Last Reviewed: February 2026 | Topic: Qatar Visa Status Check | Reading Time: 11 minutes

Quick Answer: Go to portal.moi.gov.qa > Inquiries > Visa Services > Visa Inquiry and Printing > enter your visa number or passport number > select nationality > complete the CAPTCHA > click Submit. You can also track applications via the Metrash app (for Qatar residents) or QVC website (for employment and family visas from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines).

Waiting for a Qatar visa to be approved is nerve-wracking for everyone involved — the family member sitting at home abroad, and the sponsor inside Qatar who submitted the application and is now watching for updates. The good news is that Qatar’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) provides multiple, free, and easily accessible ways to check visa status without calling anyone or visiting any office.

This guide covers all three official checking methods in detail: the MOI portal, the Metrash app, and the Qatar Visa Centre (QVC) website. More importantly, it explains what every status message actually means and what action, if any, you should take after seeing each one.

Table of Contents

What You Need Before You Start

The information you need varies slightly depending on which method you use.

For the MOI portal and QVC website, have the following ready: the 15-digit visa number (if you have it) OR the traveller’s passport number exactly as printed on their passport, the traveller’s nationality, and access to a device with internet and the ability to complete a CAPTCHA.

For the Metrash app, you need to be a Qatar resident with a QID and a PIN. The Metrash method is for sponsors and residents in Qatar — it is not accessible to applicants outside the country who do not have a Metrash account.

Where to find your visa number: The visa number appears in the approval SMS sent to the sponsor’s Metrash-linked phone, inside the Metrash app under the specific application, and on the printed visa PDF downloadable from the MOI portal after the fee is paid. If you do not have the visa number, use the passport number instead — the MOI portal supports both search types.

Method 1: MOI Portal at portal.moi.gov.qa

This is the primary, most reliable, and most universally accessible method. It works for every visa type and is accessible from anywhere in the world with no account or login required.

For Checking an Approved or Active Visa

Follow these steps exactly:

Go to portal.moi.gov.qa in your browser. In the top navigation bar, click Inquiries, then select Visa Services from the dropdown. Click on Visa Inquiry and Printing. A form appears with two fields: choose to search by Visa Number or Passport Number, then enter the details. Select the applicant’s Nationality from the dropdown. Complete the CAPTCHA verification code. Click Submit.

The result page will display the visa status, visa type, issue date, expiry date, and a print option if the visa is active and payable.

To print the visa: If the status shows “Valid to Use,” a print button appears at the bottom of the result. Click it to download the visa as a PDF. This is the document your family member presents at airline check-in and at Qatar’s immigration counter on arrival.

For Tracking a Pending Application

If the application is still awaiting approval, use a slightly different tool on the same portal. Go to portal.moi.gov.qa > Inquiries > Visa Services, then click Visa Approval Tracking rather than Visa Inquiry and Printing. Enter the application or visa number, passport number, nationality, and CAPTCHA, then click Submit. This tool is specifically designed for applications that have been submitted but not yet approved. Once the visa is approved and the fee paid, switch back to Visa Inquiry and Printing for all future checks.

Method 2: Metrash App (Qatar Residents and Sponsors Only)

The Metrash app is the fastest and most convenient method for sponsors who are physically inside Qatar with an active Metrash account.

Open Metrash and log in with your QID number and PIN. From the home screen, tap Visa. Select Family Visit Visa or whichever visa type is relevant. Your submitted applications appear as a list. Tap the specific application to see its current status, last updated date, and application reference number.

For Residence Permit applications: from the home screen, tap Residency and all RP applications will display with their current stage.

For tracking QID delivery after the RP card has been issued: go to portal.moi.gov.qa > Inquiries > QPost Service > QPost Requests Tracking and enter the sponsor’s QID number.

The app also sends automatic SMS notifications to the sponsor’s registered mobile number whenever a status changes. These notifications are useful but not always instant — during high-traffic periods, SMS alerts can be delayed by several hours. If you are waiting on an important update, check the app directly rather than relying solely on the SMS.

