COVID-19 Precautionary Measures in Qatar (14 April Update)

Can a resident enter the country?

• Yes with exceptions

• Qatari citizens, their spouses and children, and permanent residency holders can enter.

• Residents who are currently in the State of Qatar and wish to travel and return will automatically receive an “Exceptional Entry Permit”. The resident or their employer will be able to print the permit from the Ministry of Interior’s website or “Metrash2” application at any point after their departure. Residents currently abroad are still required to get the “Exceptional Return Permit” via the “Qatar Portal” website if they wish to return to the State of Qatar.

• Residents’ entry will be organized based on a series of priorities, including public health indicators, the nature of the needs of the various government and semi-government sectors and humanitarian causes, and through submitting return requests for permits via the “Qatar Portal” website. The employer shall bear the costs of any quarantine.

• Citizens and residents wishing to travel from countries not included in the COVID-19 Green List must book a hotel quarantine package from the listed hotels on the “Discover Qatar” website before travelling. The COVID-19 Green List countries are identified and published on the Ministry of Public Health website and announced by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority. The list is reviewed and updated regularly and can be found here.

Can a foreigner enter the country?

• No with exceptions

• Foreigners are not allowed to enter Qatar. This does not apply to: a) passengers with a residence permit issued by Qatar. They must have an Exceptional Entry Permit; b) immediate family members of nationals of Qatar; c) domestic workers if accompanied by a national of Qatar or by an immediate family member of a national of Qatar; and d) passengers and their family members with a diplomatic ID issued by the MOFA of Qatar.

• All Qatari and GCC citizens should travel from and to the State of Qatar using their passports and not their ID cards.

Is transit allowed through the country?

• Yes

• Transit flights are operating.

• Hamad International Airport is open for transit flights. A negative COVID-19 test certificate is not required for passengers transiting HIA, this is dependent on the departure and destination countries. All transiting travellers will need to go through thermal screening and temperature checks.

Is a test required on arrival?

• Yes with exceptions

• Travellers will be required to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival at the airport. However, a negative COVID-19 test certificate obtained from an approved MOPH centre within 48 hours before departure to Qatar may be accepted for exemption from testing on arrival. The list of COVID-19 testing centres is updated regularly on the Ministry of Public Health’s website.

Test certificate required?

• No with exceptions

• Travellers are not required to have a negative COVID-19 test certificate prior to arrival. They will be required to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival at the airport. If there are MOPH approved COVID-19 testing centres in the country of origin, traveler may be exempted from being tested on arrival at the airport by obtaining a COVID-19-free certificate from one of these approved centres. The certificate must be issued for a test performed within 48 hours before travel to Qatar.Traveller should carry a printed copy of the test. The list of COVID-19 testing centres is updated regularly on the Ministry of Public Health’s website.

Is quarantine required on arrival?

• Yes

• Qatari citizens and residents returning from one of the COVID-19 Green-Listed countries must sign the Undertaking for Home Quarantine and agree to quarantine for a week on arrival in Qatar.

• Citizens and residents returning from the countries not included in the COVID-19 Green List should be quarantined at a hotel at their own expense for a week. They should book a quarantine package from the listed hotels on the “Discover Qatar” website. They must carry a printed copy of the hotel quarantine booking. Some exemptions are:

• a) Children under the age of 18 who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine, whether returning from travelling alone or with their parents, will be subject to home quarantine for 7 days, provided that both parents have received the Covid-19 vaccine. However, this exemption does not include cases where one of the parents has not received the vaccine, and therefore they should be subject to hotel quarantine.

• b) People who have received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Qatar and have not completed the specified period of (14) days from the date of the second dose are subject to home quarantine for 7 days or until they complete 14 days following the second dose, whichever is shorter

• c) Those who have received vaccinations outside Qatar, whether or not they have completed the 14 days after receiving the second dose, are not exempted from the hotel quarantine unless the vaccine they received is approved by the Ministry of Public Health For more info click here.

• d) Persons aged 75 years and over, including one escort only who lives with them in the same residence, are subject to home quarantine if they have not received the COVID-19 vaccine or have received the first dose only.

• e) Pregnant women returning to the country with their husbands or a relative living with them in the same residence who received the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 14days have past after receiving the second dose.

• f) Breastfeeding mothers and their infants (up to 2 years of age) returning to the country with their husbands or a relative living with them in the same residence who received the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 14 days have past after receiving the second dose.

• g) Patients sent for treatment abroad by the Ministry of Public Health according to their health condition, including one escort only living with them in the same residence are subject to home quarantine.

• All travellers other than citizens of Qatar and residents with QID travelling to Qatar will need to enter hotel quarantine regardless of where the journey originates. Qatar government has stopped all exemptions related to vulnerable categories from hotel quarantine for travellers coming from countries not included on the Green List effective from 14 February and until further notice. Exemptions may extend to diplomats and their family members holding MOFA issued IDs and Admin cardholders.

• Those who are fully vaccinated inside Qatar are now exempt from quarantine requirements. The quarantine exemption criteria are:

• a) 14 days must have passed after receiving the second dose before returning into Qatar and a negative PCR test is required on return to Qatar

• b) In case 14 days have not passed from receiving the second dose before returning to Qatar then they are subject to home quarantine for 7 days or until they complete 14 days following the second dose, whichever is shorter.

