Who arranges the student visa for Qatar University?

The university. Self-funded undergraduates and all graduate applicants apply online for a QU student visa during the admission timeline; QU arranges the visa for undergraduate scholarship winners. After arrival the visa is converted into a residence permit under QU sponsorship within one month.

Can I bring my family on a student visa?

QU states the student visa is valid for the student only and does not allow sponsoring family members.

What happens if I fail the medical examination?

QU states the student must leave Qatar within 48 hours, and cannot travel abroad until the residence permit card is received.

How much does HBKU cost?

Per credit hour: QAR 2,250 undergraduate engineering, QAR 2,500 most humanities/law/policy graduate programmes, QAR 4,000 STEM graduate programmes (e.g., MSc Cybersecurity QAR 132,000 total). Sponsored graduate students receive waivers and stipends.

Are there scholarships for international master's and PhD students?

HBKU offers tuition waivers and stipends to HBKU-sponsored graduate students (international master's QAR 7,000 per month, international PhD QAR 9,000 per month). QU has no scholarships for graduate applicants.

What are the application deadlines for Georgetown Qatar and Northwestern Qatar?

Early Action 1 November 2026 and Regular Decision 15 January 2027 for fall 2027 at GU-Q; NU-Q lists Early Action 1 Nov, Regular 15 Jan and Transfer 15 Mar, fall admission only.

How much does Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar cost?

Tuition follows Cornell Ithaca: USD 73,946 for 2026-27 entrants into the pre-medical curriculum; application fee USD 50. Need-based aid is through Qatar Foundation.

Is it safe to travel to Qatar now?

The UK FCDO (updated 19 Aug 2026) reports Iranian strikes in the region since 8 July including in Qatar, a risk of further attacks and possible airspace closures. Check your government's current advice.

Countries

Study in Qatar: costs, visa, scholarships and universities

Costs, visa process, work rights, scholarships and university options for studying in Qatar.

Free consultation for Qatar

Overview

Qatar's higher education is concentrated in Doha: the national Qatar University (QU), the state-owned University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), and Education City, run by Qatar Foundation, which hosts Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and branch campuses of Georgetown, Northwestern, Texas A&M, Weill Cornell Medicine, Carnegie Mellon and VCUarts, with HEC Paris in Qatar for executive education. Admission is handled by each university; there is no central national application portal found in official sources.

International students enter on a student visa that the university arranges and sponsors. Qatar University states that international applicants without a Qatari residence permit (GCC citizens excepted) must apply online for a student visa through the university; self-funded undergraduates and all graduate applicants apply for the visa together with admission, while undergraduate scholarship applicants have the visa arranged by QU if awarded. After arrival the student visa is converted into a residence permit under the university's sponsorship within one month, after a medical examination and fingerprinting; the student visa does not allow the student to sponsor family members.

Costs vary widely. HBKU publishes per-credit-hour tuition (QAR 2,250 for its engineering bachelors, QAR 2,500 for most humanities/law/policy graduate programmes and QAR 4,000 for STEM graduate programmes) and offers HBKU-sponsored graduate students tuition waivers plus monthly stipends (QAR 7,000 for international master's, QAR 9,000 for international PhD). Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar charges the Cornell Ithaca tuition (USD 73,946 for 2026-27 entrants into pre-medical), and Georgetown Qatar charges the Washington, DC rate. Qatar Foundation provides need-based interest-free loans and scholarships for Education City undergraduates; QU offers academic scholarships to roughly 400 recipients per year but none for graduate applicants.

Security context: as of 26 October 2026 the UK FCDO reports that since 8 July Iran has carried out strikes and retaliatory attacks in several locations in the region, including Qatar, with a risk of further attacks and escalation, and warns of flight cancellations and periodic airspace closures at short notice. Applicants should follow their own government's advice. Figures below are those stated on official pages on the access date; verify with the institution before applying.

Public university tuition: Qatar University (national university): international self-funded tuition not found on fetched pages (null). UDST (state-owned applied university, accessed for reference): bachelor's rate per credit QAR 1,463 (business, computing, general education), 1,470 (engineering and technology), 1,478 (health sciences) for international students versus QAR 975-985 for Qatar residents; foundation/diploma QAR 18,750 per semester for international full-time students; materials fee QAR 150 per semester and student services QAR 150 per year.Source
Monthly living cost: Not yet verified
Visa processing time: QU: student visa converted into a residence permit within one month of entering Qatar; the Hukoomi summary mentions the Ministry of Interior committee review (duration not stated).Source
Work rights: No general legal rule on student employment found (Hukoomi/MOI unreadable). Institutional rules: HBKU graduate students on stipend work as RAs 10 hours a week and may work a maximum of 20 hours per week in total, with TA work paid QAR 50 per hour; Georgetown Qatar students may work up to 20 hours a week during classes and up to 40 hours during breaks (typical wage from QAR 55 per hour); Education City students can work through the HBKU Student Employment Program. QU lists on-campus student employment among activities.Source
Intakes and deadlines: Fall intake dominates. Georgetown and Northwestern Qatar: fall only (August start). HBKU opens undergraduate applications 1 Sep 2026 (deadline 1 Mar 2027) and graduate applications 1 Oct 2026 (international deadline 1 Feb 2027).Source
Language requirement: English-medium programmes at Education City require TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (Georgetown, Northwestern); QU treats IELTS as optional for visa applicants but supportive.Source

