Traveling to or from Doha? Check this guide on what you can and can't bring in the airport

Guide on What You Can and Can't Bring in the Airport

Understanding local travel regulations when visiting or departing the State of Qatar is important if you want to have a smooth travel experience. 

When bringing some luggage, personal belongings and gifts, you might be charged with custom duties if they are not included in the below specified exemption conditions set by Qatar's General Authority of Customs.

Whether you are a tourist, a citizen, or an expatriate with jobs in Qatar, it is essential to read this guide on taking items in and out the Hamad International Airport.

Conditions for exempting personal belongings and gifts that are brought in by passengers

- Luggage and gifts must be of a personal nature and in non-commercial quantities.

- The traveler must not be a frequent visitor to the customs office or a proponent of trade for the materials in his possession.

- The luggage and gifts mentioned are subject to the provisions of prohibition and restriction contained in the Customs Law and other legislation.

- Value of one gift must not exceed (3,000) riyals.

- The number of cigarettes to which the exemption applies should not exceed (400) four hundred cigarettes, and it can be replaced by (20) cigars, or (300) grams of chopped tobacco for pipes, or (500) grams of raw tobacco, or (2) kilos of Shisha hookah (Muasel), provided that its value does not exceed (3000) three thousand riyals.

In the event that its value exceeds this value or the specified amount, the customs duties will be collected for this increase.

Here are also some important information for passengers arriving at Hamad International Airport according to its Security & Customs guidelines:

Security Check:

Your hand-baggage will be security screened before you can proceed to the baggage claim area. Prohibited items will be confiscated and you won’t be able to retrieve them at any time. These include (but are not limited to):

• Weapons, firearms and ammunition

• Alcoholic beverages

• Pork products

• Narcotic drugs

When carrying medicines to Qatar, read this Complete Guide for Expats, Workers, and Travelers

Customs

After you’ve collected your checked baggage, you can exit the airport by passing through Customs. There are two Customs channels to choose from.

• Select the Green Channel if you have “Nothing to declare”.

• Select the Red Channel if you have “Something to declare”. These include:

- Alcoholic beverages (cannot be imported under any condition)

- Exceeding permitted limits of foreign currency, jewellery and precious stones

- Transporting prohibited and restricted weapons and firearms

- In possession of illicit material

- Carrying more than 400 cigarettes

- In possession of personal items and gifts whose value exceeds QAR 3,000 (USD 825) as stated by Qatar's General Authority of Customs above.

Note: Please ask for assistance if you’re not sure which channel to use. If requested by a customs officer, you are expected to disclose any amount of currency, jewelry or precious stones in your possession. Refusing disclosure and providing incorrect or incomplete information is a criminal act and may result in confiscation of the items.

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Taxes and duties

Please check above conditions set by Qatar's General Authority of Customs.

Priority processing

All Al Maha customers, special assistance travellers and unaccompanied minors receive priority processing when departing from Hamad International Airport.

Solving problems

Any items that are found at the security check (when forgotten or misplaced by passengers) are deposited at the Lost & Found office. Please ask at the nearest information desk for assistance in retrieving your belongings.

Departures

Important information for passengers departing from Hamad International Airport Departures

Security check:

At the security check, your hand-baggage is screened. You’re also required to walk through a metal detector. The experience will be much smoother if you:

• Ensure that you’re not carrying any prohibited items .

• Pack any liquid containers in a clear, re-sealable plastic bag. Each liquid container must be 100ml or less. Complimentary re-sealable plastic bags are available from the nearest information desk.

• Put small items into your hand-baggage before being screened. These include phones, wallets, watches and keys.

• Place items with metallic parts (belts, shoes, etc.) into the security tray before walking through the metal detector.

Please note that:

• The walk-through metal detectors are safe for passengers with cardiac pacemakers.

• Expectant mothers may be exempted from walking through metal detectors at the discretion of the security staff, and on the presentation of a medical certificate. In this case, they must undergo a physical check that will be conducted by a lady security officer.

• Dedicated lanes are available for First and Business Class passengers.

Priority processing

All Al Maha customers, Special Assistance Travellers and unaccompanied minors receive priority processing when departing from Hamad International Airport.

Prohibited items

Please ensure that you’re not carrying any of the following prohibited items. These items will be confiscated, and you won’t be able to retrieve them at any time.

• Weapons, firearms and ammunition

• Alcoholic beverages

• Pork products

• Narcotic drugs

• Customs and Goods Collection Center

In case you want to recover any items confiscated at arrival (not listed above), you can pick it up at the Customs office upon verification and submission of required documents.

Transfers

Important information for passengers transferring through Hamad International Airport:

Security check:

At the security check, your hand-baggage is screened for restricted items before you can enter our passenger concourse. Dedicated lanes are available for First and Business Class passengers.

Priority processing

• All Al Maha customers, Special Assistance Travelers and Unaccompanied minors receive priority processing when departing from Hamad International Airport.

• You’re also required to walk through a metal detector. The experience will be much smoother if you:

• Ensure that you’re not carrying any restricted items.

• Pack any personal liquids containers in a clear, re-sealable plastic bag, with a maximum capacity of 1 liter. Each liquid container must be 100ml or less. Complimentary re-sealable plastic bags are available from the nearest LAGs station.

• Put small items into your hand-baggage before being screened. These include phones, wallets, watches, keys, valuable articles etc.

• Place items with metallic parts, for example belt, into the security tray before walking through the metal detector.

• All the LAGs (Liquids, Aerosols and Gels) bought at Duty free shops in the airports other than HIA, in packages of more than 100 ml, must be sealed in a STEB (Security tamper-evident bag) with a receipt, as a proof of purchase. If not packed properly, all those LAGs will be confiscated by the authorities.

Please note that:

• Our walk-through metal detectors are safe for passengers with cardiac pacemakers and expectant mothers.

• Passengers with pacemakers and expectant mothers may be exempted from walking through metal detectors at the discretion of the security staff, and on the presentation of a medical certificate. In this case, they must undergo a physical check that will be conducted by a lady security officer.

Restricted items

Please ensure that you’re not carrying any of the following restricted items. These items will be confiscated, and you won’t be able to retrieve them at any time.

• Weapons, firearms and ammunition

• Toys replicas of weapons and firearms

• Sharp items with a blade longer than 6 cm

• Explosives and incendiary substances and devices

• Narcotic drugs

Stopover in Doha with Alcohol:

Good must be declared at Customs

• If goods are in hand luggage, when hand luggage is scanned after immigration ( before baggage collection) you will be escorted to customer area by security staff to check/deposit goods before collecting baggage

• If goods are in suitcase, do this on the way out via the "Goods subject to Customs"

• Customs agent will issue a docket to you - to collect within 14 days

For goods collection

• Check in, proceed through immigration & security and proceed to concourse B

• Signs will guide to "Customs Retained Goods." Please note that the office may not be manned around local prayer time

• Present docket to Customs Agent

NOTE:

• LAGs over 100ml are not permitted to be carried as hand luggage on board.

• On board US bound flights, as per TSA requirments, LAGs in general and hand sanitizers in particular that exceed 100ml are not allowed. Therefore they will be confiscated before boarding.

For more details about Qatar Travel Policy and Labor Law, visit www.b2c-solutions.com. 

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