Qatar puts UK on its travel red list amid soaring Covid rates

Visitors must submit to a two-day hotel quarantine

Brits must quarantine on arrival into Doha, Qatar (Getty Images)

Qatar has added the UK to its red list for travel amid a surge in Covid-19 cases.

The new rules came into effect on Monday 15 November, with the UK joining a further 20 countries, including Russia, Turkey and Singapore, in the Qatar Ministry of Public Health’s high-risk classification.

“A revised traffic light system for entry to Qatar will come into effect from 15 November 2021. The UK is listed as a red country,” reads the Foreign Office (FCDO) advice.

British travellers will still be allowed into the Gulf nation, but with tighter restrictions in place.

Fully vaccinated Brits must present a negative PCR test taken within the 72 hours prior to their arrival in Qatar.

Upon arrival, they must take a further PCR test and quarantine in a hotel for up to two days, with early release possible depending on when a negative result is delivered.

All hotel quarantine packages need to be booked through the Discover Qatar website.

In comparison, double-jabbed travellers entering from green-listed countries must take a pre-departure Covid test but have no need to quarantine on arrival.

Unvaccinated visitors travelling from a red-listed country, meanwhile, must present a negative pre-departure PCR plus quarantine for seven days in Qatar.

Those visiting “first degree” relatives can self-isolate at their family’s home, while all other travellers have to quarantine in a hotel. A second PCR test must be taken on day six of self-isolation, with release possible on day seven if the result is negative.

All visitors, whether vaccinated or not, must have pre-registered via the ehteraz.gov.qa platform, uploading all the required documents at least three days prior to arrival.

Travellers are also advised to download the ehteraz app and activate this on their arrival.

“You will also be asked to complete and sign an undertaking and acknowledgement form prior to arrival,” says the FCDO. This form is available on the Ministry of Public Health website, pre-registration platform website and airline online booking form.

The red list isn’t Qatar’s highest risk category – it has also introduced an “exceptional red list”, currently comprised of 10 countries. Unvaccinated visitors from these destinations are not allowed to enter the country at present.

The UK has recorded more than 269,800 new coronavirus infections in the past seven days – up 30,000 (12.5 per cent) on the previous week.

The current infection rate is 364.6 per 100,000 people.