The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has announced changes to the travel and return policy. The travel changes will be implemented on Wednesday, October 6 and include:
- The return of the United States to the Green List.
- Fully vaccinated passengers arriving from Green List countries are no longer required to test prior to traveling to Qatar, but must conduct a PCR test within 36 hours of arrival.
- The creation of an Exceptional Red List (currently India, Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kenya, and Sudan) based on international and local health risk indicators and the epidemiology of COVID-19 in the different countries.
- 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.
These are just a few of the changes. Keep in mind that policies relating to COVID-19 can change daily and may be different depending on your vaccination and residency status. Please review the full travel and return policy here and the complete list of changes here.
The MOPH also announced a reduction in the fixed price of a PCR test to 160 Qatari Rials.
Governments around the world, including Qatar, continue to make changes to public health and travel policies in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. The Embassy recommends that all U.S. citizens in Qatar monitor changes in these policies and review them prior to travel. In addition to the MOPH COVID-19 website, U.S. citizens may wish to follow the MOPH on social media, as they consistently post announcements to sites like Facebook and Twitter. Keep in mind that these sites generally require users to have their own accounts to view information. All details mentioned above are subject to change by the government of Qatar.
For information on testing and quarantine requirements, please visit the Ministry of Health’s Travel and Return Policy page. All questions and inquiries about the new requirements should be directed to the MOPH. Please note that the U.S. Embassy is not able to intercede in matters of quarantine, COVID-19 testing, and entering the country in individual cases.
Actions to Take:
- Consider following the Ministry of Public Health on Facebook or Twitter. Otherwise check their website frequently.
- For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 please see the CDC’s latest recommendations and consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
- Call the Qatar Ministry of Public Health hotline at 16000 if you experience flu-like symptoms.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Qatar.
Please note that the U.S. Embassy in Qatar will be closed on Sunday, October 10 in observance of Columbus Day.