Tuition and living costs

Public university tuition: Qatar University (national university): international self-funded tuition not found on fetched pages (null). UDST (state-owned applied university, accessed for reference): bachelor's rate per credit QAR 1,463 (business, computing, general education), 1,470 (engineering and technology), 1,478 (health sciences) for international students versus QAR 975-985 for Qatar residents; foundation/diploma QAR 18,750 per semester for international full-time students; materials fee QAR 150 per semester and student services QAR 150 per year.Source
Private university tuition: Education City: HBKU per credit hour: QAR 2,250 undergraduate engineering/AI (e.g., BSc Computer Engineering QAR 290,250 total, 129 credits), QAR 2,500 most humanities, law, policy graduate programmes, QAR 4,000 STEM graduate programmes (e.g., MSc Data Science and Engineering QAR 132,000, 33 credits), QAR 2,000 certificates and LL.M. Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar: tuition equals Cornell Ithaca; USD 73,946 per year for 2026-27 entrants to pre-medical; application fee USD 50. Georgetown Qatar: same tuition as the Washington DC campus (amount not retrieved). Northwestern Qatar and Texas A&M Qatar: current international tuition not retrieved (TAMUQ page shows 2023-24 tables).Source
Monthly living cost: Not yet verified

Accommodation

QU has a Housing Department (contact via QU housing email); HBKU graduate students cover their own housing in QF dormitories or external accommodation; no rent amounts retrieved.

When planning the total budget, separate one-off and monthly items. Budget planning guide

Visa and residence permit

Qatar University: international applicants who do not hold a Qatari residence permit (excluding GCC citizens) must apply online for a student visa through the university with the required documents in the admission timeline; self-funded undergraduates and all graduate applicants apply for the visa with admission, and undergraduate QU-scholarship applicants have the visa arranged by the Scholarships and International Admissions Section if awarded. After entering Qatar the student visa is converted into a residence permit under QU sponsorship within one month; the student must complete a medical examination, fingerprinting and blood-type certificate; failing the medical examination means leaving within 48 hours; travel abroad is not allowed until the residence permit card is received. The Hukoomi government portal describes an 'educational residence visa' where expatriate students submit a request to the Committee Reviewing Recruitment Applications at the Ministry of Interior (search-result summary; page not readable). Other universities (Education City, UDST) sponsor in their own way; confirm with the admitting institution.

Visa processing time: QU: student visa converted into a residence permit within one month of entering Qatar; the Hukoomi summary mentions the Ministry of Interior committee review (duration not stated).Source
Proof of funds: QU states graduate applicants with assistantships must provide financial supporting documents but gives no amount.Source
Health insurance: QU: health card of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) can be requested at the nearest Primary Health Care Corporation centre; emergencies HMC/999; QU Health Center free walk-in for students with QU ID. Whether private insurance is mandatory for students was not stated.Source

Application steps

Receive admission (self-funded undergraduates and graduates at QU apply for the student visa during the admission timeline).
The university submits the student visa/educational residence request to the Ministry of Interior.
Enter Qatar on the student visa.
Within one month: medical examination (Medical Commission), fingerprinting and blood-type certificate; submit passport, one photo and medical documents to the university office.
Receive residence permit/ID card under university sponsorship; renew when notified by the university; cancel the permit on leaving permanently.