• c) The quarantine exemption is valid for a period of six months, starting 14 days after the second doseThey must carry a copy of vaccination certificate or their Ehteraz app must be updated with vaccination info.

• For the Criteria of Exemption from Quarantine for Citizens and Residents of Qatar who received COVID-19 Vaccine Outside Qatar, click here

• Please contact MOPH directly at [email protected] for queries related to COVID-19 Vaccines taken outside Qatar.

• Passengers arriving on flights originating from or transiting via the UK, South Africa, Netherlands, and Denmark will be required to book a quarantine package from ‘Discover Qatar Website’. They must carry a printed copy of the hotel quarantine booking.

• Domestic workers and company-sponsored workers (manual and crafts workers) can be quarantined for 14 days at any of the listed hotels on the ‘Discover Qatar Website’. They must carry a printed copy of the quarantine booking.

• Travellers are required to download the Ehteraz app on arrival in Doha. The passenger’s health status on the app will change to Yellow within a few hours from arrival indicating ongoing quarantine. The health status will remain “yellow” until the completion of the full quarantine course and a negative COVID-19 result is obtained.

• Based on the above restrictions, the traveller will be required to spend between '0' and '14' days in quarantine.” where '0' in the minimum and '14' is the maximum.

Is a vaccination required?

• No

• A vaccination for COVID-19 is not required for entry into the country.

Insurance required?

• No

• Proof of insurance coverage for COVID-19 expenses is not required to enter the country.

Entry form required? (health or other)

• Yes

• Arrivals are required to fill a Health Assessment Form upon arrival.

• Travellers arriving through the Abu Samra border crossing from Saudi Arabia will need to sign a formal pledge to adhere to all the quarantine policies.

Recommended Border App

• Yes with exceptions

• The EHTERAZ mobile application is mandatory and must be installed on mobile phones. The app will track COVID-19 transmission chains and will give testing and medical information. Travellers will be asked to show the app on arrival.

• Diplomats, holders of MOFA issued administrative cards, and VVIP visitors are exempted from the above requirement.

Airline restrictions

• Moderate

• International and domestic commercial flights are operating.

• Inbound flights from low-risk countries are allowed.

• Cargo flights are operating

• Health screening measures are in place at all the entry ports including airports.

Border restrictions

• Moderate

• Saudi Arabia and UAE have reopened air, land, and sea borders with Qatar.

• The Abu Samra border crossing with Saudi Arabia has reopened with screening measures in place. Click https://covid19.moph.gov.qa/EN/Pages/Qatar-Travel-Policyy.aspx and https://www.discoverqatar.qa/welcome-home/ for more information.

• Travel outside Qatar is allowed. However, travellers may be subject to quarantine upon their return at their own expense.

Curfew restrictions

• Moderate

• Qatar government has imposed several restrictions due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

• There is no curfew in place in Qatar.

• There are police checkpoints and mobile patrols to ensure the public is following restrictions. Anyone found violating the rules could be subject to penalties.

Social distancing restrictions

• Moderate

• Gatherings in closed spaces remain banned. Only five fully vaccinated people will be allowed in open spaces.

Internal travel restrictions

• Moderate

• Masks are required

• Public transport is operating with a much reduced capacity.

• Metro services are not being operated on Fridays and Saturdays.

• Only four people are allowed in a vehicle.

• Travellers must show a green status on the EHTERAZ App.

• The Doha Industrial Area opened, however, visitors must have a permit from local authorities.

Non-essential shops open?

• Yes

• Commercial sectors are open from 07:00 to 20:00.

• Wholesale markets are open at a reduced capacity.

• Shopping centres and malls are allowed to remain open at a reduced capacity.

Accommodations open?

• Yes

• Hotels are open.

Restaurants open?

• Yes

• Restaurants can remain open to serve delivery and take out services.

Bars and cafes open?

• Yes with exceptions

• Cafes can operate to serve delivery and take out services.

Beaches and tourism sites open?

• No

• Beaches are closed.

Museums and heritage sites open?

• No

• Museums are closed.

*Personal care services open? *

• Yes

• Health clubs, beauty/barber shops, hair stylists, and massage parlours are closed.

Places of worship open?

• Yes

• Mosques are open for daily and Friday prayers.

Events allowed?

• No

• Weddings are banned, both indoors and outdoors.

Masks required in public?

• Yes

• Everyone is required to wear a face mask in public, except when driving alone in their cars. Violators may be fined or imprisoned.

Other

• Gyms, public parks, and recreational centres are closed until further notice.

• Cinemas and theatres are closed.

• Professional sports training has resumed.

• Government offices are open at a reduced capacity.

• Libraries are closed.

• Childcare facilities and nurseries are closed.

• Private health clinics are providing services at a reduced capacity.

The COVID-19 epidemic is constantly changing worldwide. Travel and border restrictions may change with little or no notice. Airlines may have their own requirements for testing, masking, and distancing. It is recommended that travellers carry a supply of face masks since the requirement can vary by location. It is recommended that travellers practice social distancing and maintain a 6-foot distance from other individuals and avoid crowded areas. Check with your airline, booking agent, or country's embassy for information on your specific travel plans.