Travel Insurance Direct

Summary

• We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Qatar because of the threat of terrorist attack against Western interests.

• Terrorists have demonstrated the intent and capability to conduct attacks throughout the Arabian Peninsula at places frequented by Westerners, such as commercial and public areas. Further attacks may be planned and could occur in Qatar.

• Statements by international terrorists have called for attacks against Western interests in the Gulf region, including residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests.

• Medications that are available over the counter or by prescription in Australia may be illegal in Qatar.

• Australia does not have an Embassy or Consulate in Qatar. The Australian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates provides consular assistance to Australians in Qatar.

• Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:

  • organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy

  • register your travel and contact details, so we can contact you in an emergency

  • subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.

Entry and exit

Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Qatar or check Qatar’s E-Government English Language website for the most up to date information.

You may experience difficulties as you enter Qatar if your passport has evidence of travel to Israel, such as entry and exit stamps.

Make sure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.

Safety and security

Terrorism

Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.

We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Qatar because of the threat of terrorist attack against Western interests. Statements by international terrorists have called for attacks against Western interests in the Gulf region, including residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests. Terrorists have previously attacked Westerners in this region.

Terrorists have demonstrated the intent and capability to conduct attacks throughout the Arabian Peninsula at places frequented by Westerners, such as commercial and public areas. Further attacks may be planned and could occur in Qatar.

In planning your activities, consider the kind of places known to be terrorist targets and the level of security provided. Possible terrorist targets include commercial and public areas known to be frequented by Westerners such as key transport installations including airports, premises and buildings associated with foreign government and companies, hotels, clubs, restaurants, bars, cinemas and theatres, supermarkets, markets and shopping areas, residential areas, schools, places of worship, outdoor recreation events and tourist areas.

Crime

Qatar has a low incidence of crime. Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and bag snatching, is rare but does occur.

Unaccompanied women can be vulnerable to harassment.

Money and valuables

Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Australian currency and travellers' cheques are not accepted in many countries. Consult with your bank to find out which is the most appropriate currency to carry and whether your ATM card will work overseas.

Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.

While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.

As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.

You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.

Local travel

Driving on rural roads in Qatar may be dangerous because of unsafe driving practices, insufficient lighting and the presence of wandering animals.

Use of a reputable tour organiser may reduce safety risks associated with excursions to the desert. Excursions should only be undertaken in well-equipped four-wheel drive vehicles with sufficient water, food provisions and a mobile phone. A copy of your travel itinerary should be left with friends or relatives.

Women should take care when travelling alone, particularly at night.

Travellers entering the Gulf area by sea should be aware that many areas are sensitive in relation to security and territory. In particular, maritime boundaries and the islands of Abu Musa and the Tunbs in the southern Gulf are the subject of jurisdictional disputes. There are reports of arrests, detentions and inspections of vessels.

See our travel advice on travelling by sea for information on piracy. The International Maritime Bureau issues piracy reports on its website.

Airline safety

Please refer to our travel bulletin for information about Aviation Safety and Security.

Laws

When you are in Qatar, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.

Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.

Penalties for drug offences include long prison sentences. The presence of illegal drugs in the body is considered possession. Medications that are available over the counter or by prescription in Australia may be illegal in Qatar. See the Health Issues section below for further details.

Australians who might engage in activities that involve local legal matters, particularly with regard to family law (divorce, child custody and child support), are strongly advised to seek professional advice and ensure they are aware of their rights and responsibilities. See also Information for Dual Nationals below.

An employer’s permission to leave Qatar, in the form of an exit permit, is required prior to departure under Qatari Labour Law.

Under Qatari sponsorship laws for employment, an employee wishing to change from one sponsor (employer) to another must obtain permission from their current sponsor in the form of a “No Objection Certificate” (NOC). Without the NOC, an employee must leave Qatar at the end of their employment and may not return for two years. Provision of an NOC is discretionary.

Driving with a blood alcohol level greater than zero and drinking alcohol outside licensed premises are illegal. Penalties include detention, substantial fine, prison sentence and deportation.

The penalty for drunkenness and defamation may include corporal punishment if the offenders are Muslims.

Australians have been detained by police for displays of affection in public, obscene language or gestures and, more frequently, alcohol-related offences.

Homosexual acts are illegal. Penalties include lengthy jail sentence, corporal punishment and/or deportation.

It is illegal to harass women. Harassment includes unwanted conversation, prolonged stares, touching any part of the body, shouting, stalking or any comments that may offend.

The importation of pornographic material, pork products, alcohol and firearms and religious books and materials (other than those relating to Islam) is illegal and such items will be confiscated on arrival in Qatar.

Photographing public buildings and military sites is banned. Taking photographs of local people, particularly women, without permission and where there has been no previous contact, is illegal and can lead to arrest or fines.

Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism, child pornography, and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.

Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism and child pornography laws. These laws provide severe penalties for up to 25 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in child sexual exploitation while outside of Australia.

Local customs

There are strong Islamic codes of dress and behaviour in Qatar and you should take care not to offend. If in doubt, seek local advice.

Men and women should dress modestly with clothing covering the shoulders and knees.

During Ramadan, eating, drinking and smoking between sunrise and sunset is forbidden for Muslims. Non-Muslims are also expected to refrain from eating, drinking and smoking in public between sunrise and sunset. A small number of large establishments, such as five-star hotels, will cater for non-Muslims during these times. You should check arrangements beforehand.

Information for dual nationals

Qatar does not recognise dual nationality. This may limit our ability to provide consular assistance to Australian/Qatari dual nationals who are arrested or detained.

The children of Qatari fathers automatically acquire Qatari citizenship at birth. Child custody decisions are based on Islamic law. You should consult a lawyer to resolve custody disputes. Qatari fathers can prevent their children from leaving Qatar.

Our Dual Nationals brochure provides further information for dual nationals.

Health

We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.

Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers, including detailed country-specific health information www.who.int/countires/qat.en/ and our 'Travelling Well' brochure also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while overseas.

Medication available over the counter or by prescription in Australia may be illegal or considered a controlled substance in Qatar. You should carry a copy of your prescription, a letter from your doctor and carry all medication in its original packaging. This applies while you are taking medication which is detectable in your system. Travellers, including those intending only to transit Qatar, are advised to contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Qatar before travelling for further information.

While public medical facilities in the major cities of Qatar are adequate, services may not be available in remote areas. For patients without travel health insurance, hospitals will require a guarantee of payment before commencing treatment. Costs can be very expensive, depending on the level of health care required and length of stay. In the event of a serious illness or accident or for complex medical procedures, medical evacuation to a destination with appropriate facilities could be necessary. Medical evacuation costs would be considerable.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For more information see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.

Where to get help

Australia does not have an Embassy or Consulate in Qatar. You can obtain consular assistance from the nearest Australian Embassy which is in the United Arab Emirates:

Australian Embassy, Abu Dhabi

The working week is Sunday to Thursday, in accordance with local practice.

If you are travelling to Qatar, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register on-line or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.

In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the above mission, you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.

In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.

Additional information

Natural disasters, severe weather and climate

Qatar often experiences extremely high temperatures. During the hottest months of the year, the temperature can exceed 50˚C.

Sandstorms and dust storms occur regularly.

Information on natural disasters can be obtained from the Humanitarian Early Warning Service. If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities and monitor the media for the most up-to-date information.

Wildlife

Australians are advised to respect wildlife laws and to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.

For parents

For general information and tips on travelling with children see our Travelling with Children brochure.

If you are planning on placing your children in schools or childcare facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments. You should exercise the same precautions you would take before placing children into schools or childcare facilities in Australia.

Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.