The state of Qatar has released new traveling policies for individuals who would like to travel to Qatar including permanent visa holders, residents and immigrants workers returning to the country to resume their jobs.
The new travel policy will come to effect from 1 August 2020.
Arrivals to Qatar from low-risk countries
The official list of ‘low-risk countries’ which will be issued by the Ministry of Public Health’s website and announced by the Civil Aviation Authority will be reviewed every 14 days.
Arrivals to Qatar from low-risk countries are required to take a coronavirus test upon arrival at the airport.
They will have to sign a formal pledge to adhere to quarantine at home for a week.
The traveler’s status on the Ehteraz application will be yellow, which means that they are required to quarantine.
After 1 week of Quarantine
Travelers must go to one of the dedicated health centers to get another coronavirus test
If the result is positive, the traveler will be transferred to isolation, and if it is negative, the quarantine period ends at the end of that week and the traveler’s status on the Ehteraz application will change to green.
Arrivals from low-risk countries with accredited COVID-19 testing centers.
Travelers obtaining a COVID-free certificate from one of these centers will be exempt from taking the test at the airport upon arrival in the country, provided that the date of obtaining the certificate does not exceed 48 hours before traveling.
Arrivals from countries not included in low-risk countries but have accredited COVID-19 testing centers.
Travelers are required to obtain a virus-free certificate from accredited COVID-19 testing centers from where they begin their travel which is conducted no more than 48 hours before traveling.
The arrivals must also adhere to the home quarantine for a week upon arrival in Doha while also following the policy and conditions applied to arrivals from the low-risk countries mentioned above.
Arrivals from countries not included in low-risk countries with no accredited COVID-19 testing centers.
Travelers from other countries that are not included in the list of low-risk countries and in which there are no accredited COVID-19 testing centers will be required to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense for one week.
The hotel accommodation will have to be booked through the “Discover Qatar“ website before arriving in the State of Qatar.
After the week has elapsed, the ending of the quarantine period will depend on the result of a COVID-19 test.
If the result is positive, the traveler will be transferred to isolation
If it is negative, the person will be required to commit for a home quarantine for another week, in which case the status on the Ehteraz application will be yellow and will then change to green after the week has passed.
Qatari citizens and their wives, spouses and children, and permanent residency holders
Individuals in this category can travel outside the country and return at any time while adhering to all the aforementioned procedures and according to the countries of arrival.
Patients receiving treatment abroad at the expense of the state of Qatar and their registered companions, and employees who are dispatched for work assignments will be exempt from bearing the cost of the hotel, as the relevant body will cover the costs of the hotel quarantine if the traveler meets the conditions of the hotel quarantine.
Residents
Individuals in this category will be allowed to return to Qatar starting the first of August 2020.
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 cases, and
Through submitting return requests for permits via the “Qatar Portal” website based on the above-mentioned priorities.
The employer shall bear the costs of the quarantine in the dedicated facilities for blue-collar workers in the private sector and domestic workers at a nominal cost after obtaining the entry permit.
Individuals eligible for home quarantine
Those over 55
Those who have had an organ or spinal cord transplant
Those who receive immunosuppressive therapy
Those who suffer from heart disease
Those who suffer from moderate to severe asthma
Those who receive cancer treatment
Pregnant women
Babysitting mothers with children up to five-years-old
Those who suffer from kidney failure
Those with chronic liver disease
Those with lower limb amputation
Those with disabilities who require support to carry out activities
Disabled children and their mothers
Those who suffer from epilepsy and receive treatment
Those with diabetic foot
Those with immediate relatives who have died in the 10 days prior to their arrival
Those receiving treatment for mental and psychiatric illnesses, and people suffering from claustrophobia
Those who suffer from diabetes and receive treatment
Those who have high blood pressure
General Instructions
Workers in the various sectors are required to coordinate the dates of travel and return with their employers.
Families and workers in the education sector must take the quarantine period into account when planning their return to the State of Qatar in order to avoid absence during the mandatory quarantine period, whether in the designated facilities or at home.
It should also be noted that the process of issuing return permits for residents will be through the “Qatar Portal“ website until the need to organize the entry process ends, based on relevant public health indicators.
Low-risk countries as of 22 July 2020
Europe: Malta, Finland, Hungary, Estonia, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Cyprus, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, Slovenia, Belgium, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Iceland, Spain, Croatia and Andorra
Asia: Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, China, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Turkey
Oceania: New Zealand and Australia
Africa: Morocco and Algeria
Americas: Canada
For more information regarding the process of issuing return permits to the State of Qatar, you can visit the Ministry of Public Health page on COVID-19 or contact the Government Contact Centre via the hotline (109)
