WATCH: Qatar introduces automatic exceptional entry permit for residents traveling abroad

Nov 26, 2020

In line with the States of Qatar’s goal of gradually lifting restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus
pandemic, the Government Communication Office (GCO) announced the latest travel policy based on
public health indicators in Qatar and around the world.

Firstly, GCO stated that residents who wish to travel abroad and back will now be issued automatic exceptional entry permits upon departure, which can be obtained through the Ministry of Interior’s website.

Government Communications Office statement on amending #Qatar’s travel policy during the gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.https://t.co/OB8MxmdoJW
— مكتب الاتصال الحكومي (@GCOQatar) November 26, 2020

The resident or their employer are eligible to obtain this exceptional entry permit, which will be
available automatically upon registration of the resident’s departure from Qatar. You will no longer be
required to submit a request through the Qatar e-governmental Portal (Hukoomi).

However, residents who are currently outside of Qatar will not be able to attain this exceptional permit.
They are still required to apply for the exceptional return permit via the Qatar e-governmental Portal when they wish to return to Qatar.

Moreover, those who return back to Qatar will be subjected to just a week of quarantine,
regardless of their destination. Those who arrive from countries on the Ministry of Public Health’s
‘Green List’ can undergo home quarantine, whereas hotel quarantine will be applied to those who
return from countries not on the list.

The quarantine period for those who use shared quarantine facilities will be for two weeks. The decision is based on national and international epidemiology statistics.

If the traveler has not taken a COVID-19 test 48 hours by one of the Ministry of Public Health’s accredited
COVID-19 Testing Centers before arriving in Doha, a test will be conducted upon arrival to the country.
A second COVID-19 test will then be conducted on the sixth day from the date of arrival. The status of
the Ehteraz app will remain yellow until the results of the second test have been identified.

The new travel policy will come into effect starting next Sunday, November 29. Please click here for
more information on Qatar’s new traveling abroad policy.