Rules For People Arriving In Qatar During the COVID-19 Outbreak

All travellers who arrive in Qatar from overseas must enter into self-quarantine for at least seven days.

Posted on

22 July 2020

| Last updated on 23 July 2020

Rules For People Arriving In Qatar During the COVID-19 Outbreak

If you're scheduled to arrive in Qatar in the near future or you're considering travelling to the country, read on.

As Qatar continues to lift the health and safety restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the country's travel policy has changed based on the ongoing situation.

Effective from Saturday, August 1, travellers who arrive to Qatar from low-risk countries are required to take a Coronavirus test upon arrival at the airport, sign a formal agreement to self-quarantine for seven days, and download the Ehteraz App (Qatar's COVID-tracking app).

Qatar residents and citizens can also travel to any of the low-risk countries listed, but are required to undergo home quarantine on return.

Which are the low-risk countries?

Below is the complete list of low-risk countries, which will be updated according to the ongoing situation.

Europe:

Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom

Asia:

Brunei
China
Japan
Malaysia
South Korea
Thailand
Vietnam

Oceania:

Australia and New Zealand

Africa:

Algeria and Morocco

America:

Canada

What happens when I come back to Qatar?

Upon your return to Qatar from any of the low-risk countries listed above, you will be tested for COVID-19 at the airport and must follow through a minimum 7-day self-quarantine at home or in a hotel.

You will be screened for the virus again on day 6 of self-quarantine. If the results are negative, you can leave quarantine, but if your test is positive, you will be placed under immediate isolation.

If you've been tested recently at an approved MOPH testing centre, you do not require a Coronavirus test at the airport. Instead, you must present your certificate showing you are free from the virus to the relevant authorities at Hamad International Airport in Qatar.

You will still need to begin a week-long period of home quarantine, of which you must get tested on the 6th day.

All arriving travellers must complete and sign a health checklist/form which will be distributed by cabin crew onboard before landing. When you arrive at Hamad International Airport, this health form/card must be submitted to the Medical Officer onsite.

Rules to follow during self-quarantine

There are 10 rules you are required to follow during home quarantine.

You should not receive visitors while under home quarantine
You must have suitable housing conditions with the availability of your own room and linked bathroom when you confine yourself to your own room and not mix with the rest of the family

You must inform the public health team if you develop any symptoms (fever, cough, body aches, change in taste or smell)
You must sign an undertaking (including all the family members and household helpers living in the same house) to abide by the rules of home-based quarantine
You must watch a short video on board the flight before arrival and review the pamphlet on the home quarantine
You must apply preventive measures at home to protect others
You must have a swab taken on day 6 after your arrival back to Doha at a designated drive through primary healthcare center
You must answer the phone calls from the public health team during your home quarantine
You must agree to receive a visit from the public health team every 2 to 3 days
You must download the Ehteraz App

What happens if I return to Qatar from a country that's not on the low-risk list?

If you travel to a destination that is not on the official low-risk countries list, and you return to Qatar, you will be required to undergo a one-week period of hotel quarantine.

You must book a hotel quarantine stay for 7 days from any of the listed hotels on the Discover Qatar website.

You must get tested for COVID-19 on day 6 of your hotel quarantine. If the test comes back negative and you are asymptomatic (displaying no symptoms), you will be able to leave the hotel on day 7 where you must begin a further 7 days of quarantine at home.

If you are still asymptomatic after home quarantine, your Ehteraz App status will turn green.

Quarantine in Qatar for arriving travellers

Who is exempted from hotel quarantine>

There are some exemptions for certain people returning from countries that are not on the low-risk list.

The following groups of Qatari or non-Qataris arriving in the country, as well as their immediate family members and domestic workers, can quarantine at home rather than a hotel.

People who are 55 years old and above
Organ transplant recipients.
Patients with hypertension who are on treatment.
Bone marrow transplant recipients.
Patients with conditions that require immune-suppressive treatment.
Patients with heart failure or coronary artery disease.
Patients with moderate to severe asthma.
Cancer patients with metastasis and those on treatment (Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy).
Pregnant females (any trimester).
Nursing mothers with children aged 0-5 years.
Patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRD) or on dialysis.
Patients with CLD (Chronic Liver Disease) and decompensation.
Patients with lower-limb amputations.
People with disabilities where they are dependent on others for their activities of daily living.
Children with disabilities and their mothers.
Patients with epilepsy and on treatment.
Patients with diabetic foot infections.
People with deceased first-degree relatives in the last 10 days.
People with mental health problems on antipsychotic medications and whose condition is aggravated by staying in closed spaces
Diabetic patients on treatment (any HbA1C level)