Travellers to Qatar now need compulsory insurance from a Doha-based company

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• Dubious says:

  3 Feb3 February 04:36

  I wonder if anyone will have a *DIG* because you picked an insurance policy based on the logo…

  Re: Brewdog
  ‘In a cunning plan’
  The National Environment Research Council had one of those too! Then again, it did get a lot of free publicity.

  • NicktheGreek says:

    3 Feb3 February 10:20

    in fairness it is the prettiest logo…

• BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

  3 Feb3 February 05:03

  I’d have gone for the AIKhaleej one myself as I think that’s the prettiest and looks like a flower.

  On the basis they are all identical policies and policies and there are no points earning opportunities picking based on a logo is quite rational.

  It’s a very equitable web page – every time you go to it or / refresh it the order of the companies changes.

  Seriously I don’t know if uninsured visitors requiring medical treatment are a problem or not in Qatar but standard policies like this takes away any doubt that you have the right level of insurance. You aren’t expecting an airline check in agent to remember which of hundreds of travel insurance policies comply (or not) just 11.

  • blenz101 says:

    3 Feb3 February 05:57

    The problem is Middle East wide with uninsured travellers arriving as tourists from the Asian subcontinent. These are the elderly relatives of the (often desperate) migrant works who sponsor their visa and then rely on free emergency treatment, charities or worse run up huge medical bills they will never be able to pay off for their sick relatives unable to get treatment at home.

    The reason Qatar no doubt wants it’s own insurance purchased is that document fraud is so rife in the parts of the world Qatar is trying to target. Covid vaccination certificates prove this very recently.

    Qatar sensibly has a policy of mandating insurance for both residents and visitors. I believe the UAE has similar in place but perhaps doesn’t apply for visa on arrival.

    • patrick C says:

      3 Feb3 February 06:24

      So basically the slaves found a way to get some compensation for their treatment (i.e. bring tjeir realtoves for healthcare) and it is crucial to stopnthis asap…
      Nice way to generate some extra cash and another reason not to enter qatar on a stopover

      • Blenz101 says:

        3 Feb3 February 07:38

        Treatment of migrant workers aside it seems a sensible step for any country to mandate visitors have health insurance in place. Health tourism is a problem for the UK as any Daily Mail headline will attest.

        The reality is those seeking treatment in the Middle East would have zero chance of getting permission to enter the UK and aren’t physically able to get in a small boat to access our healthcare.

        I suppose their ailments will make them less attractive though than the 200+ children that have vanished from home office accommodation and certainly not working as modern slaves in the UK.

        • TravelerC says:

          4 Feb4 February 13:24

          Since when Daily Mail headlines are a source of factual evidence?

      • Novice says:

        3 Feb3 February 11:39

        So I suppose you have never bought anything made in China or anything made in any south eastern country. Because they have kids working as modern day slaves. And if a person was to start thinking about it deeply; every country has some kind of slavery going on.

        • Novice says:

          3 Feb3 February 11:40

          My response is to @patrick c

• DaveC says:

  3 Feb3 February 05:04

  Useful re Qatar insurance. Have a 9 hr layover in March, and was planning to go into City as never been – imagine I therefore need Qatar insurance & will get visa on arrival, but also are there any other impediments to leaving airside area when on an onward connection that one should be aware of?

• John says:

  3 Feb3 February 05:47

  No alcohol, they x-ray your bags.

  Though I wandered around Doha all day with a gin miniature bottle in my backpack and nobody noticed until I was in the UK a few weeks later unpacking

• Jon says:

  3 Feb3 February 05:57

  Re the Qatar insurance – any potential issue there for those who already have, say, annual policies, or insurance via credit cards etc, in that any claim might get more complicated because you’d be double-insured, so each insurer would likely say they’re only liable for their share? (Not sure whether that gets sorted out behind the scenes between insurers, or whether the claimant has to deal with it, but I think pretty much every policy I’ve ever read makes explicit mention of cover levels being reduced if you have multiple policies covering the same risk…)

  • Blenz101 says:

    3 Feb3 February 07:41

    You are just looking at health cover here. If you end up in a hospital in Doha the claim for your medical expenses will be direct billed to the local insurer.

