Zurich, January 19, 2021: FIFA and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) would like to thank you for your interest in accreditation for the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020™.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, stringent health and safety protocols will be adhered to for the duration of the competition to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the tournament. FIFA and the LOC will be guided by the recommendations of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and relevant authorities and in the best interest of everyone involved.
Please note, FIFA accreditation approval does not guarantee entry into the State of Qatar due to current COVID-19 precautions and strict quarantine rules apply to all those that enter the country.
In preparation for your prospective attendance at the tournament, please see below a list of important details to review.
We look forward to welcoming you to Qatar for another exciting FIFA Club World Cup™ and wish you a safe and pleasant stay.
Important information:
Entry to Qatar: as per the State of Qatar’s COVID-19 precautionary travel regulations, only those with valid Qatar IDs, citizens of GCC states and visa/exceptional entry permit (EEP) holders can enter the country.
Exemptions will be made for those media that have already been approved as members of official participating team delegations. The LOC will facilitate the process of visa/EEP applications for all media representatives that are approved by FIFA, but cannot guarantee visa/EEPs for all that are granted accreditation.
As soon as your accreditation is approved please start visa/EEP application process, sharing a clear copy of your passport with Mohammed Khalid Fakhroo (mfakhroo@qfa.qa).
Please note passports have to be valid for at least six months from the day of travel. After your flight and accommodation has been booked, kindly share this information by filling the Visa Form. Once the visa/EEP has been approved, the electronic copy confirmation will be emailed to you. This copy has to be printed and presented upon arrival at Hamad International Airport.
Permissions to be obtained before the travel: If you are bringing photo and/or television equipment into the country please complete the Frequencies Registration Form for radio/wireless equipment, Filming Permit Form and Customs Form for professional equipment included in the Restricted Materials list (for example, medicine and medical equipment, radio communication equipment, cameras, live streaming equipment).
Kindly share these documents via e-mail with the appointed contacts outlined in the forms at your earliest convenience.
Please refer to the Customs & Freight Guide available on the FIFA Media Channel for more information on restricted items and customs procedures. Whether goods are being shipped by air freight or arrive as accompanied baggage, approvals are needed from the regulated governmental agencies before arrival in Qatar. All permissions will be emailed and should be printed and presented at the airport upon arrival.
Quarantine upon arrival: valid Qatar ID holders, citizens of GCC and visa/EEP holders will be required to enter hotel quarantine before participation in the Event as per the State of Qatar’s COVID-19 prevention regulations.
Kindly note that quarantine periods could be seven- fourteen days and differ depending on the country of origin. Please refer to this link for more information on the required quarantine period.
Hotels that have been assigned by the Government as quarantine hotels should be booked here ahead of travel. In the ‘State of Qatar ID Card’ fields, please use your passport details (number and date of issue/expiry). Visitors are strictly prohibited from entering the quarantine hotel and no hotel facilities will be available during the quarantine. Please note that all bookings are final and non-refundable.
COVID-19 testing before departure and upon arrival to Qatar: as per regulations stipulated by Qatar’s MoPH, all media representatives will need to have a negative PCR test done within 48 hours of travelling to Doha preferably in approved testing centres, a list of which can be found here. An additional COVID-19 test will also be conducted upon arrival at Hamad International Airport.
Media will then proceed to immigration control and luggage collection, and upon arrival at their hotel, remain in quarantine in their room as per MoPH guidelines. An additional PCR test has to be completed on the sixth day after arrival. A positive result will require continued isolation.
COVID-19 testing for Match Days and Official Media Activities: in line with Qatar’s MoPH requirements, all media representatives wishing to attend any matches and official media activities will be required to test for COVID-19 and obtain a negative test result. Refusal of testing will result in dismissal from participation in the Event.
All tests will be arranged by the LOC every three-six days. Testing schedule, locations and opening hours will be shared at a later date through the FIFA Media Channel.
Ehteraz Application: anyone entering Qatar must have the Ehteraz application installed on their smartphone with a local sim card, which can be acquired at the airport upon arrival.
A local sim card is required to receive update messages from the Ehteraz application and to track the health status and location of residents and visitors, therefore it needs to be kept active at all times.
Please make sure you have additional mobile phone for this purpose. Support with Ehteraz registration and activation will be provided at the airport upon arrival. ‘Green Status’ on the application is required for all media representatives attending matches.
Green Status is also required for entry into the majority of public buildings in the country.
A security guard / staff member will likely ask you to present the application and your Green Status at the venue door before entering.
Medical support: all tournament venues are equipped with clinics, which will be available to media representatives that may exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 or require medical assistance.
Media representatives are also recommended to contact the COVID-19 Hotline (number to be dialled from local phone 16000) if any symptoms are experienced.
Venue media area capacities: media area capacities at the tournament’s two competition venues (Education City Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium) will be limited and strictly monitored.
Access to media activities will be granted based on permitted numbers, outlined in the tournament’s approved medical protocol. Unfortunately, FIFA and the LOC cannot guarantee that all accredited media representatives will be able to participate in all media activities due to such protocols and restrictions on attendees. Training sites will be closed to media at all times.
Official Media Hotel: no official media hotel has been assigned for the Event but recommendations to media representatives on this matter will be provided by the LOC upon request. As mentioned above, only Government-assigned quarantine hotels can be booked for the duration of your quarantine period upon arrival into Qatar. For recommendations please contact the LOC on fcwcmedia2020@sc.qa.
Stadium Entrance Protocol: during stadium attendance, participants are strongly recommended to maintain a maximum possible physical distance not less than one metre, wash or sanitise hands regularly, and refrain from participation if experiencing flu-like symptoms.
• All media representatives must wear masks (fully covered mouth and nose) and protective shields at all times. Protective shields may be removed for the period of work if required to perform the job tasks.
Temperature and Ehteraz application checks will also be conducted prior to entry into venues to ensure all media have Green Status.
Those who fail to comply will not be allowed to enter the stadium.
Dedicated media entrance gates and routes will be communicated at a later stage.
For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email:
• mediaoperations@2022.qa (organisation and travel questions)
• media@fifa.org (tournament related questions). —- FIFA
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