Updated Guidelines For Passengers Traveling To Qatar, Doha

No-frills carrier Air India Express on Thursday shared a set of updated guidelines for those who wish to travel to State of Qatar from India.

As per the guidelines shared by the airline, all passengers traveling to Doha, Qatar from India must follow the guidelines set by the State of Qatar.

Guidelines For Passengers Traveling To Doha, Qatar

• Present a negative COVID-19 PCR test report (printed copy) at the Indian departure airport conducted within 48 hours prior to the scheduled time of arrival in Qatar (including those previously vaccinated or previously infected). The COVID-19 PCR test should be a validated and certified medical test result from an ICMR accredited laboratory.

• All passengers must download the Ehteraz smartphone application before arrival.

• Present the pre-confirmed hotel quarantine package from the listed hotels on the Discover Qatar website, Exceptional Entry Permit, undertaking and Heath Assessment Form at the Indian departure airport (printed copies).

• Undergo 10 days quarantine in a dedicated quarantine facility, or 14 days if quarantine is at Mekhaines facility, regardless of previous vaccination or immunity against Covid-19; private quarantine is not allowed.

• Undergo a repeat COVID-19 PCR test in hotel quarantine or Mekhaines facility within one day of flight arrival. The tests will be repeated on Day 5 and Day 9. If found negative on day 9 test, they should be discharged once result is released on day 10.

• Fully vaccinated passengers shall hold a printed copy of their Vaccination Certificate.

• Medical Escort will be allowed to board the aircraft but they will be subject to condition stated above in point #5 on their return to Qatar.

• Government employees from the different ministries and other governmental entities on official missions that are 72 hours or less will be subjected to the current protocols that are approved by MOPH.

GCC Citizens and those under their personal sponsorship should have a mandatory pre-travel COVID-19 PCR test result (Negative) valid for 48 hours before arrival, from testing centers approved by their local health authority to do COVID-19 tests.

Fully vaccinated GCC passengers and their companions under their personal sponsorship who received any of the COVID-19 vaccines (recognized in State of Qatar) with at least 14 days since the last dose, and present an official vaccination card or certificate will be exempted from hotel quarantine.

In case of children accompanying their parents, where the parents had fulfilled all the vaccination requirements, still the children need to undergo hotel quarantine for 7 days to be booked through Discover Qatar and to be accompanied by one of their parents.

Who Can Travel To Doha, Qatar?

Passenger Category permitted to travel to Qatar from India:

1. Passengers Holding Permanent Residency.
2. Residents arriving in Doha holding the Exceptional Return Permit.
3. Visitors with personal visit visa issued by the Ministry of Interior
4. Nationals of India/ Nepal/ Bhutan destined for Qatar/ Africa/ South America only and holding a valid visa for the destination country.
5. Qatari Nationals, their spouses, their children.
6. Companions of Qatari citizens/ GCC citizens travelling on the same flights with their Qatari sponsor/ GCC sponsor/ first degree relative sponsor/ sponsored by Qatari owner of a private business in Qatar and holding a valid Qatari Residency Permit.
7. Companions of the GCC citizens travelling to the State of Qatar will be granted immediate entry visa upon arrival after Payment of the applicable visa fees (QAR 100).

Companions must be “house workers” or other related occupation and their travel document should be valid for a period not less than the validity of the entry visa. The GCC country residency permit of the companion should be valid for at least six months.

Returning Resident Permit holders of Qatar and visitors with personal visit visa issued by Ministry of Interior can travel only after obtaining an Exceptional Entry Permit per passenger to Return from Qatar Government Portal.

Non-Qatari passengers are exempted from the exceptional entry permit if they are sponsored by a Qatari Company and the owner of the company (Qatari) is travelling with them to Doha on the same flight.

Passengers travelling on flights from India to Qatar should be destined for Qatar or any country in South America or Africa only.

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