FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Visa and Travel Insurance Plans

Table of Content

Visa-Waiver for Different Nations
Visa-Free Entry for GCC Nationals
What to Do If You are not Eligible for Visa-Free Entry?
Qatar Tourist Visa and Gulf Cooperation Council Residential Visa

With the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 scheduled out, all the football enthusiasts are getting ready to head towards Qatar for the big game. Most of them are already booking their Qatar World Cup tickets, airline tickets, and accommodation within the vicinity of the stadium.

One question, however, that pops up is whether you need a visa to travel to the country. While Qatar has waived-off visas for citizens and residents of certain countries, certain rules are still to be kept in mind. Moreover, there is also the aspect of travel insurance, which could prove beneficial in case an individual faces any medical or another emergency there.

In this article, we will discuss all the major details related to visa-waivers, the nations with non-visa entry, and the best travel insurance plans for your trip to Qatar. You can also find out more about other mandatory documents that you would need to carry for hassle-free entry into the country.

Visa-Waiver for Different Nations

Qatar is providing a visa waiver for football aficionados so that they can enjoy their favourite matches without being required to apply for a visa to travel to Qatar every time their favourite team plays.

Visa Waiver – 90 Days

This applies to nations whose nationals and residents get a visa waiver that exists for 180 days from the issue date. It implies that the entitled person will be able to stay for up to 90 days in Qatar, whether during multi-trips or on a single trip.

Here are the nations that get this visa waiver

Antigua and Barbuda	Sweden	Serbia	The Netherlands	Liechtenstein
Ukraine	Belgium	Denmark	Germany	Latvia
Argentina	Spain	Romania	Malta	Italy
Turkey	Bulgaria	Dominican Republic	Greece	Cyprus
Austria	Slovenia	Portugal	Malaysia	Seychelles
Switzerland	Croatia	Estonia	Holland	Czech Republic
Bahamas	Slovakia	Poland	Luxembourg	Finland
Hungary	Lithuania	Iceland	France	Norway

Visa Waiver – 30 Days and 30 Days Extension

This waiver is valid for 30 days from the issue date and permits the entitled individual to stay up to 30 days in Qatar, either on a single trip or multiple trips. The waiver can be further extended for up to 30 days for ease of travel.

Listed below are the nations where this waiver is valid

Andorra	The United Kingdom	Singapore	Panama	Ireland
Venezuela	Brazil	Colombia	Georgia	Mauritius
Australia	Thailand	San Marino	Pakistan	Japan
Vatican City	Brunei	Costa Rica	Guyana	Maldives
Azerbaijan	Suriname	Rwanda	New Zealand	Kazakhstan
Uruguay	Canada	Cuba	Hong Kong	Macedonia
Belarus	South Korea	Russia	Montenegro	Macau
The United States	Chile	Ecuador	India	Lebanon
Bolivia	South Africa	Peru	Monaco	Moldova
China	Paraguay	Falkland Islands	Indonesia	Iran
French Guiana	Mexico

Visa-Free Entry for GCC Nationals

Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations don’t require any visa to enter Qatar. Travellers from the following countries can watch their favourite teams play without a Qatar visa –

Kuwait
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia
Oman

What to Do If You are not Eligible for Visa-Free Entry?

In case you don’t qualify for a Qatar tourist visa waiver or visa-free entrance into the country, you can always apply for an Electronic Travel Authentication (ETA). So if you have a valid residence permit or a visitor visa for Schengen and other countries like Australia, Canada, the UK, the US, or New Zealand, you can apply for free ETA and travel to Qatar to watch FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

To apply for the ETA, you would need to provide the following details –

Proof of accommodation
Return or onward travel schedule
30 days’ visa validity
A copy of passport with a minimum validity of 6 months (at the time of applying)

Qatar Tourist Visa and Gulf Cooperation Council Residential Visa

If none of the options mentioned above work for you, you can always register for a Qatar tourist visa. The visa costs around AED 100.75 and is valid for a stay of up to 30 days. You can easily apply for the visa via the Qatar visa service site, although you would need to make sure that you have all the documents ready to apply for the visa.

