Qatar started receiving international fans since yesterday, November 1 as the mega event of FIFA World Cup kicks off in less than three weeks.
The relaxation on the country's Covid-19 restrictions t has eased the process of the visitor's entry to the country, that came into effect yesterday. Those arriving to Qatar will no longer need to present a negative PCR or Rapid Antigen test before travelling to the country.
A Covid-19 vaccination certification is also not required to enter Qatar. Preregistering on Ehteraz, the country's official contact tracing app before travelling to Qatar, has also been scrapped for travellers.
This rule was eased in a cabinet meeting held on October 26, 2022, and took effect yesterday, November 1. As of now, the Ehteraz application is only mandatory for individuals who are entering healthcare facilities. Mask rules has also been eased and is only required to be worn in health facilities.
However, international fans arriving in the country ahead of the kick-off must possess a Hayya entry permit to enter Qatar, which has been sent through email to all the fans who have booked their tickets and applied for their Hayya card. This entry permit is non-transferable. It is also stated in the Hayya entry permit that it is valid as a complete good quality printout on A4 paper and is required for scanning purposes.
The Hayya entry permit is an A4 size permit which contains a photo of the fan along with a QR code. It also consists of the name, nationality, Hayya Card Number, valid from and last entry date.