Method 3: QVC Website (Specific Countries and Visa Types)

The Qatar Visa Centre (QVC) tracking tool at qatarvisacenter.com is the correct tracking method for applicants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines who are applying for employment or family visas and have already completed biometric registration and the pre-departure medical test at a QVC centre in their home country.

This tool is not for tourist or on-arrival visas. It is specifically designed for the pre-departure processing pipeline used by QVC-eligible nationalities.

To use it: go to qatarvisacenter.com, select your country of origin, navigate to Track Application, enter your visa number, passport number, and file reference number from your QVC application, complete the CAPTCHA, and click Submit.

The QVC system provides more granular status updates at the pre-arrival stage, including whether biometrics have been processed, medical results registered, and visa ready for collection.

Method 4: Qatar Embassy or Consulate

If all online methods fail or the applicant has difficulty accessing the internet, the Qatar Embassy or Consulate in the applicant’s home country can verify visa status directly.

Contact the embassy with the applicant’s full name exactly as on the passport, passport number, visa application number if available, date of birth, and visa type. Embassy staff contact Qatar’s immigration systems directly and can provide an official status update within 1 to 3 working days of the inquiry.

What Every Visa Status Message Means

This is the most important section for most readers. The status messages on the MOI portal are displayed without explanation, which causes significant confusion. Here is a plain-language breakdown of every status you might see.

Under Process means the application has been received and is sitting in the review queue. No action is needed. This is a normal stage that every application passes through.

Under Review means a visa officer is actively looking at the application right now. This is a positive step forward. Still no action needed — just wait.

Approved means the visa has been granted by the MOI but the QR 200 issuance fee has not been paid yet. The sponsor needs to log in to Metrash and pay this fee immediately. The visa will not be printable until the fee is paid.

Valid to Use means the visa is fully approved, the fee has been paid, and the visa is ready for the traveller to use. Print it from the MOI portal and send it to your family member. This is the green light to book flights.

Rejected means the application was denied. Log in to Metrash and look for the rejection reason. Fix the specific issue before reapplying. Reapplying without addressing the rejection cause leads to the same result.

Null means the application was received by the MOI system but has not yet been registered into the processing queue. This is normal for the first 24 to 72 hours after submission. Do not cancel. Do not resubmit. Wait.

No Records Found means the information entered does not match any record. This is almost always a data entry issue and not a sign that the application does not exist.

Expired means the visa approval window has passed. Approved visas must be used within 90 days of the approval date. If the traveller has not yet entered Qatar and the visa has expired, a fresh application is needed.

Used means the traveller has already entered Qatar on this visa. This is the expected status after arrival. No action is needed.

Cancelled means the visa was withdrawn by the sponsor, expired due to non-use, or revoked by the MOI. Check Metrash for context and visit an MOI Service Centre if the cancellation was not intentional.

The “Null” Status Explained Properly

No status message causes more panic in Qatar expat communities than “Null.” Forum posts like “I submitted my wife’s visa 2 days ago and it shows Null — is it rejected?” appear constantly.

The answer every time is the same: no, it is not rejected. “Null” is a digital receipt. It confirms that the application data has landed in the MOI system but has not yet been assigned to a processing queue. It is the equivalent of a “your application has been received” confirmation.

It typically clears within 24 to 72 hours and changes to “Under Process.” During high-volume periods, it can persist for up to a week before moving forward.

The correct response to seeing “Null” is to check back in 2 to 3 days. If it remains “Null” for more than 10 to 14 days, call the MOI Contact Centre at 2347444 or visit an MOI Service Centre to confirm the application was correctly submitted.

Fixing “No Records Found”

“No Records Found” is also commonly misread as a rejection. It almost never is. Work through this checklist before assuming anything is wrong:

First, check for formatting errors in the visa number. The 15-digit number must be entered as one continuous string: no spaces, no dashes, no extra characters. A single mistyped digit will return “No Records Found.”

Second, switch your search method. If you searched by visa number, try again by passport number. Some visa types are only retrievable via one or the other.

