Qatar has added the UK to its red list for international travel due to concerns over coronavirus cases.

The decision means even fully vaccinated tourists must spend two nights in quarantine at a hotel on arrival in the Middle Eastern country.

Seven-day hotel stays are required for visitors who are not fully vaccinated.

This will affect thousands of holidaymakers planning to visit the popular winter sun destination.

A total of 21 countries were added to Qatar’s red list on Monday, including Russia, Singapore, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

In addition to the hotel quarantine requirement, visitors from red tier locations must also provide evidence of a negative PCR test taken within the previous 72 hours before arrival in Qatar.

Apart from 10 nations on the “exceptional red list”, such as Egypt, India and Sri Lanka, the rest of the world is on Qatar’s green list.

Fully vaccinated visitors from a green list country are exempt from quarantine but must still take a PCR test.

Those who have not been jabbed must spend seven days in a quarantine hotel.

There are different rules for children and people visiting close relatives.

Qatar’s decision to put the UK on its red list comes after Morocco banned direct flights from the UK, Germany and the Netherlands on October 20.

Coronavirus cases have risen in the UK in recent days, but it is too soon to know if this is the start of another upwards trend.