COVID-19: Exceptional entry permit and quarantine changes announced

IMPACT – MEDIUM

Qatar’s government has announced changes to its exceptional entry permit service and entry quarantine requirement.

Key Points:

• Exceptional entry permits will be automatically granted to residents in Qatar who are intending to travel outside the country and then return.
• Residents who left Qatar on or after Nov. 30 will automatically receive an entry permit upon departure. They can print their permit from the Ministry of Interior portal or from the Metrash2 mobile app.
• Residents who were outside Qatar before Nov. 30 must contact their sponsor for support with an exceptional entry permit request.
• Travelers entering Qatar from all destinations are now subject to a one-week quarantine. Travelers arriving from countries on Qatar’s green list must quarantine at home; those arriving from all other countries must quarantine at hotel. Travelers that use shared quarantine facilities must quarantine for two weeks.

Additional Information: Residents returning from a low-risk “green” country should conduct a COVID-19 test in an approved hospital in the departure country no more than 48 hours from the date of departure. If the COVID-19 test is not conducted in the departure country, the test will be conducted at the airport upon arrival. Residents returning from all other countries must take a COVID-19 test upon arrival in Doha. In this case, such travelers must be tested a second time on the sixth day from their date of arriving. A yellow Ehteraz application status will remain active until the seventh day from their time of arrival. Travelers arriving from the U.K. on Dec. 22 or later must follow separate quarantine requirements.

Analysis & Comments: The changes to the exceptional entry permit service and the quarantine period will make it easier for residents to depart and return. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and Deloitte will provide additional updates as information becomes available. Please check Deloitte’s COVID-19 Digital Map, available here, for information on travel restrictions and immigration changes in other countries.

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