FIFA World Cup 2022 things to know before traveling to Qatar
The FIFA World Cup has started in Qatar and will last until December 18. 1.5 million visitors are expected to come to the small Middle Eastern nation for the tournament.
If you are one of them, there are a number of entry requirements that you will need to meet. From fan passes to alcohol and nicotine rules and regulations, it’s easy to get caught out if you’re not informed before you go.
Here are some FIFA world cup 2022 things to know before traveling to Qatar
How we can enter Qatar for the World cup?
First of all football fans need a Haya card, a form of fan ID-to enter the country. These cards will be required for entry from November 1st to December 23rd. Even if you don’t plan on attending any of the matches, you’ll need it.
Match ticket holders can sign up via the online portal and bring up to three other people who don’t have tickets. Once you have your Hayya Card, you can use it for multiple entries into Qatar during the FIFA World Cup and stay in the country until 23 January 2023.
To access public transport on match days, including bus, metro, and train every one can use free the Haya card.
Do I have to take a COVID test to enter Qatar?
If you arrive after November 1, you no longer need to undergo a pre-departure PCR or rapid antigen test to enter Qatar. You also don’t need to pre-register with the government’s Ehteraz health app before arriving, as travelers did in the past.
Visitors to the World Cup will not even need a vaccination card against COVID-19.
But it pays to invest in travel insurance that will cover your trip and all planned activities. Qatar has good emergency medical facilities, but private treatment can be expensive.
How do I book accommodation for the World Cup in Qatar?
Regardless of whether you are attending the match, visitors are directed to the official website of the tournament booking agency for hotels, villas, apartments, and fan villages.
If you are staying in the country for more than 24 hours, you will need to have your reservation confirmed when you apply for your Hayya card. This also applies if you plan to stay with family or friends during the tournament and will need to register your accommodation on the Hayya Portal.
Can you buy alcohol in Qatar?
The laws in Qatar can be very different from your home country – especially when it comes to alcohol and electronic cigarettes or vaping.
Alcohol cannot be bought in shops in Qatar and it is illegal to bring alcohol into the country. The legal drinking age is 21.
At the last minute, just before the start of the tournament, FIFA announced that alcohol would not be sold in World Cup stadiums. Alcohol is prohibited but no alcoholic beer will be available inside the arenas.
Alcohol will only be available in the fan zone, FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations, and licensed hotels, restaurants, and bars.
Fans have been advised to check the country’s nicotine consumption rules as it is prohibited to use or bring electronic cigarettes into the country.
Vaping has been banned in Qatar since 2014. If you break this rule, you face a fine of up to 10,000 riyals (around 2,694 euros) or even a prison sentence.
Every type of sexual activity is illegal in Qatar and intimacy in public, regarding sexual orientation or gender, can be considered offensive.
The World Cup organizer said “everyone is welcome” and added that there would be no restrict