Another option is available for GCC residents, who can qualify for a one-time entry GCC resident visa to Qatar. The cost of the same comes to around AED 100.75. You can even extend the duration of your stay on this visa. However, it must be noted that you would need to provide evidence of your profession for entrance.

Hayya Card Mandatory from November 1st

If you are arriving in the country before November 1st, these visa rules would apply to you. If you plan to visit Qatar from November 1, you would need a Hayya card – no other visit or travel or visa-free permits will be issued during this period. Even the UAE and other GCC nations will need a Hayya card to enter Qatar November 1st onwards.

The Hayya card is also mandatory for travellers visiting Qatar for purposes other than watching the game. However, they would need to wait to apply for the same. Currently, Qatar officials are catering to football enthusiasts’ requirements with confirmed match tickets to apply for Hayya. Moreover, their accommodation also needs to be confirmed during the process.

Note: Hayya card is mandatory to attend the matches as well. This even applies to Qatar residents.

Whenever you travel to watch FIFA World Cup Qatar, make sure you also purchase a travel insurance plan.

Why should You have Qatar Travel Insurance Plan?

A travel insurance plan for Qatar will financially cover you for any emergency medical expense and travel convenience that you may incur during the trip. In case the flight is cancelled, the travel insurance provider will reimburse you up to a certain limit. Without a travel insurance plan, such costs can easily exhaust your travel budget.

If someone meets an accident or has a medical emergency, their expenses for the treatment are covered up to a particular limit. The insurance providers specify a list of network hospitals where the policyholder can get treated.

Top Qatar Travel Insurance Plans

Here are the best Qatar travel insurance plans –

Travel Insurance Plan	Coverage Region	Medical Cover
Alliance Insurance – Standard Traveller	Gulf	USD 100,000
Orient Insurance – Orient Travel Lite Plus	Worldwide excluding the US	USD 50,000
Alliance Insurance – Premium Traveller	Gulf	USD 500,000
Allianz – Travel Extra Single-Trip Individual	Worldwide	USD 250,000
Alliance Insurance – Elite Traveller Annual	Gulf	USD 1 Million
Allianz – Gold Annual Multi-trip Individual	Worldwide	USD 1 Million

Inclusions for Qatar Travel Insurance Plans

Here are some key inclusions for Qatar travel insurance plans listed above:

