Indian in Saudi Arabia· indianinsaudi · travel · 5 min read
How to Travel from Saudi to Qatar by Road
The Saudi Arabia-Qatar border is 87 km long and runs from the Gulf of Bahrain coast in the west to the Persian Gulf coast in the east.[1. Wikpedia] Citizens, residents, and visitors in Saudi Arabia can enter Qatar from Saudi Arabia via this land border, which is at a place called Salwa Port. In this article, we have detailed the complete step-by-step guide to traveling from Saudi to Qatar by road.
📄 Documents Requirement
Passport with Minimum six months validity
Qatar entry permission. Indian passport holders can get a free on-arrival visa for up to 30 days (extendable once by 30 days), but Qatar’s Ministry of Interior requires the hotel to be booked through Discover Qatar for the stay. If you will stay with friends/relatives or book elsewhere, apply online on Hayya before you travel (for Saudi residents, the GCC Resident Visa, QAR 100).
Copy of Exit re-entry visa for Saudi Expats
Original Iqamah of the Sponsor if you’re a Saudi Visitor
Vehicle Isthimarah. If the car is rented, borrowed or company-owned, carry a written authorization from the owner, and check that the rental company allows cross-border travel.
Hotel booking: required (through Discover Qatar) if you use the free on-arrival visa as an Indian national. Carry the confirmation.
Qatari vehicle insurance, bought online before arrival (see Checkpoint 3 below), and the vehicle pre-registration confirmation from Hayya if you pre-registered.
💡 Info: Qatar sim is not available at the border. Drive into Qatar to buy one.
💵 Cost of Travel from Saudi to Doha, Qatar by road
The cost of travel varies from person to person depending upon the city which you’re travelling from and the number of people travelling along with you. There’s no Official Saptco Bus from Saudi to Qatar and you have to drive by your own vehicle or a rented vehicle.
For Indian and Pakistani nationals the on-arrival visa is free of cost, subject to a Discover Qatar hotel booking. The Hayya GCC Resident Visa costs QAR 100.
| Exit Re-entry visa cost/Person (For Saudi Resident Only) | SAR/QAR 200 |
|---|---|
| Qatar On Arrival Visa | SAR/QAR 0 |
| Fuel from Khobar to Doha (One Way) | SAR/QAR 130 |
| Compulsory Qatari Car Insurance (bought online before arrival) | Varies by vehicle and duration |
| The total cost of travel from Saudi to Doha, Qatar by road (estimate, excluding hotel) | approx. SAR 330 + Qatari car insurance |
Cost of travel from Saudi to Doha, Qatar by road
📍 Saudi to Doha, Qatar Route Details, Distance and Duration
- Depending upon where you are located in Saudi, it takes anywhere about 5 – 22 Hours to travel from Saudi to Doha.
| From/to | Distance (km) | Time (Hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Khobar to Qatar, Doha | 388 | 5 |
| Riyadh to Qatar, Doha | 580 | 7 |
| Madinah to Qatar, Doha | 1407 | 15 |
| Makkah to Qatar, Doha | 1446 | 16 |
| Jeddah to Qatar, Doha | 1529 | 17 |
| Yanbu to Qatar, Doha | 1615 | 17 |
| Jizan to Qatar, Doha | 1718 | 19 |
| Tabuk to Qatar, Doha | 1859 | 20 |
Saudi to Doha Distance and Duration
There are very few petrol stations on the route to the Saudi-Qatar border. Therefore make sure to fill your fuel tank and go-to washrooms wherever you find to avoid any inconvenience.
There are almost no street lights on the route till the border. The best is to drive in the morning.
Saudi driving license is valid in Qatar. You can even rent a car with a Saudi license while in Qatar
Recommended Read: A Brief Guide to New Saudi Visa Stamping VFS Tasheel
1️⃣ At the Saudi Side of the Border – Salwa Port
A – Checkpoint Location
Reach the following location
Salwa Passport Control, Saudi Arabia
B – Checkpoint 1 – Saudi Customs
Hand over the Vehicle Istimara to the officer and obtain a car slip in return with your vehicle details and number of passengers mentioned in it. Carefully preserve this Slip until you enter Qatar.
C – Checkpoint 2 – Saudi Jawazaat (Passports)
Hand over the slip you obtained at the first checkpoint with all the passports for verification. The officer will put Saudi visa exit stamp on the passports and return them to you with the verification paper. They may ask for your Iqamah and fingerprints as well.
D- Checkpoint 3 – Saudi Security Inspection
At this checkpoint, there’s just a Quick Inspection of the Car Slip and all the passports. Drive towards Qatar border once you have cleared this checkpoint.
💡 Note: Border clearance at Salwa may even take up to two hours. So be prepared.
2️⃣ At the Qatar Side of the border – Abu Samra
A – Checkpoint Location
Abu Samra Border Crossing Station - Qatar
B- Checkpoint 1 – Qatar Passports Control
At the first checkpoint, Inform that you’re on a new Qatar Visit visa and the officer will ask you to visit a separate building for stamping Qatar Visa
Park your Vehicle and carry all your documents and proceed to document verification
All Adults above 6 years old may be subjected to Eye Scanning/FingerPrint Checks.
Obtain Stamp on the E-Visa paper
Hand over the passports, Stamped E-Visa Paper and Car Slip to obtain Qatar Visa Entry Stamp.
Read the Article: How to drive Saudi to Dubai by Road?
C – Checkpoint 2 – Qatar Customs
Passports will be checked and verification paper will be returned to you. Move ahead for manual vehicle inspection. Obtain a Stamp on the Car Slip after inspection.
D – Checkpoint 3 – Insurance
Show your compulsory Qatari vehicle insurance. Qatar’s Ministry of Interior now says visitors driving in through Abu Samra must buy this insurance electronically through the Qatar Unified Bureau before arrival (a Saudi policy is not enough). The price depends on the vehicle and duration. You can also pre-register your vehicle on Hayya to speed up the crossing.
E- Checkpoint 4 – Security Check
Handover Car slip Paper provided by Qatar Customs and enter Qatar.
Congratulations on your successful entry from Saudi to Qatar by road!
From the Qatar side of the border, it takes about 1.5 Hours (95km) to reach Doha. Congratulations on your successful drive!