Third, check the nationality selection. If the dropdown does not match the passport nationality exactly (for example, selecting “Philippines” when the passport says “Republic of the Philippines”), the system may return no results. Try alternate nationality spellings if available.

Fourth, confirm the application was actually submitted. In Metrash, an application draft that was not fully submitted will not appear on the MOI portal. Log in to Metrash and confirm the application shows an active status rather than sitting as an incomplete draft.

Fifth, wait. Applications submitted within the last 24 hours may not be indexed in the portal yet.

If none of the above resolves the issue after 72 hours, the MOI Contact Centre at 2347444 can cross-reference the application using the sponsor’s QID and the applicant’s passport details.

Checking Visa Status on Behalf of Someone Else

Sponsors checking status on behalf of family members abroad, and family members checking their own status from outside Qatar, are both fully supported.

No login is required for the MOI portal. Anyone with the correct visa number or passport number can run the check from anywhere in the world. This is intentional — it allows the traveller to independently verify their own status without depending on the sponsor to relay information.

Share these two things with your family member so they can check themselves: their passport number exactly as it appears on the passport, and the URL portal.moi.gov.qa. That is enough. The check is free, takes 60 seconds, and is available 24 hours a day.

What to Do After Each Status Result

After seeing “Approved”: Log in to Metrash and pay the QR 200 fee right away. Do not delay — approval windows are not indefinite.

After seeing “Valid to Use”: Print the visa from the MOI portal and share it with your family member. Check that the name, passport number, and nationality on the printed visa match the actual passport exactly. Book flights.

After seeing “Rejected”: Do not reapply immediately. Check the rejection reason in Metrash or at an MOI Service Centre. Fix the specific issue first, then submit a fresh application.

After seeing “Expired” with the traveller inside Qatar: Submit an extension application through Metrash immediately if the expiry was recent. If the visit visa expired without an extension being filed, overstay fines of QR 200 per day apply from the expiry date. Resolve this at an MOI Service Centre before the situation compounds further.

After seeing “Used”: Nothing to do. This is the correct and expected status after your family member has entered Qatar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I check visa status without a visa number? Yes. Use the passport number and nationality instead on the MOI portal. This is often easier since the visa number is not always shared with the applicant before arrival.

Q: How long before a new application appears on the portal? Usually 24 to 72 hours. During peak season (November through March), allow up to 5 working days for new applications to index.

Q: My application has been “Under Process” for 4 weeks. Is it stuck? Four weeks is within the normal range for family visit visas in 2026. If it exceeds 6 weeks with no change, call 2347444 or visit an MOI Service Centre to follow up in person.

Q: Can I see my visit visa expiry date on the portal? Yes. The Visa Inquiry and Printing result shows the issue date and expiry date for any active visa. Note the expiry date carefully.

Q: The airline cannot verify my family member’s visa even though MOI shows “Valid to Use.” What do I do? Download the visa PDF from the MOI portal and present it to the airline as a printed document. If the airline requires an “OK to Board” confirmation, visit the airline’s Doha office with the printed visa and the passenger’s passport copy.

Q: Can I check a residence permit status the same way? Yes. Use the Visa Inquiry and Printing tool on the MOI portal with the passport number. The RP visa issued before QID printing will appear with its status and validity.

Q: What does “Used” mean after my family has arrived? It means immigration scanned the visa at the entry point and marked it as used. This is the correct and expected outcome. No further action is needed.

Q: What is the MOI Qatar contact number? The MOI Contact Centre is reachable at 2347444, Sunday to Thursday during working hours. For non-urgent queries, the official MOI Twitter (X) account (@MOI_Qatar) also responds to direct messages.

Summary

Checking your Qatar visa status takes under 60 seconds using the MOI portal at portal.moi.gov.qa. No login is required, it works from anywhere in the world, and it covers every visa type including tourist, family, work, and residence permits. Use Metrash if you are a sponsor inside Qatar. Use QVC if you are from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, or the Philippines and went through the QVC pre-departure process for a work or family visa. Whatever status you see, the table in this guide tells you exactly what it means and what to do next.

How to Check Your Qatar Visa Status on the MOI Portal (2026)