In response to an increase in COVID-19 incidents, Qatar has added the UK, the UAE, and four other countries to its travel “Red list.” Arrivals from these countries now must undergo hotel quarantine on arrival.
The UK joined Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Barbados, Brunei, Ethiopia, Iran, Mongolia, Palestine, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates in Qatar Ministry of Public Health’s high-risk classification on Nov. 15.
The announcement comes just days after the World Health Organization confirmed the coronavirus pandemic is speeding up in Europe as countries ease travel restrictions.
Luckily, transit flights from countries on the red list will be unaffected, confirmed Qatar’s Foreign Office.
“Transit passengers traveling on to another destination can still transfer through Qatar, and many flights continue to operate.”
New Restrictions for visitors from red-listed countries.
Qatar enforces different requirements depending on the visitor’s nationality, vaccination status, and the type of vaccine they received.
Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Jansen are among the approved vaccines in Qatar, while Sinopharm, Sinovac, and Sputnik V are “conditionally approved.”
Travelers from countries on the red list will still be able to enter Qatar, but the restrictions will be much stricter.
Fully vaccinated travelers must,
- Submit a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before arrival.
- Take another PCR test upon arrival at their hotel.
- Undergo mandatory hotel quarantine for up to two days.
Unvaccinated travelers must,
- Submit a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before arrival.
- Take another PCR test upon arrival at their hotel and on day six.
- Under mandatory hotel quarantine for no less than seven days.
“A positive Serology Antibody test pre-travel is mandatory for individuals with two doses of a conditionally approved vaccine, with the validity of the test being 30 days,” said Qatar’s Ministry of Health.
Additionally, visitors who have received two doses of a conditionally approved vaccine and one dose of an approved vaccine will be considered fully vaccinated.