FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar – It’s just down the road!

With football fever mounting, people who have been lucky enough to nab tickets are now thinking, ‘next steps.’ To travel from the UAE to Qatar, you can take a plane, but with flight prices sky-rocketing, what are the alternatives?

Eh, DRIVE!

Lovin sent two willing Lovin crew, Shahir and Ali Baba, to roadtest the journey… so you don’t have to and the consensus was it’s a lot easier and quicker than you might think.

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Now, they’re ready and willing to answer any and all of your questions about the journey of a lifetime. They drove a nifty Volkswagen Golf R and got there and back in 2 days.

Here’s what you need to know about driving to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup

The documents you need to get to the border

Download and print fam and save yourself the hassle at the border!

• Carnet De Passage: A document issued by Automobile & Touring Club. A passport for your car or motorbike, cross borders and custom clearance without problems – Get it here
• Tourism certificate: Issued by the RTA, it’s a certificate that allows you to use your car outside of the UAE for tourism purposes. Get it here
• Not your car? If you’re NOT the car owners, you’ll need a Mortgage Release – This service enables you to apply for a clearance certificate indicating that the vehicle does not have any restrictions (mortgage) or traffic fines when issuing this certificate – Get it here
• Passage through Saudi: GCC residents do not need a visa to travel through Saudi. For all other countries, see here

Once you reach the border, you’ll need to acquire a car insurance certificate too, price deets below.

At the border

Qatar is accessible via the Abu Samra land border crossing with Saudi Arabia. Leave your car at the border (Saudi side) – From there you can take a free shuttle bus into central Doha.

*Public transport within Doha is highly recommended.

All motorists drive on the right-hand side of the road. Traffic signs are bilingual, in English and Arabic. Driving without a licence is a criminal offence.

Driving with a non-Qatari licence – You can rent a car if you are 25 and above,and have held a valid driving licence for at least 12 months. Please be aware that the availability of hire cars is likely to be low due to demand.

Driving with the licence of your home country – Visit or business visa holders can drive for up to 15 days from the date of entry. You need to apply for a temporary Qatar driving licence to extend this.

Driving with a GCC licence – GCC residents can drive for up to three months from the date of entry into the State of Qatar.

Driving with an international licence – Visit or business visa holders can drive for up to six months from the date of entry into the State of Qatar.

Via Getting To Qatar

Shahir and Ali were willing guinea pigs and got the chance to drive a slick Volkswagen Golf R

0-100 in 4.8 seconds with a B-E-A-utiful exhaust purr, created by Slovenian exhaust systems, Akrapovič. This high performer has torque vectoring, developed by Volkswagen’s engineers to ensure the power is distributed in the most effective way. So it’s a brand new 4MOTION all-wheel drive system giving you confidence on the roads, especially if you’re travelling between countries.

Y’all might need a visa!

Shahir says: Be prepped with your docs!

The costs you need to factor in

• Carnet and Tourism Certificate Fees: USD 346
• Adding a driver’s name on Carnet if needed (we did!): USD 100.00
• Service Fees: USD 42.37 (AED155.63)
• Insurance fees: In Qatar – AED150 / In Saudi – AED139

Total: USD529.21 or AED1944 (approximately)

Disclaimer: The prices may vary so check beforehand.

 

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