Qatar Quarantine Rules and News 2021: Do I Need to Quarantine in Qatar? *Updated 10 June 2021*

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Updated 10 June 2021

Qatar- the modern gulf paradise is a holiday destination loved by tourists and residents alike. As the nation slowly leaps towards normalcy, international travel has now resumed with the enforcement of stringent testing and quarantine measurements.

Here is a complete guide of the latest quarantine requirements in Qatar for international visitors and returning residents alike.

Table of Contents

Who can travel to Qatar?

The State of Qatar currently is allowing inbound travel to the country. Under the instructions of the Qatar Government, entry into Qatar is currently only allowed for:

Qatari nationals
The children and spouses of Qatari citizens
Permanent resident permit holders
Regular resident permit holders currently in the State of Qatar will automatically receive an exceptional entry permit upon departure.

Testing requirements for entry to Qatar

Passengers travelling to Qatar who has been in or transited through India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Vietnam in the previous 14 days must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to their scheduled departure time from these countries.

The test should be taken at a medical center approved to conduct a PCR test for COVID-19 by the respective health authorities at the country of origin.

All other travellers arriving at Qatar regardless of age, including those previously vaccinated or infected, must do a pre-travel COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of arrival at the country of origin in a medical center that their local Ministry of Health approved to perform COVID-19 PCR tests.

The PCR test result should be negative before boarding the airplane to Qatar.

Travellers, both in home quarantine and hotel quarantine, will get tested again on Day 6 of their arrival at their own expense.

Do I need to quarantine if I travel to Qatar?

Apart from certain exemptions, you will have to quarantine upon arrival in Qatar. Download the Ehteraz app (available on both iOS and Android platforms), the official contact tracing application for the State of Qatar and is owned, operated, and approved by the Ministry of Public Health.

Arrivals from high-risk countries

Passengers travelling to Qatar who has been in or transited through India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Vietnam in the previous 14 days must undergo 10 days quarantine in a dedicated quarantine facility, or 14 days if quarantine is at Mekhaines facility regardless of prior vaccination or immunity against COVID-19.

Arrivals into Qatar from the above countries must book their quarantine hotel at Discover Qatar before their departure. You will not be permitted to board your flight without a confirmed quarantine reservation.

Arrivals from green list countries

The State of Qatar has categorized the following countries in a Green List to facilitate the quarantine policy and COVID-19 travel restrictions to people arriving into Qatar from these countries.

As per the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), passengers coming from countries on Qatar’s Green List will have to home quarantine for a week. In contrast, those coming from other countries will have to undergo hotel quarantine for a week. As of 8 June 2021, the Green List includes the following countries. This list is reviewed and updated regularly and is subject to change.

Oman
Brunei Darussalam
Thailand
China, Macau, Hong Kong
Malaysia
South Korea
Singapore
Japan
Myanmar
Australia
New Zealand
Mexico
Cuba
Mauritius
Iceland
Ireland

Arrivals to Qatar for those without a vaccine nor antibodies from a Green List Country

Passengers arriving from countries on the Ministry of Public Health’s Green list are eligible for home quarantine:

Travellers will sign a pledge to adhere to home quarantine for 7 days, during which time their Ehteraz status will be yellow.
A COVID-19 test will be administered at a dedicated health center on the sixth day after arrival.
If the result is negative, the quarantine period ends, and the Ehteraz status will change to green. If the result is positive, the traveller will be transferred to government isolation facilities.

Arrivals to Qatar for those without a vaccine nor antibodies from countries not on the Green List

Travellers are mandated to stay in hotel quarantine at their own expense for 7 days, booked through the “Discover Qatar” website before arriving.
Travellers will be tested at the hotel on the sixth day after arrival.
If the result is negative, the quarantine period ends, and their Ehteraz status will change to green. If the result is positive, the traveller will be transferred to government isolation facilities.

Quarantine exemptions

Apart from specific GCC citizens exempt from quarantine, as mentioned above, the following categories of travellers are exempted from undergoing quarantine.

Arrivals to Qatar for those who have received a vaccine from the MoPH

Individuals who have been fully vaccinated in Qatar are exempt from quarantining if they meet the following requirements:

14 days must have passed after receiving the second dose before returning to Qatar.
They have received a negative PCR test from the country of departure’s Ministry of Health within 72 hours of their arrival to Qatar, with no further exposure.
Some categories may undergo a COVID-19 test upon arrival at the airport, as determined by the Ministry of Public Health. This includes certain people travelling for less than 72 hours, including diplomats and country officials, those experiencing symptoms, as judged by the medical team at the airport, and random sampling of some returning travellers, particularly those travelling from high-risk countries.
The quarantine exemption is valid for 6 months, starting 14 days after the second dose, and this may be extended in the future following more clinical evidence.
Non-vaccinated children below 12 years of age returning to Qatar with fully vaccinated parents are permitted to home quarantine for 7 days.
The exemption does not apply to people vaccinated in other countries.

Arrivals to Qatar for those who have antibodies to COVID-19

Travellers who have recovered from COVID-19 will be exempted from quarantining if they can:

Provide a laboratory-confirmed result proving their recovery and have completed the requirements after the isolation period.
This laboratory-approved result must be within six months of the first positive result from a COVID-19 test. Those who have recovered can obtain a form proving their prior infection from their health centers in the State of Qatar before travel.
They have received a negative PCR test from the country of departure’s Ministry of Health within 72 hours of their arrival to Qatar, with no further exposure.
If a recovered person who meets the quarantine exemption requirements develops COVID-19 symptoms within 14 days of coming into contact with an infected person, they must isolate themselves and be clinically evaluated.

The following vaccines are currently approved by the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Public health (MoPH)

Pfizer BioNTech
Moderna
AstraZeneca
Covishield (AstraZeneca)
Janssen/Johnson&Johnson
Sinopharm

All of the quarantine exemptions mentioned above are not applicable to passengers who are traveling into Qatar from any of the 6 East Asian countries where mandatory hotel quarantine applies.

Travelers must present an official vaccination certificate or card that includes the following information: