With the FIFA 2022 World Cup imminent, travel requirements have recently been changed by the government of Qatar, FIFA World Cup fans are now exempt from needing to take a COVID Test to travel to Qatar.
At Official Rapid Tests, we know this new change could cause confusion, so we are here to clear up any questions you may have, especially if you are going to the World Cup.
From the 20th of November to the 18th of December, Qatar is hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The prestigious tournament is usually held in June and July. But this year it has been postponed to winter, due to the excessive heat of Qatari summers, which would be difficult and possibly life-threatening conditions for the footballers to play in.
This is the first time the World Cup has ever been held in the Arab world. The Middle Eastern country is set to welcome 1.7 million people during the tournament, with approximately 500,000 visitors on the busiest days.
In light of this large mass of people from all over the world coming to spectate and engage with Qatar. It could be argued that Qatar has changed its ruling to be more lenient in order to not damage the potential benefits of having a large number of spectators visiting their country, which in turn can benefit their tourism.
Despite this, Qatar still has rules and regulations everybody must follow in order to enter the country, let alone enter the stadiums.
What is the new ruling?
As of now, you do not need to provide a negative COVID test upon entry to Qatar.
The Qatari government also announced the coronavirus tracking app Ehteraz on phones will only be necessary for entry to health facilities - rather than being needed to access all public buildings.
There may be some instances where you will be asked to prove your vaccination status through the app. Failure to do so, or not being vaccinated may result in you being denied entry to certain buildings or spaces.
The Ehteraz app is a service to help citizens and residents and travellers submit their vaccination certificates from outside of Qatar for approval and registration.
In May 2022, Qatar announced that health insurance would be mandatory for everyone, including all visitors to Qatar. Further guidance and updates will be published on the Ministry of Public Health website if there are any developments.
If you are confirmed to have COVID-19, you will be placed in isolation in one of the country’s medical facilities or specified quarantine buildings, or asked to self-isolate for 7 days, depending on your symptoms.
Aside from needing health insurance and the Ehteraz app, you will also be required to apply for a ‘Hayya card’. This will not only allow access to the stadiums but also access to Qatar.
Purpose of Hayya Card
Below is the highlighted purpose of the Hayya Card.
- The Hayya Card will be used as a means of identification for all ticket-holders of the Tournament and provide its holders with several services aimed at enhancing their experience while in Qatar.
- In order to access a Stadium to attend a Match you must have a valid Match Ticket and a Hayya Card. You cannot apply for a Hayya Card without having either a valid Match Ticket Application Number or Match Ticket Number.
- The Match Tickets are exclusively operated by FIFA Ticketing and governed separately by the Ticketing Terms and Conditions, the content of which shall not be affected by these Terms.
- The Hayya Card will also provide you with access to Hayya Services. Some of the Hayya Services are provided by third parties and the provision of those services may be subject to the terms and conditions of the third-party service provider.
- SC does not accept any responsibility for services provided by any third party.
- The Hayya Card will permit you free travel on Qatar’s public transport systems from 10 November to 23 December 2022. You will comply with the terms of carriage of any transport provider that you use and SC shall not be liable to you for the provision of transport services by any third parties.
Keeping yourself safe from COVID in Qatar
Even though the rules are different abroad, it is in everybody’s best interest to keep themselves in the best possible state to avoid catching COVID.
The large gathering of people internationally, some vaccinated or unvaccinated, means that there may be a tiny likelihood of someone being susceptible to COVID unless proper measures are taken. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself and those around you:
- Take Antigen Test Kits abroad with you (the liquid vial would need to be placed with your other liquids when travelling). Taking a test kit means you’ll be able to quickly check your state in case you do feel unwell. Antigen test kits provide a result in 15 minutes, making it the best way to diagnose yourself.
- Be sure to buy or take sanitiser with you and use it regularly, especially in spaces where masses of people will be. Examples would be your hotel, the stadiums, malls, restaurants etc.
- If you feel uncomfortable being around too many people, wear your mask. Wearing your mask can reduce the number of impurities and bacteria you breathe in.
- Practise proper hygiene. This means cleaning your hands with hot water and soap after using the bathroom every time.
- If possible, make sure your clothes are cleaned, dry-cleaned and ironed. The heat from the latter two processes is known to destroy COVID
- Avoid unnecessary physical contact with people
- Clean the surfaces you are using
- Wash your hands before every meal, especially if you are eating outside of your hotel room.
- Keep your distance from anybody displaying any COVID Symptoms
Taking these precautions will help you enjoy the FIFA World Cup safely.
Take a test before you go
We believe it is important for your peace of mind to take a test before leaving to travel, even if the country you are visiting does not require it.
We advise in favour of doing this because if you do end up contracting COVID, but had a negative test before leaving, you will have a better understanding of where you could have picked it up from.
With over 120 clinics nationwide, it’s never been easier to book the appropriate test you need,
it’s as simple as heading over to our website. Simply take our questionnaire, whether you are entering or leaving the UK. We would also recommend that before even booking your tickets to travel, you become familiar with the government guidelines on travel.
By entering your address on our site, you will be shown a list of testing locations within your local area that will be available for booking a test as soon as the same day. The availability of the sites will depend on your location, but generally, you should be able to find an option within a 30-minute drive from your home.
In main UK cities, such as London and Manchester, you will notice that more testing sites are available. This is because the government has ensured that resources match the population needs in that postcode.
When you book an appointment to have a test completed, the process is easy. You simply select the type of test that you need, ensure the dates align with when you need the results, and head to the clinic for your test.
As everything is also carried out in line with official government procedures, all results will be stored on the approved database. They are therefore also available for people, such as travel operatives, to check if they want extra confirmation of your current testing status.
Need a test?
Official Rapid Tests is a trusted global supplier of Covid testing. We are the highest-rated UK Government listed provider on Trustindex. Even though places like Qatar have lifted their travel restrictions, other countries may still have stricter guidance. That is why we are here to help.
All Official Rapid Tests are verified by the EU and the UK Government. We work with qualified front-line doctors and tech experts to come up with the most convenient testing solutions for travel. We blend technology and medical expertise to offer the fastest and most convenient PCR testing service on the market.
If you are not sure which Covid test you may need, take our Quiz on our webpage here, and this will tell you which type of Covid test is suitable based on your travel requirements.
Within this article, we hope to have helped give an understanding of your travelling needs whilst sharing information regarding the fact that Spain has removed COVID testing requirements.
Find out more about Official Rapid Tests by browsing our website here.
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Read more articles on travelling and Covid tests on our blog here.