The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, has said that his country firmly supports the Schengen visa exemption for nationals of Qatar.
Such a remark from PM Orbán was made in an interview with QNA over the weekend during which he also said that visa exemption for Qataris has already been discussed between Hungary and Qatar, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
PM Orbán said for QNA that in the meeting the two countries had discussed the issue of visa-free travel to the bloc for nationals of Qatar.
Orbán further stressed that during this meeting that was held in March, he also reassured the Qatari authorities that Hungary as a member of the EU strongly supports the exemption of Qatari nationals from the visa requirement.
The Commission of the European Union proposes back on April 2022 the lifting of the visa requirement for nationals of Qatar.
At that time, the Commission said that under the proposal, once an agreement is reached, all nationals of Qatar who hold a biometric passport would be permitted to travel to the bloc for up to 90 days within any 180-day period without having to obtain a visa.
“Today [April 27, 2022], the Commission is proposing to lift visa requirements for nationals of Qatar and Kuwait. Under this proposal, once agreed, Qatar and Kuwait nationals holding biometric passports would no longer need a visa when travelling to the EU for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period for business, tourism or family purposes,” the EU Commission wrote in April 2022.
The proposal of the Commission to lift the visa requirement for Qataris nationals came after an assessment was made on several criteria, including public policy and security, irregular migrations, and the EU’s relationship with the country, among others.
Commenting on the matter, EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, said that the final objective is to reach coherence as well as achieve visa-free travel for all Gulf countries and not only Qatar.
Despite the EU proposing visa-free travel for Qataris a year ago, an agreement has not been reached yet and all citizens of Qatar continue to be subject to the requirement to obtain a visa in order to be permitted entry to the EU/Schengen Area.
Nationals of Qatar applying for a Schengen visa need to submit several documents. They must fill out the application form, and submit two identity photographs and their passport.
Moreover, they must also submit proof of accommodation in the EU, proof of enough financial means, proof of having purchased travel health insurance, and a roundtrip flight itinerary, among many others.
Related Information: