West Asia Travel Guide: Qatar—Visa Chapter

1. Qatar

The State of Qatar (Arabic: قطر‎;, English: State of Qatar), commonly known as Qatar. It is an Arab country in southwest Asia, located on the Qatar Peninsula on the southwest coast of the Persian Gulf. Due to its abundant oil resources, it is one of the richest countries in the world. Qatar is keen on hosting internationally renowned sports events, and the much-anticipated 22nd FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar in 2022. At the same time, Qatar also has famous attractions such as Zubarah Ruins, Qatar National Museum, and Doha Zoo.

The Qatari government will change entry requirements starting on February 28, 2022. Rather than having different rules for each arriving foreigner, a simple "standard list and red list" was chosen. Within these lists, distinctions remain between vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. At the same time, Chinese tourists can enter Qatar without a visa for 30 days.

2022 Qatar World Cup, source: Qatar National Tourism Authority

Since the World Cup will be held, Qatar has also issued a unique viewing policy for spectators going to watch the World Cup. The specific policies and required materials are as follows:

The local government stated that it will completely liberalize entry policies related to tourism and transit:

1. Those who have been fully vaccinated (if there is no vaccination certificate, they must present a COVID-19 recovery certificate and undergo 1 day of hotel quarantine upon entry. If they have neither been vaccinated nor have a recovery certificate, they need to undergo 5 days of hotel quarantine. and undergo a rapid antigen test after the quarantine is over)

*Note: The rules for determining vaccinated status are as follows:

– Approved Vaccines
Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty); Moderna (SpikeVax);

AstraZeneca (Covishield / Oxford / Vaxzevria)

Jansen/Johnson & Johnson (single dose)

– Conditionally approved vaccines

Sinopharm;Sinovac;Sputnik V;Covaxin

1. Pfizer, Moderna, and Astra Zenica COVID-19 vaccines are effective for 9 months starting 14 days after the second dose.
2. Pfizer, Moderna, and Astra Zenica COVID-19 vaccine boosters are effective for 12 months after vaccination.
3. The Jansen & Jansen COVID-19 vaccine is valid for 9 months from 14 days after the first dose.
4. The Jansen & Jansen COVID-19 vaccine booster dose is valid for 12 months starting 7 days after vaccination.
5. As for other conditionally approved COVID-19 vaccines, they are valid for 6 months from 14 days after the second or booster dose and 30 days after a positive antibody test result. Passengers who cannot undergo serum antibody testing in the country of departure or whose antibody test results are negative should be quarantined for 5 days. For those who have received a vaccine booster dose approved by the Ministry of Health, their immune status can be extended to 12 months starting 14 days after the booster dose, without the need for serum antibody testing.

*Special attention should be paid to: Domestic inactivated vaccines must be administered within 6 months, and a serum IGg upload is required.

2. Visa holders (Chinese citizens can obtain a face-to-face visa to enter Qatar (valid for 30 days), or they can apply for a visitor visa from the authorities before traveling)

For tourists who meet the above conditions, the specific requirements are as follows:

1. English version of vaccination certificate (specific vaccination rules are as above)

2. Negative PCR test report 48 hours before boarding

*Note: You need to log in to www.ehteraz.gov.qa to upload the pre-travel registration system to register, and upload all relevant official documents on the website such as vaccination certificate, recovery certificate, serum antibody test results (for conditional vaccines), and at least PCR lab results 3 days prior to arrival.

3. Valid passport and visa

(Chinese citizens can obtain a face-to-face visa to enter Qatar (valid for 30 days), or they can apply for a visitor visa from the authorities before traveling)

4. Air ticket itinerary

5. Download the Ehteraz app

Travelers must download and activate the Ehteraz app on their mobile device upon arrival at the Qatar port of entry.

Ehteraz application URL:

https://fromovi-19.mo-wandering.gov.go/en/documents/pdf/ehtera-guide-en.pdf

*Note: The above content is for reference only. For more detailed information, please refer to the official website of the Ministry of Health of Qatar:

https://fromovi-19.mo-wandering.gov.go/en/pages/default.aspx

Source: Qatar Ministry of Health

Singapore has fully opened up for vaccination travel as of April 1.The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will allow all fully vaccinated travelers from any country or region to enter Singapore quarantine-free, as long as they have not traveled within the past 7 days. Citizens, PRs, tourists and long-term pass holders who have visited any country or region restricted by the Ministry of Health only need to prepare the following materials before traveling to Singapore:

1. English version of proof of complete vaccination

2. Negative nucleic acid test result report within 48 hours before entering Singapore

3. Apply for and fill in the electronic version of the arrival card, namely the SG card, three days before entry. The filling URL is as follows:

HTTPS://E services.ICA.gov.is/SG arrival card/

4. Download the TraceTogether App, complete the registration and activate it after arriving at the Singapore Airport.

5. (If necessary) Those traveling to Singapore with a tourist visa are also required to purchase travel insurance with a minimum coverage of S$30,000 before departure and download the policy.

The above are all the materials and strategies needed to travel to Dubai. Once you have everything ready, you can wait to set off.

Qatar desert scenery, source: Qatar National Tourism Authority

Qatar National Museum, Source: Qatar National Tourism Authority

At present, we have summarized the visa strategies for four phases of Southeast Asian countries, two phases of East Asian countries and three phases of West Asian countries. We will continue to summarize visa policies for popular travel destinations for New Zealanders, and Xiaopo Island will continue to do so. Summarize the visa policies of other popular countries as well as related air tickets, hotels, ferry tickets and other information. If you have any destinations you particularly want to know about, you can also leave a message in the comment area or column~