Qatar Now Requires Mandatory Quarantine For Passengers From Philippines, India, and 4 Other Countries

Due to the rising number of cases particularly in six countries namely; Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines, there will be a mandatory hotel quarantine without exception to the mentioned countries, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in Qatar.

In lieu of the emergence of the new strain of coronavirus found in India, the health department of Qatar decided to implement a ‘no exception’ rule towards the hotel quarantine policy for the 6 countries mentioned above whether they are traveling from other countries (transit) or if they are traveling direct flight.

1. Passengers from the countries Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines, will have to undergo a mandatory COVID-19 test to be made 48 hours before their departure from their country and going to Qatar. They cannot board a flight going to Qatar without presenting a negative PCR certificate.
2. Passengers arriving from Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines, will need to undergo a 10-day quarantine period at the dedicated quarantine facility in Qatar or 14 days if they are quarantining at the Mekaines facility.
3. For travelers coming from Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines, home quarantine will not be allowed including “exemptions due to vaccination or recovery from a previous infection with the virus during the past six months.”
4. After a day from their arrival, passengers from Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines will need to undergo a repeat COVID-19 PCR test. It will then be repeated before the end of their quarantine period.
5. For transit passengers, they will be required to have a pre-travel PCR test as stated in point 1. If they will have to undergo another PCR test, they will have it at Hamad International Airport with a standard fee of QR300 for every test.

The measures mentioned above will take effect on April 29, 2021, at 12 am Doha Time.