MOPH Announces Updates to its COVID-19 Travel and Return Policy

By Joel Johnson - October 03, 2021

Ministry of Public Health

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has announced a set of updates to its COVID-19 Travel and Return Policy which will come into effect on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, at 2pm arrival time in Qatar.

The purpose of these changes is to ease the process of travel and return to the State of Qatar in light of the noticeable decrease in COVID-19 positive cases in recent times, with full commitment to prevention measures.

The Ministry of Public Health stated that the Travel and Return Policy has been a key measure in the country's strategy against COVID-19 and enforcing a strict policy has played a significant role in maintaining Qatar's consistently low rates of COVID-19 infection.

Below is an overview of the key changes that will be implemented with effect from Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, at 2pm arrival time in Qatar: Replacing the current classification of countries with two lists, Green and Red, in addition to a secondary list of Exceptional Red Countries based on international and local health risk indicators and the epidemiology of COVID-19 in the different countries; Travelers are required to sign an Undertaking and Acknowledgment Form before arrival to Qatar. The form is available on the MoPH website, online registration platform (Ehteraz website) and via airlines' ticketing process. Fully vaccinated citizens and residents traveling from Green List countries are exempt from this procedure; Pre-travel PCR test is no longer mandatory for fully vaccinated Qatari citizens and residents who are traveling from Green List countries; instead, they will be required to do the PCR test within 36 hours of arrival; The conditionally approved vaccine list has been updated to include Sinovac and Sputnik (V) COVID-19 vaccines; Visitors are now able to activate the Ehteraz mobile application using an international SIM card; Non-residents of Qatar must register via online registration platform (www.ehteraz.gov.qa) at least 3 days before arrival. (QNA)