    If you are entitled to additional cover from your travel insurance (e.g. payout for an overnight hospital stay, trip curtailment) then this isn’t double insured.

    It will all work itself out logically.

  • Rjn21 says:

    3 Feb3 February 08:26

    There is an issue – the local Qatari policy is governed by Qatari law and they include in their terms (from the ones I glanced at) that “double insurance voids this policy.”
    English law governed medical cover travel policies may have something similar or at least “we’ll only pay our appropriate proportional amount.”
    How a dispute as to insurance contribution between an English law governed policy and a Qatari law one plays out is not 100% predictable and would be unhelpful for a person who was ill at the time.
    Note that some of the insurers won’t insure above age 75. Some will though.
    Whether anyone wants to approach their traditional insurer and ask the question as to what happens, any front line contact agent will not be authorised to provide a definitive answer.

    • Blenz101 says:

      3 Feb3 February 09:06

      You are being over dramatic. The hospital in Doha will just direct bill the relevant insurance provider you purchased from. There is no admin from the patients perspective other than purchasing the policy.

      Your UK insurer will be delighted not to cover the medical bills but will be on the hook for any other insured events.

      Lots of people are double insured. Packaged bank accounts, Amex, worldwide policies they take out themselves, employer provided etc.

      Your insurer will only want to make sure the most appropriate cover is playing and prevent you claiming twice.

      • Will says:

        3 Feb3 February 21:28

        It’s curious isn’t it, if you are double insured they don’t want to pay twice, but they will charge the premium twice.

        I’ve always viewed insurance as a bet that something bad happens, if you bet twice and it happens, you should get paid twice.

• JB says:

  3 Feb3 February 05:58

  Does the requirement to buy insurance from a Qatari company also extend to anyone connecting in Doha?

  I am flying to BKK on Tuesday and wasn’t aware of this until reading your piece just now. I flew QR in late November and wasn’t ever asked to show an insurance policy?

  • Rob says:

    3 Feb3 February 06:55

    No

    • Adam says:

      3 Feb3 February 07:10

      “…the airline requires you to present travel insurance documents at check in, even if connecting…”

      But article implies you do?

      • Matthias says:

        3 Feb3 February 07:42

        I flew QR to Bangkok in December and was never asked to show an insurance certificate.

        Mind you I did OLCI and went straight to the gate, but they didn’t ask there either.

        Guess you might not want to take your chances though.

        • yorkieflyer says:

          3 Feb3 February 09:26

          Requirement never notified to us nor was anyone asked for insurance in transiting Doha in Dec/Jan

      • Rob says:

        3 Feb3 February 08:08

        Do you need insurance docs in transit? In theory yes but enforcement seems low. Does it have to be from a Qatari insurer? No.

  • Rob says:

    3 Feb3 February 08:11

    Enforcement seems low if in transit and, in transit, you can buy a policy from anyone.

• Nick says:

  3 Feb3 February 06:12

  With regards the Qatar travel insurance, are any claims payable in the UK, or in Qatar? Hopefully in the UK!

  I appreciate that it’s commercial, but in my business, where marine insurance is required for shipments from around the world to the UK, it’s vital to ensure that claims are payable in the UK, not in the country where the policy is issued.

  • JDB says:

    3 Feb3 February 07:23

    The Qatari insurer pays the healthcare provider directly without the holder of the policy being asked for payment and the policy isn’t valid outside Qatar.

  • Rob says:

    3 Feb3 February 08:11

    Qatar.

• Manu says:

  3 Feb3 February 06:21

  So now without text correction 😎

  If you have a medical problem that costs more then 11, you could book a hospital holiday?

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