaya Global announce a strategic partnership combining workforce technology and immigration capabilities to help organizations simplify global mobility, enhance compliance and manage cross-border workforces through a more integrated, technology-enabled approach.
Video
Latin America & the Caribbean Managing Partner Leonor Echeverria explores how Latin America’s evolving immigration landscape offers accessible and flexible residence pathways for foreign nationals, highlighting key visa options, regional trends and the growing role of digital modernization across the region.
Podcast
Senior Associate Stephanie Weaver and Associate Julia Manacher continue their discussion on immigration law in popular culture, examining how television and media portray immigration processes and the realities behind common immigration storylines.
Media mentions
Partner Kevin Miner discusses how proposed H-1B salary threshold increases may raise employer costs and influence hiring strategies for specialized talent across industries.
Video
In this Mobility Minute, Manager Pierangelo D’Errico discusses Portugal’s newly approved nationality law changes and the potential impact on Golden Visa applicants and other foreign residents.
Media mentions
Partner Rajiv Naik highlights the importance of transparency, clear guidance and human oversight as AI use expands in UK immigration tribunals.
Video
Senior Associate Tuğba Özyakup outlines how Europe’s Entry and Exit System (EES) introduces digital tracking of non-EU short-stay travel across the Schengen Area, requiring more proactive planning, accurate record-keeping and awareness of increased border processing times to avoid delays and overstay risks.
Fragomen news
Awards
Fragomen is recognized with multiple honors at the 2026 FEM Americas EMMAs, including Outstanding Agility & Crisis Management as a Service Provider and Thought Leadership – Best Survey or Research Study of the Year for the Worldwide Immigration Trends Report 2026.
Blog post
Destination Services Director Christine Sperr examines how housing market reforms, rent stabilization measures and cost-of-living dynamics in Saudi Arabia are influencing workforce mobility, compensation planning and long-term settlement strategies under Vision 2030.
Visas
Manager Dr. Adela Schmidt explains how German authorities assess past travel and business activities and why suspected unauthorized work during prior visits can lead to visa refusals and temporary entry bans.
Podcast
Partner Cosmina Morariu and Senior Director Leah Rogal discuss the mission of Fragomen’s Center for Strategy and Applied Insights and how it helps organizations and governments navigate evolving immigration policy and global talent mobility challenges.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and Papaya Global announce a strategic partnership combining workforce technology and immigration capabilities to help organizations simplify global mobility, enhance compliance and manage cross-border workforces through a more integrated, technology-enabled approach.
Video
Latin America & the Caribbean Managing Partner Leonor Echeverria explores how Latin America’s evolving immigration landscape offers accessible and flexible residence pathways for foreign nationals, highlighting key visa options, regional trends and the growing role of digital modernization across the region.
Podcast
Senior Associate Stephanie Weaver and Associate Julia Manacher continue their discussion on immigration law in popular culture, examining how television and media portray immigration processes and the realities behind common immigration storylines.
Media mentions
Partner Kevin Miner discusses how proposed H-1B salary threshold increases may raise employer costs and influence hiring strategies for specialized talent across industries.
Video
In this Mobility Minute, Manager Pierangelo D’Errico discusses Portugal’s newly approved nationality law changes and the potential impact on Golden Visa applicants and other foreign residents.
Media mentions
Partner Rajiv Naik highlights the importance of transparency, clear guidance and human oversight as AI use expands in UK immigration tribunals.
Video
Senior Associate Tuğba Özyakup outlines how Europe’s Entry and Exit System (EES) introduces digital tracking of non-EU short-stay travel across the Schengen Area, requiring more proactive planning, accurate record-keeping and awareness of increased border processing times to avoid delays and overstay risks.
Fragomen news