Travellers to Qatar now need compulsory insurance from a Doha-based company
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Anyone travelling on Qatar Airways in recent months will have noticed that the airline requires you to present travel insurance documents at check in, even if connecting.
This came as a surprise to my wife last October, who ended up calling me in Dubai from Heathrow Terminal 4 check in asking for her paperwork – luckily I could generate a certificate from the Amex Platinum website within 5 minutes and email it to her.
The situation has now taken a rather silly turn. As of 1st February, anyone entering Qatar (transit passengers are excluded) is required to have travel insurance issued by a company based in Qatar.
Handily, the nine recommended companies – see here – all sell identical policies at an identical price (50 Riyals, around £11).
I am flying to Doha on Monday and was obliged to buy a policy. I picked Doha Insurance Group on the basis of it having the prettiest logo. The good news is that the form is very quick to fill in (they’re not bothered about your medical history etc) and my insurance certificate arrived instantly by email.
To be fair …. £11 for full medical health insurance – with no restrictions if you have pre-existing conditions – is a great price.
If you don’t have travel insurance and are travelling to Doha with no onward connections, it will probably save you money if you are only bothered about medical cover. It’s only a problem if you already have insurance, since you are forced to pay again.
Erico1875 
TravelerC 
Em 
Jim Bunce 
Mike mairangi 
Rob 
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