With commercial flights in and out of Doha still suspended, the Indian Embassy in Qatar on 8 March asked tourists and short-term visitors holding Hayya-A1 visas to register their details on a revived online portal. The move is aimed at establishing an accurate head-count of Indian nationals who are neither residents nor labour card holders but became stranded after the 28 February air-space closure.
The advisory also confirms that Qatari authorities have granted a one-month automatic extension of all visa categories starting 28 February and are waiving overstay fines. Meanwhile, the embassy is coordinating with Saudi officials to facilitate land transit through the Salwa border crossing, an option already used by "several dozen" Indians in the past five days.
Contact points have been set up: a 24×7 toll-free helpline (800-46342), a dedicated WhatsApp number (+971-543-090-571) and two email addresses for urgent assistance. The notice reminds travellers exploring the Salwa route that Saudi visas on arrival are available to holders of used US, UK or Schengen visas.
![Indian embassy in Qatar issues urgent data-collection advisory for stranded ‘Hayya-A1’ visitors]()
Indian travellers who need to arrange fresh transit visas for Saudi Arabia, Oman or any other onward destination can simplify the paperwork through VisaHQ’s digital platform. The India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides up-to-date entry requirements, streamlined online applications and courier support, helping stranded passengers secure the correct documents quickly while evacuation plans are finalised.
For global mobility and travel-risk managers, the message is clear: employees or dependants currently on short-stay visas in Qatar should log their data immediately so that capacity on potential relief convoys or charter flights can be planned. Companies with regional mobility programmes are also advised to review insurance coverage for land evacuations and check whether employees’ passports have blank pages for on-arrival Saudi stamps.
Should the Qatar air-space remain closed beyond mid-March, officials hinted that India may activate government-chartered ferries from Dammam or establish an air bridge via Muscat, but such options hinge on regional security dynamics.
The advisory also confirms that Qatari authorities have granted a one-month automatic extension of all visa categories starting 28 February and are waiving overstay fines. Meanwhile, the embassy is coordinating with Saudi officials to facilitate land transit through the Salwa border crossing, an option already used by "several dozen" Indians in the past five days.
Contact points have been set up: a 24×7 toll-free helpline (800-46342), a dedicated WhatsApp number (+971-543-090-571) and two email addresses for urgent assistance. The notice reminds travellers exploring the Salwa route that Saudi visas on arrival are available to holders of used US, UK or Schengen visas.
Indian travellers who need to arrange fresh transit visas for Saudi Arabia, Oman or any other onward destination can simplify the paperwork through VisaHQ’s digital platform. The India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides up-to-date entry requirements, streamlined online applications and courier support, helping stranded passengers secure the correct documents quickly while evacuation plans are finalised.
For global mobility and travel-risk managers, the message is clear: employees or dependants currently on short-stay visas in Qatar should log their data immediately so that capacity on potential relief convoys or charter flights can be planned. Companies with regional mobility programmes are also advised to review insurance coverage for land evacuations and check whether employees’ passports have blank pages for on-arrival Saudi stamps.
Should the Qatar air-space remain closed beyond mid-March, officials hinted that India may activate government-chartered ferries from Dammam or establish an air bridge via Muscat, but such options hinge on regional security dynamics.
