DOHA: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has published a list of 140 controlled medicines that travellers can bring into or take out of Qatar under specified conditions as part of its newly launched electronic permit system for controlled medicines.
According to the guidance booklet issued for the electronic system, the Allowed Narcotic List with Conditions includes 61 medicines, while the Allowed Psychotropic List with Conditions comprises 79 medicines. The booklet, available online, explains how travellers can use the electronic service, outlines eligibility requirements, details the application process, and provides supporting documents, including the lists of controlled medicines.
The electronic system, launched on Wednesday, enables passengers arriving in or departing from Qatar to apply in advance for permission to carry controlled medicines for personal use. Applicants can also track the status of their request and receive the permit electronically.
The ministry said the system aims to simplify procedures while ensuring compliance with national laws governing controlled medicines.
Under the general regulations, drugs and substances banned internationally or locally are prohibited from being brought into the country. Medicines listed under Sub Schedule A and Sub Schedule B of Schedule 1 of Law No. 9 of 1987 on the control and regulation of narcotic drugs and dangerous psychotropic substances are also prohibited.
Travellers who have not obtained prior approval must declare any narcotic or psychotropic medicines upon arrival at Qatar’s ports of entry and present a valid prescription and medical report. Original copies of both documents must also be available upon request.
To obtain clearance for personal-use medicines, travellers must submit a prescription and medical report in either English or Arabic. Both documents must include the patient’s full name, diagnosis, medication details, dosage, treatment duration, date of issue, and the treating physician’s name, signature and stamp.
They must have been issued within the previous six months by a recognised healthcare facility and include the overseas physician’s or clinic’s contact number.
Applicants are also required to provide a copy of their passport or Qatar ID and sign an undertaking confirming that the medicines are intended solely for personal use.
The Ministry has limited the quantity of controlled medicines that may be carried. Narcotic medications are permitted for a maximum of 10 days’ prescribed treatment, while psychotropic medications may be brought in for up to 60 days’ prescribed use.
The guidance also explains that travellers who require additional medication after arriving in Qatar must consult a licensed physician in the country.
If continued treatment is deemed necessary, a medical file must be opened at the healthcare facility, and the medicine may then be prescribed and dispensed through local pharmacies, subject to availability.
For injectable controlled medicines, the ministry said they must be approved and administered under the supervision of a licensed healthcare facility in Qatar, with the treatment recorded in the patient’s medical file.
The guidance refers travellers to the relevant legislation governing controlled medicines in Qatar, including Law No. 9 of 1987 on narcotic drugs and dangerous psychotropic substances and Law No. 19 of 1993 regulating the trade in psychotropic substances.
It also directs users to the International Narcotics Control Board’s Yellow List and Green List for updated international classifications of narcotic and psychotropic substances.
