Gulf country bans travel without paying traffic fines: Details

Doha: Ministry of Interior in Qatar announced new traffic rules. The Ministry in collaboration with traffic authorities, has issued guidelines for obtaining vehicle exit permits and settling traffic fines before departure. Qatar will ban people from exiting the country if they have outstanding traffic fines. The ban will come into effect on September 1.

As per new rules, obtaining a permit from the General Directorate of Traffic is mandatory for motor vehicles leaving the country, subject to specific conditions.

This include:

The vehicle must be free from any outstanding traffic violations.

The final destination for the motor vehicle must be specified.

The applicant for the permit must be the owner of the vehicle or present valid proof thereof.

The ministry also outlined exemptions to the vehicle exit permit requirement, including vehicles bound for GCC countries. This exemption applies if the vehicle has no traffic violations and the driver is either the owner or has the owner’s consent. Additionally, goods transporting vehicles are exempt from this requirement.

Starting September 1, 2024, individuals with outstanding traffic violations will be unable to leave the country without settling their fines and dues. Payment options include the Metrash2 application, Ministry of Interior website, traffic sections, or unified service centers.

The Ministry announced a 50% discount on traffic fines for all motor vehicles. The discount applies to violations issued within the last three years and is valid from June 1 to August 31, 2024.

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Motor vehicles outside Qatar will not be allowed to renew their registration unless the vehicle undergoes a technical inspection inside the country, adding if the registration is not renewed within the legal period (30 days from the expiration date), the vehicle owner must return the license plates to the General Directorate of Traffic. Failure to return the plates will result in referring the violator to the Public Prosecution for its procedures, according to the Traffic Law, which stipulates imprisonment for not less than one week and not more than one year, and a fine of not less than QR3,000 ($823) and not more than QR10,000 ($2,744), or either of these penalties.