Individuals with traffic violations will not be permitted to travel outside Qatar from September 1, 2024

Individuals who have traffic infractions will not be allowed to leave Qatar through any borders after September 1, 2024, until all fines and outstanding payments have been made. In a news conference held today, May 22, 2024, Brigadier Abdullah Khalifa Al Muftah, Director of the Ministry of Interior's Public Relations Department, made this announcement. 

It stated that "effective from September 1, 2024, traffic law violators will not be allowed to leave the country through any state borders (land, air, and sea) without paying the fines and dues through the (Metrash2) application, Ministry of Interior website, traffic sections, or unified service centers."

This also holds true for mechanical vehicles that need a permission in order to leave the country. In order to acquire the permit, the applicant must be the vehicle's owner or provide documentation of the owner's consent to leave the country, the car must not have any outstanding traffic offenses, and the vehicle's final destination or place of arrival must be mentioned. Vehicles delivering goods and those headed for GCC nations are exempt from the need for a vehicle exit permit. 

According to a news release from the traffic department, "vehicles bound for the GCC countries (point of arrival) can leave the country provided they have no traffic violations and the driver is either the owner or has the owner's consent." 

The government also revealed that residents, visitors, and nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council nations would be entitled for a 50% discount on the fine in an effort to encourage early payment of traffic infringement fines. 

June 1, 2024, until August 31, 2024, will see a 50% reduction on the total cost of traffic infractions for all mechanical vehicles. Infractions reported within the last three years are eligible for the reduction.