Travel Insurance Plan	Inclusions
Alliance Insurance – Standard Traveller	Accidental Death – up to USD 50,000 Medical and Associated Benefits – up to USD 100,000; Excess – USD 100 Dental Expenses – up to USD 500 (USD 200 per tooth); Excess – USD 100 Funeral Costs – up to USD 500; Excess – USD 100 Repatriation of Mortal Remains – up to USD 7,000; Excess – USD 100 Cash Limit – up to USD 200; Excess – USD 100 Beach and Pool Cash Limit – up to USD 100 Loss of Money and Documents – up to USD 1,000; Excess – USD 100
Orient Insurance – Orient Travel Lite Plus	Accidental Death – USD 10,000 Emergency Medical Expenses – USD 50,000 Dental Expenses – USD 500 (USD 100 per tooth) Repatriation of Remains – USD 5,000 Emergency Medical Evacuation Hospital Cash Benefit – USD 250 (USD 25 per day) Emergency Message Relay – 2x Messages every 24 Hours Critical Care Monitoring Funeral Costs – USD 500 Loss of Travel Documents – USD 100
Alliance Insurance – Premium Traveller	Accidental Death Permanent Total Disability – up to USD 100,000 Accidental Dismemberment – up to USD 100,000 Medical and Associated Benefits – up to USD 500,000; Excess – USD 100 Dental Expenses – up to USD 1,000 (USD 200 per tooth); Excess – USD 100 Repatriation of Remains – up to USD 10,000; Excess – USD 100 Transportation of Mortal Remains – up to USD 1,500 (USD 50 per day); Excess – USD 100 Emergency Family Travel – 1x Economy Ticket; Excess – USD 100 Trip Curtailment or Cancellation – up to USD 5,000; Excess – USD 100 Travel Delay – up to USD 1,000 (USD 50 per hour); Excess – 4 hours Missed Departure – up to USD 1,000; Excess – USD 100 Baggage Delay – up to USD 1,000 (USD 50 per hour); Excess – 4 hours Legal Fees – up to USD 10,000 Personal Liability – up to USD 500,000 Bail Bond – up to USD 5,000 Credit Card Fraud – up to USD 500; Excess – USD 100 Loss of Passport – up to USD 500; Excess – USD 100 Travel Visa Rejection – up to USD 100 Mugging – up to USD 500; Excess – USD 100 Loss of Personal Possessions – up to USD 5,000 (USD 750 per bag); Excess – USD 100 Valuables – up to USD 350; Excess – USD 100 Cash Limit – up to USD 300; Excess – USD 100 Loss of Money and Documents – up to USD 1,000; Excess – USD 100 Beach and Pool Cash Limit – up to USD 100
Allianz – Travel Extra Single-Trip Individual	Personal Accident Benefits – Family – up to USD 40,000 Accidental Death (including common carrier) – up to USD 20,000 Permanent Total Disability – up to USD 20,000 Loss of Sight or Limb – up to USD 10,000 Emergency Medical Expenses (Section-1) – Medical Benefits (including being diagnosed with an epidemic or pandemic) – Individual – up to USD 250,000; Excess – USD 30 Family – up to USD 500,000; Excess – USD 30 Dental Expenses – up to USD 500 (USD 100 per tooth) Repatriation of Remains – up to USD 5,000; Excess – USD 30 Hospital Cash Benefit – up to USD 250 (USD 25 per day) Accommodation Costs Associated with COVID-19 Quarantine (if diagnosed with COVID-19) – up to USD 100 per day (maximum 10 days) Emergency Family Travel – Visit of Close Relative – 1x Economy Ticket Personal Liability – Individual – up to USD 250,000 Family – up to USD 500,000 Trip Cancellation – Individual – up to USD 2,500; Excess – USD 50 Family – up to USD 5,000; Excess – USD 50 Loss of Travel Documents – up to USD 300; Excess – USD 30 Missed Departure – up to USD 250; Excess – USD 30 Delay in Receiving Personal Possessions – up to USD 500 (USD 50 per 4 hours) Loss of Personal Possessions – Individual – up to USD 2,500; Excess – USD 30 Family – up to USD 5,000; Excess – USD 30 Single Item, Pair, or Set Limit – up to USD 125; Excess – USD 30 Valuables (including electronic devices like laptops) – up to USD 500; Excess – USD 30 Alcohol, Fragrances, and Tobacco – up to USD 50; Excess – USD 30 Delayed Departure – USD 500 (USD 50 per 6 hours) Flight Overbooking – up to USD 100
Alliance Insurance – Elite Traveller Annual	Accidental Death Permanent Total Death – up to USD 150,000 Accidental Dismemberment – up to ISD 150,000 Medical and Associated Benefits – up to USD 1 Million; Excess – USD 100 Dental Expenses – up to USD 1,500 (USD 200 per tooth); Excess – USD 100 Repatriation of Remains – up to USD 15,000; Excess – USD 100 Transportation of Mortal Remains – up to USD 2,500 (USD 100 per day); Excess – USD 100 Emergency Family Travel – 1x Economy Ticket; Excess – USD 100 Funeral Costs – up to USD 2,000; Excess USD 100 Trip Cancellation or Curtailment – up to USD 7,500; Excess – USD 100 Delay in Travel – up to USD 1,000 (USD 50 per hour); Excess – 4 hours Missed Departure – up to USD 1,500; Excess – USD 100 Delay in Baggage – up to USD 1,000 (USD 50 per hour); Excess – 4 hours Legal Fees – up to USD 25,000; Personal Liability – up to USD 1 Million Loss of Passport – up to USD 750 Bail Bond – up to USD 10,000 Credit Card Fraud – up to USD 1,000; Excess – USD 100 Travel Visa Rejection – up to USD 100 Mugging – up to USD 500; Excess – USD 100 Loss of Personal Possessions – up to USD 7,000 (USD 1,250 per bag); Excess – USD 100 Single Item, Pair, or Set Limit – up to USD 125; Excess – USD 100
Allianz – Gold Annual Multi-trip Individual	Personal Accident Benefits (for family) – up to USD 60,000 Accidental Death – up to USD 30,000 Permanent Total Disability – up to USD 30,000 Loss of Sight or Limb – up to USD 15,000 Emergency Medical Expenses – Family – up to USD 2 million; Excess - USD 30 Individual – up to USD 1 million; Excess – USD 30 Dental Expenses – up to USD 1,000 (USD 200 per tooth); Excess – USD 30 Repatriation of Remains – up to USD 10,000; Excess – USD 30 Accommodation Expense for COVID-19 Quarantine – up to USD 100 per day (for 10 days); Excess – USD 30 Hospital Cash Benefit – up to USD 500 (USD 50 per day); Excess – USD 30 Emergency Family Travel – 1x Economy Ticket; Excess – USD 30 Personal Liability – Individual – up to USD 100,000 Family – up to USD 200,000 Trip Cancellation – Individual – up to USD 5,000; Excess – USD 50 Family – up to USD 10,000; Excess – USD 50 Missed Departure – up to USD 500; Excess – USD 30 Loss of Travel Documents – up to USD 500; Excess – USD 30 Loss of Personal Possessions – Individual – up to USD 5,000; Excess – USD 30 Family – up to USD 10,000; Excess – USD 30 Delayed Personal Belongings – up to USD 1,000 (USD 50 per 4 hours) Valuables – up to USD 1,000; Excess – USD 30 Alcohol, Fragrances, and Tobacco – up to USD 50; Excess – USD 30 Single Item, Pair, or Set Limit – up to USD 250; Excess – USD 30 Delayed Departure – USD 1,000 (USD 50 per 6 hours) Credit Card Fraud – up to USD 1,000; Excess – USD 30 Flight Overbooking – up to USD 250 Mugging – up to USD 100

