The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, and the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, have agreed to consider a visa-free travel agreement for each other’s citizens.

The two heads of the countries met in Doha yesterday, October 31, and during their official meeting, they touched upon different topics of common interest, VisaGuide.World reports.

However, the most important topic remains the one related to the visas. The two leaders said that they are open to enhancing people-to-people connections and promoting cultural connectivity.

In addition, the leaders said that they welcome the acceleration of negotiations on the visa liberalisation agreement for those who hold ordinary passports.

A visa waiver agreement between Qatar and Vietnam would have a positive impact on both countries’ citizens.

If such an agreement is reached in the future, Vietnamese passport holders will be able to travel to Qatar without having to undergo the visa procedures. The same will also apply to Qatari passport holders traveling to Vietnam.

While official talks on the matter are still to take place, the visa waiver agreement will not permit unlimited visa-free stays. In general, when two countries decide to reach a visa-free travel agreement, visa-free stays are permitted only for a limited period.

This means that even after Qatar and Vietnam reach a visa waiver agreement, citizens of these two countries who want to remain in each other’s territory for a long-term period will have to apply for a visa, as they do now.

What is Qatar & Vietnam’s Passport Ranking?

According to the VisaGuide Passport Index, which is a passport ranking system that evaluates a total of 199 countries and territories based on factors such as visa-free access, visa on arrival, eVisas, and global mobility, Qatar and Vietnam’s passports have some significant differences.

The Index shows that Qatar’s passport currently ranks 94th in the world. Those who hold the passport of Qatar are eligible for visa-free travel to a total of 64 countries. On the other hand, they need to obtain a visa before entering 95 countries.

As for Vietnam, the Index shows that the country’s passport at the moment ranks 144th in the world. Vietnam’s passport holders can enter only 25 countries without needing to obtain a visa. In contrast, they need a visa for 139 countries, including Schengen member states.

An agreement of visa-free travel between the two countries will help them both rank higher.