COVID-19: Vaccine quarantine exemption extended to six months

Qatar has extended its quarantine exemption for Qatari citizens and residents who have received a COVID-19 vaccination in the country.

Key Points:

• Effective immediately, Qatari citizens and residents who have received a COVID-19 vaccination in Qatar will be exempt from quarantining for the six-month period that begins 14 days after their second shot. Previously, the exemption was only valid for three months from this date.
• Qatari citizens and residents must meet the following conditions to be exempt:
  • Fourteen days must have elapsed since receiving the second vaccination.
  • Individuals must have been vaccinated in Qatar, not in foreign countries.
  • A negative COVID-19 PCR test result must be presented upon returning to Qatar or after being in touch with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Additional Information: Currently, entry to Qatar is only available to nationals or residents of Qatar or another GCC country. Anyone aged 16 or older traveling from a country not on Qatar’s “green list” who has not been vaccinated in Qatar must quarantine for seven days in a government-approved hotel. Travelers under the age of 16 who are traveling with parents who have been vaccinated in Qatar are permitted to quarantine at home, even if they are coming from a non-“green list” country.

Travelers arriving in Qatar from “green list” countries who have not been vaccinated in Qatar are required to complete a mandatory seven-day quarantine at home. The list of “green list countries is available here. Testing and health protocols also remain in place. Information about these protocols is available here.

Analysis & Comments: The extended exemption will make travel to Qatar easier for Qatari citizens and residents who received their vaccinations in Qatar. Employers planning to send employees to Qatar may wish to discuss the exemption with Deloitte. The response to COVID-19 continues to develop, and Deloitte will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

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