File photo used for representation only.
As tourism gradually opens worldwide, the Department of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has provided a list of instructions and advice to Qatari citizens wishing to travel abroad.
The advisory will facilitate travel and residence and protect citizens from any difficulties or obstacles they may encounter during their journey.
According to the advisory, citizens must ensure that passports and ID cards are valid when travelling (make sure validity is not less than six months), obtain visas and entry visas from countries that require prior visas, observe and follow the instructions and requirements of each country related to the Coronavirus and to check with the airline before travelling about the conditions for an entry visa, PCR test certification and hotel quarantine.
Many countries have suspended visas upon arrival due to precautionary restrictions to combat the pandemic.
Also, the Consular Affairs department stressed that citizens should commit to the regulations and laws of the host country, adhere to travel conditions and international aviation regulations, and not carry prohibited items.
Travellers are also encouraged to keep official documents of passports, airline tickets, and valuable personal belongings in safe places, not to keep the passport or identity card with any party. If non-Qatari servants and escorts are accompanied, the sponsor must inquire about visas and the procedures in this regard.
According to the advisory, travellers should best avoid carrying gold jewellery and valuables while traveling, paying attention to children in gatherings and markets, not allowing the security services of the host country to search the place of residence without a search warrant from the competent authority.
Also, ensure the official capacity of the people who ask you to show your personal identity, keep the numbers of the Embassy of the State of Qatar in the host country for reference when necessary, and retain the passport number and ID card for reference when reviewing the mission in the event of their loss.
Meanwhile, on safeguarding cash, travellers should not carry large sums of cash while traveling with the head of the family (distributed among the accompanying family members) and the need to keep the exchange receipt.
On arrival at the destination country’s airport, you must inform the customs officer of the cash in your possession (if it exceeds 10.000 euros or $10.000) before it is discovered to avoid confiscation and accusations.
Other necessary measures while travelling include staying away from gatherings and suspicious places, not to approach or handle suspicious objects, respect the decisions that prohibit the wearing of a face covering, such as a niqab or a veil in countries that prohibit it and in the event of any problem, immediately inform the nearest embassy or consulate of Qatar and inform officials.
Also, in the event of an investigation, in any case, inform the state mission immediately, communicate with the embassy first-hand to provide advice in the event of a terrorist act, confirmation of registration before traveling on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, not bringing meat and dairy products to European countries.
If you want to bring food items (not mentioned above), they must not exceed 2 kgs for personal use. For those travelling to the United States of America (USA), before traveling, they should ensure that the electronic devices in their possession are free of any topics that violate American laws or that may expose you to accountability by the American authorities Ensure that all legal issues related to the USA citizen, such as paying traffic violations and appearing before the courts, are completed before leaving the United States.
For those travelling with maids or domestic workers, they should not keep the passport of the accompanying person with the sponsor, take into account that the number of working hours is (8) per day, and commitment to holidays and annual weekends. It is advised to open a bank account for the servant before traveling to transfer his dues, providing adequate housing. In the event of escaped servants, the citizen must inform the nearest Qatari diplomatic mission in the country.
Citizens can refer to the MoFA website to find out which countries exempt passport holders (of all kinds) from obtaining entry visas or require obtaining prior visas through embassies or granting visas at the country’s ports upon arrival.
Concerning COVID-19 precautions and hospital laboratories, travellers must use accredited labs and hospitals, such as CAP. For the COVID-19 PCR test, the analysis must be approved by an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or, the test is on the WHO Emergency Use List (EUL), or, approved by internationally recognized regulatory bodies, for example (CE marking).
As for the information requested in the report, it includes the complete personal data of the tested person, including the passport number, type of test (PCR), swab type (throat or nose), the date the swab was taken, the date of reporting the result, PCR results, including any explanation, if any, inspection method and brand name of the test case, and laboratory name and address.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be contacted via the following phone numbers from inside and outside Qatar: 40111140; 40111000 and 40111104.
