Ireland's friendly against Qatar this month has been switched from Dublin to Debrecen in Hungary.
In December, the World Cup 2022 hosts were added into Ireland’s qualifying group but all games against them are friendlies.
Stephen Kenny’s team start their qualifying mission away to Serbia on March 24 before hosting Luxembourg on March 27.
Qatar were then due to play at Aviva Stadium on March 30 but that has been moved to Nagyerdei Stadion for Covid-related reasons.
Qatar are basing themselves in Debrecen for the entire March window having scrapped plans for a training camp in Austria.
They are playing Luxembourg and Azerbaijan before facing Ireland but Austria is on the Irish government’s list of Category 2 countries.
There are stricter quarantine rules for people arriving here from Austria and those games in Vienna would have ruled Luxembourg and Qatar from playing here.
Qatar will now host Luxembourg and Azerbaijan in Hungary before their clash with Ireland.
Ireland’s home friendly against Qatar will instead take place at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, October 12.
An FAI spokesperson said: “We have ensured that the first home World Cup qualifier will take place in Dublin against Luxembourg.
"We will welcome Qatar to Dublin in October when it is possible that we will have Ireland fans at the game as the battle against COVID-19 continues.”