Documents required

Passport (original, for permit processing)
One passport-size photo
Medical examination result, fingerprinting and blood-type test certificate (after arrival)
Financial supporting documents for graduate applicants with assistantships (QU FAQ)
Other required documents are listed in a QU 'required documents' file not retrieved

Travel advisories, sanctions and payments

Fees: No official student visa or residence-permit fee found: Hukoomi was not readable and QU pages do not state it. Self-funded international applicants pay a non-refundable online admission application fee (amount not stated).Source

Nationality-specific notes: turkiye: Visit Qatar's visa tool is interactive (nationality drop-down) and no static visa-free list was retrieved; Hukoomi and MOI pages were not readable. Tourist visa-free status is not a substitute for a student visa; a student visa through the university is required for study at QU.; russia: Visit Qatar's visa tool is interactive (nationality drop-down) and no static visa-free list was retrieved; Hukoomi and MOI pages were not readable. Tourist visa-free status is not a substitute for a student visa; a student visa through the university is required for study at QU.; kazakhstan: Visit Qatar's visa tool is interactive (nationality drop-down) and no static visa-free list was retrieved; Hukoomi and MOI pages were not readable. Tourist visa-free status is not a substitute for a student visa; a student visa through the university is required for study at QU.; ukraine: Visit Qatar's visa tool is interactive (nationality drop-down) and no static visa-free list was retrieved; Hukoomi and MOI pages were not readable. Tourist visa-free status is not a substitute for a student visa; a student visa through the university is required for study at QU.; azerbaijan: Visit Qatar's visa tool is interactive (nationality drop-down) and no static visa-free list was retrieved; Hukoomi and MOI pages were not readable. Tourist visa-free status is not a substitute for a student visa; a student visa through the university is required for study at QU.

Our visa consulting

Work rights and after graduation

No general legal rule on student employment found (Hukoomi/MOI unreadable). Institutional rules: HBKU graduate students on stipend work as RAs 10 hours a week and may work a maximum of 20 hours per week in total, with TA work paid QAR 50 per hour; Georgetown Qatar students may work up to 20 hours a week during classes and up to 40 hours during breaks (typical wage from QAR 55 per hour); Education City students can work through the HBKU Student Employment Program. QU lists on-campus student employment among activities.

After graduation: QU: after graduation residence permits must be cancelled or transferred. Undergraduate and graduate students may transfer to a personal sponsor (father/brother/husband) or a company only after graduation; ANNS students cannot transfer and must cancel and leave after the graduation ceremony. If cancelling, students may stay up to 5 days after receiving their graduation statement (text truncated on the page). No post-study job-seeker visa found in readable official sources.

Source

Language requirements and intakes

Language requirement: English-medium programmes at Education City require TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (Georgetown, Northwestern); QU treats IELTS as optional for visa applicants but supportive.Source
Intakes and deadlines: Fall intake dominates. Georgetown and Northwestern Qatar: fall only (August start). HBKU opens undergraduate applications 1 Sep 2026 (deadline 1 Mar 2027) and graduate applications 1 Oct 2026 (international deadline 1 Feb 2027).Source

Language and exam preparation

Scholarships

master / PhDVia the university

HBKU graduate scholarships (tuition waiver and stipend)

Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Coverage: Waivers: 100% PhD; 75% STEM MS (tuition QAR 4,000 per credit); 60% SHAPE MS/MA/JD; 0% LL.M. and certificates. Stipends: international PhD QAR 9,000 per month (45 months), international master's QAR 7,000 per month (21 months); one round-trip airfare for international students. Self-sponsored students may get QAR 2,000 per credit on financial need.
Deadline: Same as admission deadline (international graduate: 1 Feb 2027)
Eligibility: Full-time; stipend students work as RA 10 hours per week; housing paid from stipend.

Source

undergraduate (Education City)Via the university

Qatar Foundation student loan (need-based, interest-free)

Qatar Foundation, Student Financial Services

Coverage: Need-based loan; repayment option by working at approved organisations in Qatar
Eligibility: Undergraduates studying in Education City; apply through the QF Financial Aid System. QF states admissions are need-blind; Northwestern Qatar's page states need-aware admission - verify per university.

Source

undergraduate (Education City)Direct application

Qatar Foundation scholarship

Qatar Foundation

Eligibility: Undergraduates who completed two semesters in Education City with an outstanding GPA (highly competitive).

Source

undergraduateDirect application

Qatar University undergraduate admission scholarship for international students

Qatar University

Coverage: Not stated; QU states about 400 scholarship recipients per year and annual return ticket for eligible scholarship students
Deadline: 25 Mar 2026 for fall 2026 (next cycle not yet published)
Eligibility: No scholarships for graduate (Master/PhD) applicants; scholarship applicants do not apply for the visa separately.

Source

undergraduateVia the university

Northwestern Qatar merit scholarships and QF loans

Northwestern University in Qatar

Coverage: All applicants considered for merit scholarships; financial aid consists of interest-free QF loans repayable or forgivable if criteria are met after graduation
Deadline: Application deadlines 1 Nov / 15 Jan
Eligibility: Need-aware admission per NU-Q page.

Source

Cities

Doha (Education City)

Doha (Qatar University campus)