Qatar Simplifies Entry Requirements Effective February 28, 2022

Qatar is making changes to its entry requirements that will be in place from February 28, 2022.

The country will have only one RED list and all other countries are lumped together. What is required to enter Qatar is dependent on your vaccination status, what vaccine has been used, how long from the vaccination/booster, or if you have been recovered.

You can access Qatar’s page for entry requirements here.

IMMUNITY STATUS:

Fully Vaccinated:

Anyone who received any of the following COVID-19 vaccine approved/recognized by the Ministry of Public Health within its immunity validity period:

• Valid for nine (9) months from fourteen (14) days after 2nd dose or booster dose vaccination of Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zenica COVID-19 vaccines.
• Valid for nine (9) months from 2 weeks after the 1st dose of Jansen & Jansen COVID-19 vaccine; or valid for nine (9) months from  seven (7) days of receiving the booster dose of Jansen & Jansen COVID-19 vaccine.
• Valid for six (6) months from fourteen (14) days after the 2nd dose or booster dose of conditionally approved COVID-19 vaccines, where a positive Serology on Antibody Test lab result is required and is valid for 30 days from testing; If the traveler is unable to take a Serology Antibody test in the country of origin or if the Antibody test result appear negative, the traveler must undergo relevant quarantine for 5 days; Those who received booster dose using MOPH approved vaccines immune status is extended to nine (9) months from  seven (7) days after the booster dose and Serology Antibody test is no longer required.

Recovered:

Anyone who had a medically confirmed COVID-19 infection acquired either locally or overseas is considered to have immune status valid for nine (9) months from the date of the infection. There should be an official and verifiable laboratory test result as evidence of the past infection.

Unvaccinated / Non-immune:

Anyone who does not meet any of the above criteria.

Red Countries

APPROVES & CONDITIONALLY APPROVED VACCINES:

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

Qatar has a different set of entry requirements, depending on nationality and residency status, or if you are a visitor.

Group 1: Citizens and Residents of Qatar​

Group 2: GCC Citizens (who are Non-Residents)​ and Visitors

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1. Based on COVID-19 epidemiology  in different countries and their local health risk indicators, Qatar has developed specific health and safety measures for travelers coming to Qatar – Standard Health Measures and Red Health Measures.

2. Citizens and residents are free to travel abroad at any time provided that the Travel and Return Policy is adhered to when returning to Qatar.

3. The Ministry of Public Health advises citizens and residents to look up and comply with COVID-19 health measures currently in place in the destination country.

4. Travelers are responsible for keeping up to date with changes to the Travel and Return Policy through official sources before planning to travel to Qatar.

5. Travelers must comply with Qatar’s COVID-19 procedures at all time to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

6. Travelers who are required to have a PCR lab result before traveling to Qatar must have it at a medical center authorized by the health authorities in the country of departure. A negative test result is required and is considered valid for 48 hours from departure time at the country of departure. (Please see the pre-travel test rules for detailed guidance.)

7. Unvaccinated children below the age of 12 years travelling with fully vaccinated or recovered parent/s will follow the same rules that apply to their parent/s and are not required to have a pre-travel PCR test but only post-arrival test (Rapid Antigen Test) at the following locations:

   a. Citizens and Residents: at any public/private clinic within 24 hours of arrival in Qatar but must sign an Undertaking form.
   b. GCC Citizens (non-resident) and Visitors: if parent/s are exempted from quarantine, testing for children will be at the port of entry (airport, land, sea) upon arrival in Qatar; if parent/s are subject to hotel quarantine, testing will be at the quarantine hotel.

8. Non-residents of Qatar must register via the pre-travel registration system for people entering the State of Qatar on  ww​w.ehteraz.gov.qa website and upload all relevant official documents, where applicable, such as vaccination certificates, evidence of previous COVID-19 infection, serology antibody test results (for conditional vaccines), and PCR lab result at least 3 days before arrival. Although uploading the PCR test result is not mandatory during the electronic pre-registration process, travelers who are required to have pre-travel PCR test, must present the original copy of the PCR test result to the airlines in order to allow them to board the plane, or at the country’s ports (land and sea). Your pre-travel online registration will help accelerate your passage and clearance at the port of arrival for a better arrival experience in Qatar.

9. While pre-travel registration remains optional for citizens and residents of Qatar, the Ministry of Public Health recommends that all individuals entering Qatar pre-register to ensure the best experience upon arrival particularly those traveling with unvaccinated family members who are required to complete home quarantine as they are required to sign an Undertaking which is readily available in the Ehteraz online registration.

10. The Ministry of Public Health has the right to conduct random COVID-19 testing (Rapid Antigen Test or PCR) of travelers upon arrival in Qatar through its air, land and sea ports.

11. Travelers should download the Ehteraz mobile application and activate it on their mobile phones using a local or international SIM card.

12. All passengers must sign an Undertaking and Acknowledgement Form​ before arriving in Qatar. The form is available on the Ministry of Public Health website, pre-registration platform website www.ehteraz.gov.qa​and airline online booking form. Citizens and residents are exempted from this requirement on the condition that they are fully vaccinated inside the State of Qatar arriving from one of the countries to which Standard Health Measure apply.

13. Self-testing of Rapid Antigen is not applicable to travelers. Post-travel/upon arrival Rapid Antigen Testing must be conducted at an authorized healthcare facility: (Please see our post-travel testing policy for detailed instructions) as follows:

    a.​ Citizens and Residents: at any public (PHCC) or Private clinic.
    b. GCC Citizens (non-resident) and Visitors: anyone subject to home quarantine with first-degree relatives shall have their testing done at any authorized private clinics; for unvaccinated children below 12 yrs old who are accompanied by parent/s exempted from quarantine, testing will be at the port of entry (airport, land, sea).
    c. Travelers who are subject to hotel quarantine will have their testing done at the hotel.

14. Travelers who are required to complete quarantine in a hotel quarantine facility must book a Welcome-Home quarantine package through Discover Qatar’s website https://www.discoverqatar.qa/welcome-home/.

15. In the case of home quarantine, accommodation conditions must be appropriate, and if the property does not comply with the conditions mentioned in the undertaking, the traveler must book the hotel quarantine package through Discover Qatar’s website before travelling to Qatar.

16. Travelers arriving in Qatar should go to the COVID-19 test clinic at the entry port in case of any COVID-19-related symptoms and take the necessary isolation measures.

17. Travelers should not go to work or mix with others until the Rapid Antigen Test result is out.

18. For unvaccinated travelers, their health status in the Ehteraz app will be Yellow because they are under quarantine (please review the quarantine policy for detailed instructions).

19. Travelers should, on regular basis, check the MoPH Travel and Return Policy for up-to-date detailed guidance according to the country classification and health  and safety measures.​

Conclusion

Fully vaccinated (less than 9 months) or recently recovered (less than 9 months) visitors only require pretravel PCR test. There are no additional tests required or quarantine when entering Doha.

Those who enter Qatar and are considered unvaccinated or non-immune face five days of a hotel or home quarantine with PCR and antigen tests. Citizens and residents are not required to have a pre-departure PCR-RT test.

The issue I have with this Qatar’s approach is that it is only a few months when some may hit the 9-month ceiling from the Covid-19 booster. Do they need to get infected and then enter through the recovery path?