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Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar has updated its travel and return policy, removing quarantine and pre-travel PCR test for Qataris and residents who are fully-vaccinated against or recovered from COVID-19.
The new policy, which comes into effect at 7pm on Monday, scraps the green, red and exceptional red lists of countries and replaces them with two types of health measures — standard and red.
The red health measures apply to arrivals from nine countries — Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia, India, Jordan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Arrivals from all other countries are bound by the standard health measures.
Standard health measures
Qataris and residents are exempted from quarantine if they are fully-vaccinated or recovered, but will have to isolate at home for five days if they are unvaccinated or non-immune.
Pre-travel PCR test — with a validity of 48 hours from the departure time — is mandatory only for unvaccinated and non-immune residents. Upon arrival, the fully-vaccinated need to take a rapid antigen test within 24 hours; the un-vaccinated must take a PCR test within 24 hours and a rapid antigen test on the fifth day.
Visitors are exempted from quarantine if they are fully-vaccinated or recovered, but those who aren't will have to isolate in a hotel for five days (or at home if they have a first degree relative). Pre-travel testing is mandatory for all visitors. Post-travel, the unvaccinated visitors will need a rapid antigen test on the fifth day.
Red health measures
Qataris and residents from red-list countries do not require quarantine if they are fully-vaccinated or recovered, but will have to isolate in a hotel for five days if they are unvaccinated or non-immune. Pre-travel testing is mandatory only for unvaccinated and non-immune residents. Post-travel, a rapid antigen test is required within 24 hours for the fully-vaccinated, and a PCR test on day 1 and a rapid antigen test on day 5 for the unvaccinated.
Visitors are required to undergo one-day hotel quarantine if they are fully-vaccinated or recovered, but are denied entry if they are not. However, unvaccinated or non-immune GCC citizens (non-resident) can enter Qatar if they undergo five-day hotel quarantine (home quarantine for those with first degree relatives). Pre-travel testing is mandatory for all visitors. Upon arrival, vaccinated and recovered visitors will need a rapid antigen test on day 1.
Immunity status
Immunity status is valid after the booster dose or for up to nine months after the second dose (first dose in case of the J&J vaccine), and up to nine months after recovering from COVID-19.
Unvaccinated children
Unvaccinated children below the age of 12 years travelling with fully vaccinated or recovered parent will follow the same rules that apply to their parent and are not required to have a pre-travel PCR test but only post-arrival test (rapid antigen test).
Doha
Qatar has updated its travel and return policy, removing quarantine and pre-travel PCR test for Qataris and residents who are fully-vaccinated against or recovered from COVID-19.
The new policy, which comes into effect at 7pm on Monday, scraps the green, red and exceptional red lists of countries and replaces them with two types of health measures — standard and red.
The red health measures apply to arrivals from nine countries — Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia, India, Jordan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Arrivals from all other countries are bound by the standard health measures.
Standard health measures
Qataris and residents are exempted from quarantine if they are fully-vaccinated or recovered, but will have to isolate at home for five days if they are unvaccinated or non-immune.
Pre-travel PCR test — with a validity of 48 hours from the departure time — is mandatory only for unvaccinated and non-immune residents. Upon arrival, the fully-vaccinated need to take a rapid antigen test within 24 hours; the un-vaccinated must take a PCR test within 24 hours and a rapid antigen test on the fifth day.
Visitors are exempted from quarantine if they are fully-vaccinated or recovered, but those who aren't will have to isolate in a hotel for five days (or at home if they have a first degree relative). Pre-travel testing is mandatory for all visitors. Post-travel, the unvaccinated visitors will need a rapid antigen test on the fifth day.
Red health measures
Qataris and residents from red-list countries do not require quarantine if they are fully-vaccinated or recovered, but will have to isolate in a hotel for five days if they are unvaccinated or non-immune. Pre-travel testing is mandatory only for unvaccinated and non-immune residents. Post-travel, a rapid antigen test is required within 24 hours for the fully-vaccinated, and a PCR test on day 1 and a rapid antigen test on day 5 for the unvaccinated.
Visitors are required to undergo one-day hotel quarantine if they are fully-vaccinated or recovered, but are denied entry if they are not. However, unvaccinated or non-immune GCC citizens (non-resident) can enter Qatar if they undergo five-day hotel quarantine (home quarantine for those with first degree relatives). Pre-travel testing is mandatory for all visitors. Upon arrival, vaccinated and recovered visitors will need a rapid antigen test on day 1.
Immunity status
Immunity status is valid after the booster dose or for up to nine months after the second dose (first dose in case of the J&J vaccine), and up to nine months after recovering from COVID-19.
Unvaccinated children
Unvaccinated children below the age of 12 years travelling with fully vaccinated or recovered parent will follow the same rules that apply to their parent and are not required to have a pre-travel PCR test but only post-arrival test (rapid antigen test).
