In order to facilitate entry procedures into the country, online pre-registration on the Ehteraz website (www.ehteraz.gov.qa) has now become optional for citizens and residents. However, pre-registration is still mandatory for visitors 12 hours before travel to obtain a travel permit. The main aim of launching the pre-registration is to make it faster and smoother for travelers arriving in the country. Passengers coming to Qatar must download the Ehteraz app and download the app on mobile either via Google Play, or Apple App Store.
New Travel Rule for Qatar, the procedures will be as follows:
- Travelers who have completed the pre-registration and uploaded all required official documents (copy of vaccination certificate, copy of PCR test results, etc.) will be allowed to use the designated fast-track route and proceed directly to the immigration checkpoint without stopping at the Ministry of Public Health’s counters (only for individuals who meet the criteria) – making it easier and faster to get into the country.
- In case many members of a family have completed the pre-registration (for example: vaccinated parents with unvaccinated children), our team will review the health procedures in advance, which will allow the family to use the designated fast-track route to complete entry into the country easily.
- Once the pre-registration is completed, travelers will be provided with information on the procedures that he/she will have to follow and the checkpoints that he/she will have to stop at upon arrival in Qatar.
General Rules
- Pre-electronic registration through (www.ehteraz.gov.qa) is optional for Qatari citizens and residents, however it is still mandatory for visitors to obtain a travel permit at least (12) hours before travel, and the passengers will be required to download all official documents and present the travel permit to the airline employees (in case of travelling through Hamad International Airport) to allow them to board the aircraft, or to the immigration employees at the land borders (in the event of traveling through Abu Samra land port).
- Unvaccinated citizens and residents who wish to travel abroad to a country classified as non-green are required to book hotel quarantine packages before traveling, through the Discover Qatar website at one of the designated quarantine hotels in Qatar.
- A PCR test for travel abroad must be conducted at private healthcare facilities which was previously announced by the Ministry of Public Health.
- A PCR test must be conducted at an approved medical center by the local Ministry of Health in the country of departure before traveling to the State of Qatar.
- GCC citizens who have recovered from COVID-19 are required to present the original vaccination certificate (at least one dose of any of the recognized vaccines by the Ministry of Public Health- Qatar), a PCR test, as well as a certificate proving the occurrence of COVID-19 infection.
- Employees planning to travel abroad should coordinate with their employers on their travel and return dates taking into consideration the quarantine duration.
- If hotel quarantine criteria apply, the Ministry of Public Health shall cover the costs of the hotel quarantine packages in Qatar for patients receiving their treatment abroad with their official escorts ( with written approval from the Medical Committee for Treatment Abroad of the Ministry of Public Health ) at the expense of the state of Qatar. The employers shall cover the expenses of the hotel quarantine for their employees upon returning from official missions.
- In the event of home quarantine, accommodation conditions must be appropriate, where there is a separate room with an ensuite bathroom. If the accommodation does not meet the requirements, the passenger must book a hotel quarantine package through the “Discover Qatar” website before traveling to Qatar.
- The immunity period for the vaccinated individuals is (12) months, starting after 14 days from the date of the second dose and the immunity period can be extended based on any new data in this regard.
- Lists of approved / conditionally approved Vaccines by Ministry of Public Health :
| Approved Vaccines | *Conditionally approved vaccines: |
|---|---|
| Pfizer / BioNTech (Comirnaty) | Sinopharm vaccine |
| AstraZeneca (Coveshield / Oxford / Vaxepheria) | |
| Moderna (Spikefax) | |
| Jansen / Johnson & Johnson (only one dose) |
Travelers who are fully vaccinated with the above specified conditionally approved vaccines shall undergo an antibody test upon arrival, if the result is positive, they shall be exempt from the quarantine requirements; if the result is negative, the passenger will be required to do PCR test upon arrival and must undergo quarantine based on the classification of the departure country.
- Passengers who have taken one of the recognized vaccines must submit the original vaccination certificate, which shall include the following information:
- Name of the passenger and it must match the passport.
- Dose dates according to type of vaccine (one dose for the Jansen vaccine and two doses for other vaccines).
- Type/name of the vaccine.
- Lot number of the vaccine (if any).
- Official logo or seal of the vaccination authority.
Recovered Individuals
- Citizens and residents from a previous infection within the last (12) months are exempt from quarantine upon return from abroad if they were asymptomatic, and their PCR test result is negative.
- This rule shall apply to the individuals diagnosed in Qatar only, while those diagnosed in any of the GCC countries who have received at least one dose of recognized vaccines by MoPH Qatar, shall be exempt from quarantine provided that a valid official certificate detailing the previous infection, issued by the local Ministry of Health in the GCC, is presented.
- It is the responsibility of the individuals to make sure of any changes to the Qatar new Travel and Return policy through the official sources and websites previously mentioned before planning travel.
Citizens and residents including GCC States citizens
Key Points to Remember Before traveling to the State of Qatar
- Conduct a PCR test proving that they are free of Covid-19 up to 72 hours before reaching Qatar, from a medical center accredited by the local Ministry of Health in the country of departure.
- Pre-register online via the dedicated website (www.ehteraz.gov.qa) at least (12) hours before travel and download the required official documents. (Optional for citizens and residents)
- The passenger shall be exempt from quarantine if the required doses are received from a vaccine licensed by the Ministry of Public Health; provided that at least 14 days have passed from receiving the second dose if the vaccine is two doses or one dose of the (Jansen) vaccine.
- People who have partially received the vaccine (one dose out of two doses), or who are fully vaccinated but 14 days have not passed from receiving the prescribed doses, or people who have received vaccines with conditional approval from the Ministry of Public Health:
- These categories shall be quarantined according to the classification of the country of arrival, and they must book the hotel quarantine package through the “Discover Qatar” website if they come from a yellow list country (7 days) or a red list country (10 days).
