Overview
Military and retaliatory strikes have continued between the United States and Iran, with Iranian attacks targeting a number of locations in the Middle East. The situation remains volatile. Military activity could occur or resume in a sustained way at any time, with US-linked locations continuing to remain a target of Iranian strikes. Should this happen, travel disruptions and airspace closures could occur, potentially impacting New Zealanders in Qatar for some time. Our travel advice levels could also change at short notice.
Given this, we strongly encourage New Zealanders in or travelling to the region to:
- Register your travel on SafeTravel so we can provide immediate advice if advisories change and share information if there is a major incident in your location.
- Monitor the warning systems linked below for official alerts regarding the security situation in Qatar.
- Monitor media, advice from local authorities and information from other credible sources for similar information and updates.
- Discuss your travel insurance coverage with your insurer, particularly whether your policy covers disruptions to your travel from ongoing conflict in the Middle East. If your existing policy doesn’t cover disruptions, consider other insurance options or what support is provided by your airline if your travel is delayed for a prolonged period.
- Consider other travel options if you remain concerned about the risk to your travel
New Zealanders should ensure they follow any shelter orders given by local authorities. These measures are in place to ensure your safety. Before and during the event of a missile or drone strike:
- Know how alerts are communicated in your location (for example, sirens or mobile phone alerts).
- Sign up and monitor local and international media to stay informed of developments. If a registration system exists in your area sign up to the alerts issued by local civil defence authorities.
- In Qatar alerts are issued to your phone in both English and Arabic. You can also find official announcements made on X:
- Know what to do. Follow the advice of local authorities at all times. This includes any evacuation orders or shelter in place instructions.
- Know where to go, including whether there are shelters in your location or nearby.
- If there are designated shelters, go to one immediately
- If there are no designated shelters, immediately move inside a building and ideally to a basement or interior room away from windows. Talk to your residence or hotel, to confirm the best place to shelter in place where you are, should that be necessary.
- Shelter in place until you receive an all‑clear notification, or for at least one hour after the last attack or intercept is heard.
- Be prepared:
- Know where likely targets are and avoid these locations, relocating to a safer location if they’re close by. Likely targets include military bases, oil infrastructure, critical infrastructure like airports, power plants and sub-stations, telecommunication sites, de-salination plants and US Linked locations like: US diplomatic facilities (E.g. US Embassies, US Consulates) and identifiably US businesses.
- Register your current or upcoming travel here: Register, or check your registration details here: Login
- Ensure you have enough bottled water, and supplies like torches and batteries.
- Make sure you have a sufficient supply of any medicines you may be taking.
- Stay in contact with family and friends and keep them up to date on your location and plans.
- Ensure your passport is up to date and is valid for more than six months before travelling. Information on how to renew your passport is available from the Department of Internal Affairs.
Read our advice on Violence or conflict.
There are more significant safety or security concerns than you would usually find in New Zealand. There is a threat of terrorism in the Gulf region, including Qatar.
Some things that New Zealanders travelling or living in Qatar should be aware of are:
- Local laws and customs - Qatar is an Islamic country with a different law enforcement system than in New Zealand. There are serious penalties for some acts that may not be illegal or inappropriate in New Zealand.
- Entry requirements - Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) are not accepted for entry into or departure from Qatar. Passports showing ‘X’ in the sex field are not accepted for entry or transit through Qatar. You can only enter or transit Qatar if you carry a passport that shows the sex specified as ‘F’ or ‘M’.
- Extreme weather - From June to September, temperatures can reach over 50˚C. Flash flooding can sometimes happen.
- Insurance - If you're staying longer than 30 days in Qatar, you must purchase health insurance from companies approved by the Qatari Ministry of Public Health at a standard cost of 50 Qatari Riyals per month. This is separate to travel insurance.
New Zealanders travelling or living in Qatar should have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place that includes provision for medical evacuation by air.
See below for detailed travel advice.
