Non-ticket holders can now travel to Qatar during the World Cup

Non-ticket holders for the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 will be able to enter the country during the tournament, so long as they have approval from someone with a match ticket.

Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy has updated rules that previously prohibited international visitors from travelling to the country during the world's biggest football tournament unless they were in possession of a match ticket.

Under the Hayya with Me (1+3) policy, travellers flying to Doha with a ticket for at least one football match can invite up to three non-ticketed friends or family to join them in Qatar.

This means that more people will be able to visit the Gulf country during the footballing spectacle to experience the festivities of the world cup. The policy continues to somewhat restrict the hordes of ticketless fans that usually descend on world cup events.

All international travellers need to apply for their own Hayya card and a voucher code from the main match ticket holder is needed to complete this application.

Non-ticketed travellers can be of any age, so long as they have their own passport. Applications cost Dh504 per person. Children under 18 can be added as a dependent to an existing Hayya card; application fees are applicable, but there's no fee to add children under 12.

All travellers who have an approved Hayya card will also have free access to Qatar's public transport during their stay, whether or not they are attending football matches.

Previously, authorities in Qatar said that only football fans with tickets to a Fifa World Cup match would be allowed in the country from November 1 until December 23, and that traditional visit visas would be suspended during this time.

People visiting Qatar under the Hayya scheme will still need an official ticket if they wish to attend any Fifa World Cup fixtures during their stay.

In addition to the 64 matches being played during the 28-day footballing event, visitors without match day tickets can enjoy a festive atmosphere. More than 100 artists will play at three music festivals, fan villages will host parties and cultural attractions such as Katara Cultural Village, the National Museum of Qatar and the Museum of Islamic Art will be open for visitors.

With 41 days to go until the world’s biggest football tournament kicks off in Qatar, the final countdown is on. A cluster of luxury hotels are gearing up to open their doors before the tournament kicks off, including several five-star properties and Qatar's first all-inclusive concept.

Fairmont Doha — one of the most anticipated hotels in the country thanks to its location in Lusail's landmark Katara Towers — will not open in time for overnight guests to stay during the tournament, according to an update on the hotel's website. Instead, the luxury property will open some of its food and beverage facilities and event spaces in November, with room bookings only opening post-tournament.

Many travellers plan not to stay in Qatar during the football spectacle. Thousands will stay elsewhere in the Gulf, and travel to Qatar on match days on an estimated 100 to 200 shuttle flights operating daily from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Oman and cities across Saudi Arabia.