- MoPH announces implementation of first phase of mandatory Health Insurance Scheme in Qatar, starting with visitors
- Policy for visitors covers emergency and accident services only, with premium of QR50 per month
- Premiums of policies that cover additional services will vary depending on prices offered by insurance companies
This is in accordance with Law No. 22 of 2021 regarding the regulation of healthcare services within Qatar, which stipulates that all visitors shall be covered by the mandatory Health Insurance Scheme.
The scheme will be implemented in phases to ensure a smooth rollout. The first phase will start with visitors to Qatar on February 1, the MoPH has said in a statement.
The ministry has made the necessary arrangements to launch the first phase of the scheme, including enabling visitors to obtain a health insurance policy from MoPH-registered health insurance companies.
In the statement, the ministry explained that the insurance policy for visitors covers emergency and accident services only, with a premium of QR50 per month during the initial issuance and upon extension of the visa. The visitor can also obtain a health insurance policy that covers additional services, and the premiums for such policies will vary depending on the prices of insurance companies.
The MoPH pointed out that visitors can choose one of the registered insurance companies through the links available on the ministry's website. When visitors apply for an entry visa to Qatar, they must have a health insurance policy as it is one of the requirements for obtaining a visitor’s visa. The same process applies when extending the visitor visa.
The ministry indicated that for visitors who hold international health insurance, the insurance policy must include Qatar, be valid during their stay in the country and issued by one of the insurance companies approved in Qatar.
The scheme aims to regulate health insurance and ensure continuous improvements and accessibility of the population to healthcare services, through an effective and sustainable healthcare system, and to regulate healthcare expenditure, the statement adds.
For more information on the health insurance scheme and for the list of MoPH-registered insurance companies, one can visit this page on the Ministry's website.
For any enquiries, one can also contact the healthcare sector’s unified call centre in Qatar at 16000. For international calls, the number 0097444069963 can be used.
