TRAVEL AND RETURN POLICIES THE

STATE OF QATAR
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

TRAVELERS ENTRY POLICY: .......................................................................... 3

General Policy:............................................................................................................................................... 3
Citizens, their Spouses, Children, and Permanent Residency Holders: ....................................................... 4
GCC Citizens: .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Residents (Professionals): ............................................................................................................................. 5
Workers (Craftsmen and Manual Professions): ........................................................................................... 5
VVIP Visitors and accompanying Officials: ................................................................................................... 5
Diplomats: ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Vulnerable Groups Eligible for Home Quarantine: ...................................................................................... 6
TRAVELING ABROAD POLICY: ...................................................................... 6
General Policy:............................................................................................................................................... 6
EHTERAZ APP. POLICY: ................................................................................ 7
COVID-19 TESTING CENTERS ABROAD APPROVAL POLICY: ........................... 7

2
TRAVELERS ENTRY POLICY:
General Policy:
• The health status on Ehteraz application for all travelers coming to the State of Qatar
on must be "yellow", showing that the individual is under quarantine.

• The COVID-19 Green List countries is 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.

• All Qatari and GCC citizens should travel from and to the State of Qatar using their
passports and not their ID cards as a precautionary measure to control the
transmission of COVID-19 infection in the country.

• Qatari and Residents returning from one of the COVID-19 Green Listed Countries
must be tested upon arrival to the Port of Entry (PoE) using the approved testing
method for COVID-19 and sign the Undertaking for Home Quarantine for a week.
On the sixth day, the individual should visit one of the PHCC healthcare centers for
re-testing.

• Citizens and Residents returning from the other countries that is not included in the
COVID-19 Green List should be hotel quarantined at their own expense for a week.
They should book a quarantine package from the listed hotels on the "Discover
Qatar" website before their travel abroad. They will be re-tested on day 6 and
released from the hotel after their health status on Ehteraz turned green on day 7.

• If there are MOPH approved COVID-19 testing centers at the country of travel, a
COVID-19-free certificate should be obtained from one of these centers to be
exempted from testing at the Port of Entry (PoE). The Certificate should not exceed
48 hours before travel.

• With home quarantine, the accommodation conditions should be suitable, provided

it has a separate room with its ensuite bathroom. If the accommodation is not
appropriate, one of the hotel quarantine packages must be booked for 7 days
through the "Discover Qatar" website before traveling to Qatar.

• Re-testing on the sixth day of quarantine is mandatory, and the individuals under
home quarantine will receive SMS as a reminder to visit one of the PHCC healthcare
centers for testing. If they did not show-up, it will be followed by a phone call from
the Healthcare team. No answer or show-up to the appointment for a valid reason
will be considered as non-compliance, and the legal action will be taken per the
Decree-Law no.17 for the year 1990.

• If the traveler was a minor, their official guardian should sign the "Home Quarantine
Undertaking".

• Employers, whether individuals or companies, government or private, must obtain

"Exceptional Entry Permit" for residents and their family members (QIDs holders)
who are still abroad in order to allow them to return to the State of Qatar. The permit

3
 is valid for one month from its date of its issuance and can be renewed automatically
if not used.

• 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 printout 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.

• It is the responsibility of individuals to ensure that they are updated with any changes
in the Entry and Return policy of the State of Qatar, the COVID-19 Green Listed
Countries, and the approved testing centers abroad through the official sources and
the sites mentioned above before planning their trip.

Citizens, their Spouses and Children, and the Holders of Permanent Residency:
• Citizens, their spouses and children, and permanent residency holders can return to
the State of Qatar at any time, provided they adhere to the travel and return policy
mentioned above.

• Citizens, their spouses and children, and permanent residency holders shall bear
the cost of the hotel quarantine for one week, if the hotel quarantine criteria apply,
provided that the booking made through "Discover Qatar" before their travel
abroad.

• If the hotel quarantine criteria apply, the government will cover the costs of the hotel
quarantine packages for patients receiving their treatment abroad at the expense of
the State, along with their official escorts. The employer is responsible to cover the
quarantine expenses for their employees who are on official missions.

• Citizens, their spouses and children, and permanent residents are exempted from
hotel quarantine if they are among the vulnerable groups listed in this policy,
knowing that this includes their immediate family members and domestic helpers
traveling with them and share the same national address.

GCC Citizens:
• GCC Citizens can enter the State of Qatar through its air and land ports.

• Visitors to the State of Qatar from GCC should be hotel quarantined at their own
expense for a week. They should book a quarantine package from the listed hotels
on the "Discover Qatar" website before their travel to Qatar. The exemption policy
cannot be applied because of the unavailability of their own residence where they
can be home quarantined.

• Visitors traveling through the land port are allowed to go to the hotel designated for
quarantine using their own cars, provided they sign a "Quarantine Undertaking",
according to which individuals are obligated to follow the State of Qatar laws and
policies in force to control infectious diseases.

4
Residents (Professionals):
• Residents abroad may return to the State of Qatar, as of August 1, 2020, by applying
for an "Exceptional Entry Permit" through "Qatar Portal" website.
• 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 printout the permit from the Ministry of Interior's website 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.
• The same quarantine policy explained above in the General Policy for the Travelers'
Entry Policy shall apply to this population category.

