UPDATED on June 16: WATCH: A guide to who can return to Qatar and the conditions to follow

As Qatar plans to ease coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, Her Excellency Lolwah bint Rashid Al-Khater, Spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management, announced that the gradual lifting of restrictions in Qatar will be through four phases with the introduction of precautionary measures beginning June 15, 2020, in a press conference held on Monday, June 8, 2020.

Who is currently eligible to arrive in Qatar and what quarantine conditions apply:

All permitted arrivals into Qatar must go into government-approved hotels to quarantine for a 14 day period upon arrival into Qatar.

Discover Qatar is now providing hotel and transfer packages to Qatari Nationals in this first phase.

For non-Qatari QID holders, Discover Qatar is still working on obtaining clarification on some of the procedural requirements before they can launch hotel packages. 

The following is a summary of who is currently permitted to arrive into Qatar and what quarantine conditions apply:

Qatari nationals returning from June 15 to September 22

Qatari nationals will need to book and pay for one of the approved quarantine hotel packages for a period of 14 days, which must be booked before departure from Qatar.

Qatari nationals currently outside Qatar will also need to book and pay for one of the approved quarantine hotel packages for a period of 14 days.

Check-in at Hamad International Airport will not be permitted without a confirmed quarantine reservation if arrival back into Qatar is before September 22.

Bookings can be made at Qatar Airways Holidays in partnership with Discover Qatar. Only Qatari nationals will be permitted to arrive in Qatar before August 1, 2020.

If you need to book more than three rooms, call on +974 4423 7999 or drop an  email at [email protected]

QID holders returning from August 1 to September 22:

QID holders will not be able to board a flight to Qatar without first receiving authorization to travel to Qatar, and then by also providing confirmation of a 14-day government-approved quarantine package reservation.

QID holders are advised not to book a quarantine package until approval to return to Qatar has been confirmed.

Details of the approval process will be published when the eligibility and guidelines are confirmed by the relevant authorities. 

For those who are planning on return after September 22:

Those who plan to return to Qatar after September 22 are recommended to wait until closer to the planned date of arrival in Qatar before confirming travel plans in case any of the quarantine requirements have changed.

Can all QID Holders return from August 1:

Only QID holders from selected “low risk” countries will be permitted to travel to Qatar from August 1, and pre-authorization to enter Qatar will be required for all QID holders.

Further details and a list of approved “low risk” countries will be provided soon.

Self-quarantine at home:

According to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), the 14-day quarantine should be done at an approved and designated quarantine hotel.

Expired QID:

If QID has expired while the person is outside of Qatar, he/she can still re-enter Qatar to renew QID after successfully completing a 14-day quarantine requirement.

Flying with a different airline:

The same conditions apply to Qatari nationals and QID holders even if they are flying with different airlines.

COVID-19 positive individuals:

If you have already had a positive test for COVID-19, you can only travel after you are tested negative by adhering to the entry and quarantine requirements.

Hotel Booking:

For all other permitted arrivals, quarantine bookings can be made at Qatar Airways Holidays in partnership with Discover Qatar.

You will be able to choose between different star rated hotels available, depending upon your preferred hotel category and budget. Bookings can be amended, up to 24 hours prior to arrival, without any charges. However, there is no refund for any unused quarantine reservations or if you fail to check in on the date of your arrival.

All the details are available here!

To ensure travelers can plan their travel with peace of mind, Qatar Airways has extended its booking policies to offer even more choice to its passengers. The airline will allow unlimited date changes, and passengers can change their destination as often as they need if it is within 5,000 miles of the original destination without charging any fare differences for travel completed before December 31, 2020, after which fare rules will apply.

All tickets booked for travel up to December 31, 2020, will be valid for two years from the date of issuance.

Here's everything you need to know about the virus, including ways to protect yourself. 

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Source: Discover Qatar

Cover Image Credit: Qatar Airways/Twitter