UK Added to Red List, Enforcing Hotel Quarantine for Fully Vaccinated Travellers

Qatar has added the United Kingdom to its red list for international travel, requiring all UK visitors to quarantine upon arrival. Fully vaccinated travellers must now spend two nights in a designated quarantine hotel, while unvaccinated visitors face a seven-day hotel quarantine.

This new measure, introduced due to rising coronavirus cases, impacts thousands of tourists planning trips to the Middle Eastern destination, especially during its popular winter season. Alongside the UK, 20 other nations, including Russia, Turkey, and Singapore, were added to Qatar’s red list.

Travellers from red-listed countries must provide a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure. For those arriving from the green list, fully vaccinated visitors are exempt from quarantine but must still undergo a PCR test. Unvaccinated individuals from green-listed countries must complete a seven-day quarantine. Exceptions apply for children and those visiting close relatives.

In contrast to Qatar’s red list, the “exceptional red list” includes countries like Egypt, India, and Sri Lanka, where stricter protocols are in place.

Qatar’s updated restrictions follow Morocco’s decision on 20 October to ban direct flights from the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands due to surging case numbers in these countries. While cases in the UK have risen recently, it remains uncertain whether this marks the beginning of a sustained increase.