- Unvaccinated children aged (12-17) traveling with their fully vaccinated parents shall be subject to five (05) days of home quarantine if they are coming from a green-listed country.
- Unvaccinated children aged (12-17) traveling with their fully vaccinated parents shall be subject to five (05) days of home quarantine if they are coming from a green-listed country.
- Unvaccinated children aged (0-17) traveling with their fully vaccinated parents shall be subject to home quarantine based on classification of the country of arrival (07) days for the yellow countries, (10 days for red countries)”.
- Unvaccinated children traveling with their vaccinated parents who are GCC citizens but do not have a residence in Qatar a Qatari residence card (QID) shall be subject to hotel quarantine based on the country classification of the country of arrival (05 days for green list countries, 07 days for yellow list countries, and 10 days for red list countries).
- For Unvaccinated group A passengers who have traveled to multiple countries over the past 10 days; in order to avail of the quarantine privileges of classification of the countries with the lowest risk level, the passenger must stay in a country classified in the lowest level for a period of at least ten days.
- For Unvaccinated Group A passengers returning from treatment trips abroad, they must submit a health certificate from the Medical Treatment Committee Abroad through pre-registration at www.ehteraz.gov.qa.
- Meanwhile, patients coming from green and yellow countries shall be required to undergo home quarantine according to the classification of the country of arrival (coming from green countries 5 days/ yellow countries 7 days), and patients coming from red-classified countries must be quarantined for 10 days, with a companion even if they were immune (as needed).
- For unvaccinated nursing mothers, pregnant women, and persons aged 75 and over, the same screening and quarantine policy shall be applied to them like other unvaccinated persons.
Group A – Examination and Quarantine Policy upon arrival in Qatar
- Screening will be carried out for passengers who show symptoms of infection as necessary, depending on the opinion of the medical team at the State’s (outlets) ports.
- Unvaccinated passengers, those with unapproved vaccines in Qatar, or those who have not completed a period of (14) days from the date of the second dose, shall be subject to the following procedures:
- Arrivals from green-rated countries: Shall undergo a home quarantine for (5) days with another PCR test at a primary health care center on the fourth day. The passenger shall be cleared on the fifth day if the test is negative.
- Arrivals from yellow-rated countries: Shall undergo a hotel quarantine for (7) days with a PCR test (at the expense of the passenger) at the hotel on the sixth day. The passenger shall be cleared on the seventh day if the test is negative.
- Arrivals from red-rated countries: Shall undergo a hotel quarantine for (10) with a PCR test on arrival at the hotel and on the ninth day (at the passenger’s expense). They shall be cleared on the tenth day if the test is negative.
- Vaccinated passengers coming from red-rated countries shall undergo a PCR test (at the passenger’s expense) upon arrival at Hamad International Airport/ Land Port, if the test result is positive, the passenger must comply with the isolation protocol.
- Hotel quarantine shall apply for (5) days to GCC citizens who do not have a Qatari residence card if they come from green-listed countries.
Group B: Family Visits, Businessmen, Tourists including GCC residents
Entry shall be restricted to the vaccinated and/or recovered individuals as specified in items 12, 13, 14, and 15 in the General Rules.
Fully vaccinated individuals
- Shall be exempt from quarantine in the event of obtaining vaccine doses licensed by the Ministry of Public Health and a period of (14) days has elapsed after receiving the second dose of a two-dose vaccine or from a single dose in the case of the single-dose vaccine.
- Unvaccinated children aged (0-11) traveling with their fully vaccinated parents shall be exempted from the quarantine if they come from green-listed countries.
- Unvaccinated children aged (0-11) traveling with their fully vaccinated parents shall be subjected to hotel quarantine for 07 days if they come from yellow-listed countries.
- There is no exception for unvaccinated children traveling from red-listed countries
- Passengers must download and activate the Ehteraz app on their mobile phones using locally approved SIM cards which can be obtained from a local provider (Ooredoo or Vodafone).
Ehteraz application policies
- Passengers coming to Qatar must download Ehteraz app and activate it on their mobile phones upon their arrival at the Port of Entry (PoE). To achieve this, the passenger must obtain the following:
- A Qatari SIM card from a local telecommunications operator (Ooredoo or Vodafone).
- Access to the Internet.
- A smartphone that supports Android 6, newer versions, or IOS 13.5 and above.
- Download the app on the mobile either via Google Play, Apple App Store, or from any online search engine.
- Knowing that SIM cards and smartphones are available for purchase at Hamad International Airport and Abu Samra Port if the passenger does not own them before arrival.
- Diplomats, administrative cardholders, and VIP visitors shall be exempted from this procedure.
- The health status in the Ehteraz app shall remain in yellow throughout the period of the quarantine until a negative COVID-19 test result appears in accordance with the above quarantine policy.
- The status in the Ehteraz application for fully vaccinated people in the State of Qatar shall remain green with a golden frame to indicate that they are exempted from quarantine if the result of the PCR test is negative and that they have completed (14) days from the date of the scheduled doses according to the vaccine.
- The health status in the Ehteraz app for citizens and residents vaccinated outside the State of Qatar shall remain green without a golden frame until their vaccination data is updated in the system.
- The status in the Ehteraz app for visitors vaccinated abroad shall remain green without a golden frame until their vaccination data is updated in the system.
Passengers returning from Umrah
- Citizens and residents coming from Umrah who are unable to obtain a valid PCR test from the country of arrival shall be allowed to board their flights provided they undergo a PCR test upon arrival at Hamad International Airport or Abu Samra land port for a fixed fee of QAR 300 per test.
- People planning to travel to Umrah should refer to the policy and procedures announced by the Ministry of Awqaf (Endowments) and Islamic Affairs.
