GCC citizens, residents allowed into Qatar without World Cup fan card

Qatar on Tuesday began allowing citizens and residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states into the country without a World Cup fan card, known as a Hayya card.

"GCC citizens and… residents will be allowed to enter the country without the need to obtain a Hayya card for non-ticket holders as of December 6," Qatar's interior ministry was quoted as saying by Emirati newspaper The National.

Travelers who fit the criteria and enter Qatar by land will no longer require a Hayya card starting on Thursday, only requiring a vehicle entry permit, which can be accessed via the Qatari interior ministry's site at least 12 hours prior to entry.

Along with Qatar, the GCC countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

England fans at the 2022 #WorldCup tournament in Qatar have gone viral on social media for shouting "Free Palestine" in TV interviews - including Israeli TV.

We love to see it 💯👏🇵🇸

🎥: @alexander_durie#Qatar2022 #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/D8XN1297C9

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) December 5, 2022

The relaxed requirements are to remain in place for the remainder of the World Cup, which will end on 18 December.

The move should see an uptick in visits for World Cup clashes like England vs France quarter final, which takes place on Saturday.

While finals tickets ran out long ago, it is likely many people will still want to come and enjoy the occasion when the last two teams battle it out in the final to become world champions on 18 December.

Those who have World Cup tickets must still use their Hayya cards to access stadiums and fan zones.

The 2022 football World Cup began in Qatar on 20 November. It is the first edition of the tournament to take place in the Middle East.

The competition has seen widespread expressions of support for Palestine, including during Moroccan celebrations after the Arab side notched up a famous win against Spain on Tuesday to reach the quarter finals.

Players and coaching staff took a lap of honour draped in Palestinian flags, laying them out on the turf alongside the Moroccan flag to huge cheers from the packed stadium.