Workers (Craftsmen and Manual Professions):

• The employer (public or private sector) may submit an "Exceptional Entry Permit"
application for craftsmen and manual workers electronically via the "Qatar Portal"
website. A similar process applies to domestic workers.

• The employer shall bear the costs of the quarantine in the dedicated facilities for
quarantine at a nominal fee after obtaining the entry permit.

• Bookings are made through the "Discover Qatar" website, where room options are
available, provided that the reservation is for 14 days.

• The health status of the workers under quarantine will be monitored, and if they
showed any symptoms, they would be tested. Otherwise, they will be tested before
the end of the quarantine period. If the result is negative, they will be released from
the hotel quarantine after completing day-14.

VVIP Visitors and accompanying Officials:

• VVIP Guests bringing their own COVID-19 testing Certificate, should ensure the
testing technique used is RT-PCR. The testing result must be negative and valid for
48 hours after arrival to Qatar. If the visit duration is over 72 hours, they must be re-
tested.

• If the VVIP Guests were tested in Qatar, they must be re-tested after 72 hours.

Diplomats:
• Members of the Qatari diplomatic missions abroad, Cultural, and Military Attaches
on annual leaves, and Foreign Missions' Heads and their families should have a
COVID-19-free Certificate from one of the testing centers approved and announced
by MOPH. In the absence of MOPH approved testing centers, a certificate using RT-
PCR is crucial to be exempted from testing at the Port of Entry (PoE). The COVID-
19-free Certificate should not exceed 48 hours before travel. Otherwise, they will be
tested at the Airport upon arrival and shall be home quarantined for a week and re-
tested on day 6.

• The same process applies to the holders of administrative cards, except employees
on local contracts.

5
 • Foreign Diplomats and holders of administrative cards shall be exempted from
signing the Home Quarantine Undertaking and downloading the Ehteraz app.

Vulnerable Groups Eligible for Home Quarantine:

The following vulnerable groups returning from travel (Qatari and Residents) and their
immediate family members, including their domestic helpers who share the same national
address are eligible for home quarantine:

1. Aged 65 years old and above.

2. Organ and Bone Marrow transplant recipients.
3. Patients with conditions that require immune-suppressive treatment.
4. Patients with heart failure or coronary artery disease.
5. Patients with moderate-to-severe asthma.
6. Cancer patients with metastasis and those on treatment (Chemotherapy or
Radiotherapy).
7. Pregnant females (any trimester).
8. Nursing mothers with children aged 0-5 years.
9. Patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRD) or on dialysis.
10. Patients with CLD (Chronic Liver Disease) and decompensation.
11. Patients with lower-limb amputations.
12. People with disabilities where they depend on others for their activities of daily
living.
13. Children with disabilities and their mothers.
14. Patients with epilepsy and on treatment.
15. Patients with diabetic foot infections.
16. People with deceased first-degree relatives in the last ten days.
17. People with mental health problems on antipsychotic medications and whose
condition is aggravated by staying in closed spaces
18. Diabetic with neuro, nephro, retinopathy and any other complications.
19. Minor travelers (below 18 years old) traveling without an accompanied guardian.

Citizens and Residents traveling with a family member who is among the vulnerable groups
and returned to the country without them, should be hotel quarantined and must book a
hotel quarantine package from the listed hotels on the "Discover Qatar" website before
their travel abroad.

The exemption from hotel quarantine can be suspended in case the accommodation is not
appropriate for home quarantine or an MOPH decision to control COVID-19 transmission
in the country.

TRAVELING ABROAD POLICY:

General Policy:
• Citizens and Residents can travel abroad at any time, provided they adhere to the
travel and return policy.

6
 • Citizens and Residents wishing to travel abroad to one of the 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 traveling.

• If one or more conditions listed in the Vulnerable Groups in this policy apply,
Citizens and Residents must obtain a medical certificate by login to their account on
"My Health" portal that shows their health condition and entitlement for home
quarantine when booking their flight before traveling abroad.

• Those wishing to travel must know the procedures applied in the country they want
to visit in terms of quarantine procedures, duration, and the need to provide a
COVID-19-free certificate.

• Employees must coordinate with their employers about the dates of their travel
and return to Qatar. They should consider the quarantine period when planning
their trip.

EHTERAZ APP. POLICY:

• Travelers returning to the State of Qatar must download and activate the Ehteraz
app on their mobiles upon arrival to the Port of Entry (PoE). To achieve that:

▪ A Qatari SIM Card from a local telecom operator (Ooredoo and Vodafone).
▪ Internet access.
▪ A smartphone that supports either Android 6 and up or IOS 13.5 and up.
▪ Download the application on your mobile phone either via Google Play or
Apple App Store or from any search engines on the internet.

• Diplomats, administrative cardholders, and VVIP visitors are exempted.

• Health status on Ehteraz will remain YELLOW for the whole of quarantine duration,
and until a negative COVID-19 test result is obtained as per the quarantine policy
stated above.

COVID-19 TESTING CENTERS ABROAD APPROVAL POLICY:

• Criteria to approve COVID-19 testing centers must be shared with the Qatari
embassies abroad, and the Foreign and Arab embassies in the country. The
proposed testing centers should be studied against the set criteria to determine the
testing centers included in the list based on the travelers' flow arriving from those
countries.

• The criteria set by MOPH focused on the laboratory accreditation, analytical

methods used for testing, and the information required to be included in the
certificate.