Purchase Travel Insurance for Qatar from Policybazaar.ae

Policybazaar UAE, with its integrated research, analysis, and customer reviews makes the process of purchasing Qatar travel insurance a completely hassle-free experience. On our quotes page, you can search, compare, and select the best plans that suit your requirements. As an online insurance aggregator, we provide plans from the top insurance providers in the UAE under one roof.

The process is fairly straightforward, as you would need to visit policybazaar.ae and head to the ‘travel insurance’ section under the ‘general insurance’ category. Here, you can fill out the lead form with the specified details to reach the quotes page. You can then easily navigate and compare the plans as per their premiums, features, inclusions, and more, and get the most suitable one for yourself at the best price.

When you purchase Qatar travel insurance from Policybazaar.ae, you can –

Compare and purchase the best travel insurance plan from a large pool of options
Avail of round-the-clock customer care services
Gain access to the leading insurance providers in the UAE
Select the best plan with the help of the financial experts
Enjoy the best offers and discounts on the insurance plans

Before the Kick-Off

With FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 around the corner, it is crucial to be aware of whether you need a Qatar tourist visa. If you are travelling to Qatar from the UAE, you can enter the country without a visa. However, if you enter the country from November 1st, you would need a Hayya card. In fact, citizens of all the nations travelling to the country to watch the World Cup need to have a Hayya card.

This card is mandatory even for people who are travelling to Qatar for a purpose other than watching World Cup. Besides a Hayya card, you should also have a Qatar travel insurance plan in place. This type of insurance can cover you financially in case of any medical emergency or travel inconvenience.

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