Qatar: Certain Categories Exempt from Mandatory Health Insurance

Twelve categories of individuals are now exempt from mandatory health insurance obligations, including: temporary residence permits holders; visa-on-arrival visitors traveling for a period of up to 30 days (such individuals staying beyond 30 days must purchase health insurance); temporary entry travelers; transit passengers; diplomats, their spouses, and their children under the age of 16; non-Qatari women married to Qatari nationals; children whose mothers are Qatari nationals married to non-Qatari nationals; widows or divorced non-Qatari women, unless they were married to a non-Qatari national; up to four domestic workers per Qatari national household; detainees and prisoners; orphans in care homes; and children whose fathers are unknown. Since 2022, Qatar has imposed mandatory health insurance obligations on certain foreign nationals and employers. These requirements were expanded to include visitor visa holders February 2023 and then multiple-entry work visas in August 2023.