05 Sep Licences and Permits in Qatar – The Residency Permit
No matter where you go in the world you and your family will need plenty of licences or permits to allow you to get around and do things. Qatar is no different in that respect so it is important to know what’s required for each step of the process as you get used to life in Qatar.
The first one on your required permit list id the Residency Permit. Be aware that this is not going to be a simple procedure as procedures change here constantly. Be prepared for frustrations when doing things. However, remain calm and use your Sponsor’s expert PRO (Public Relations Officer) who can navigate his way through the systems and ministries better than you will ever be able too!
The Residency Permit
The Residency Permit, or RP, is the most fundamental and necessary document you will have for your life in Qatar. You literally can’t live here without it!
If your sponsored by your employer (as opposed to a wife and family sponsored by the husband) then the process should be as simple as following the instructions received to provide documents and be available when you get here to carry out certain medical and police check functions to allow the RP to be issued to you. Typically an RP will take approximately 1 month to get processed but can take longer. Your sponsor has the responsibility to get this done for you but it is your responsibility to ensure that all the paperwork you must provide is in order and approved correctly. Let’s give you some information on what you need to do before you get here.
Step 0 – Before you arrive – Attestation of your Documents
In order for your application for an RP to be processed, all of your legal and educational documents will need to be attested and stamped by the Qatari embassy in your home country. If your home country does not have a Qatari embassy then please consult with your home governments to confirm the procedures.
Basically you will need an official confirmation that the document you are presenting is authentic and real. This needs a stamp from either a solicitor or a lawyer and / or one from your home government ministry. Check online to get the correct procedures though as they change from country to country.
Once you have that stamp affixed, the documents need to go to the Qatari Embassy in your home country to be stamped. Again, do your research to find the correct procedure & costs relevant to where you are coming from.
If these are not in Arabic or English, then you may well need to have them translated to Arabic before this procedure so they can be attested by the Qatari authorities. Again, it may well be best to do that so you are covered either way.
The documents you will need attested and stamped (as a minimum) will be;
- Birth Certificates (for you and family as required)
- Marriage Certificates (if required)
- Higher Education certificates, including transcripts (we’ll get to those in a bit)
- Police Clearance Certificate (from your home country)
Once you have these attested make a whole bunch of copies and keep them with you. Also get a load of passport sized photos done. Make sure you have both a white and a blue background selection as you will need both types!
Then, (yes we haven’t finished with the stamps yet!) once you get to Qatar, the documents will need to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Attestation Department to be counter stamped (yes, again). Again, let your PRO handle this bit. Any fees will be met by the Sponsor and not you. Only once this stamp is done is the document is ready for submission.
For your education certificates, Qatar recently (June 2016) introduced a series of new requirements to cover the validity of your higher education certificates. You and your employer will need to be aware of these requirements at the time of your hiring as it can cause big problems for the issuance of your RP. The following letter describes the new procedures. The letter is particularly relevant to the UK but the terms are standard across the globe.
You will note with particular interest the last paragraph, “any certificate obtained via distance learning or an online program will not be accepted…” This stipulation was introduced owing to the large number of “fake” degrees being presented here from purported online colleges. Even if you have an online degree or supplemental certificate from a legitimate university or college (and even if it is only a small proportion of the total degree) you will not be able to use it to support your RP application. The best answer we have found so far is you can use an educational / vocational degree that was fully taken at a college or university campus (e.g. a BSc, BA, BEng etc) and was taken over a fixed period (e.g. 3 or 4 years) rather than any higher level attainment (e.g. an MSc, MBA or PhD) that may have had some form of online component. To get an RP for a “profession” here in Qatar, the minimum requirement is usually a degree level certificate. If you have any doubts or queries please talk to your employer and their PRO who will have the expert opinion on your case.
Step 1 – Submitting your Application
OK, so you’re now in Qatar and hopefully cracking on with your new career in the Middle East. Good luck to you!!
Now that you are here your RP process can begin in earnest! From this day on until the RP is issued, your PRO is your best friend!! Get their phone number and do everything he or she says and be where they tell you to be. You will be frustrated by having to do things a second or third or fourth time but stick with it! Also, be reminded that once the RP process starts you should not leave Qatar until the process is completed else you will have to start all over again.
Once the application is ready for submission the PRO will ask you for all the relevant ORIGINAL documents and your Passport plus a number of passport sized photographs to support your application. He will take these to the Ministry for Immigration here in Doha and submit everything for you. Your Employer is your Sponsor so they are responsible for handling all the official fees required. You may also be able to claim back all charges incurred by you to get the documents required to be attested and stamped from your Employer (although not every time), so keep your receipts. This part typically takes about 1 week before your passport will be returned to you. You will get all the original documents back as well.
Step 2 – The Health Check
The second step is the Health Check. Once your application has been processed and passed through to the next stage you will be required to submit to a medical screening at the Medical Commission building in Doha. This typically involves a taking of a blood sample, an X-Ray of your chest area and a physical examination by a doctor. This is always a busy section and the building is crammed with applicants from the very early morning so be prepared for a long wait. Take a book and make sure your phone is charged if case anything goes wrong and you need the PRO to attend to something.
For the men, this is basically a long line of blokes waiting around for the morning. It’s not the most pleasant of environments but it’s functional and they get the job done eventually.
For the women it can be a bit more stressful, especially if they are under the husband’s sponsorship, as the husband cannot accompany them into the female side of the Commission building. If possible, see if your employer can arrange for someone to accompany your loved one into the building to keep them calm and informed about what is going on.
Please note that as of this time (August 2016), children under 16 don’t need to go through this procedure.
Once you’ve been through the process at the Medical Commission your records will need to be uploaded into the Immigration system by the Authorities before your application can progress. This again may take between 3 and 5 days before the next stage can be tackled.
Step 3 – Finger-Prints & Retina Scan
Once your medical records are uploaded and approved by the Immigration department the next step is to get your retina and fingerprints scanned by the CID department. The CID section is located about 15kmoutside central Doha down the Salwa Road. Again, use your PRO & Employer to get you there and back.
All the processes are automated so no ink is used for the fingerprints, you just place your hand / finger on the scanner and the retina scan is exactly like an eye test at the opticians.
For the men, again there is a waiting time to get through so be patient and you’ll get through it. Take a book!
For the women, the CID female section is generally a bit quieter so the process is quicker but again, be prepared for a wait if something is up with the system or there is just a glut of people waiting to get processed. Again, husbands may not be able to accompany you beyond the entrance doors to the female section so arrange to have someone go in with you to ease you through it.
Once you’re done at CID there is another wait whilst these records are uploaded to the Immigration system. This typically can take from 3 to 5 days until notification comes through to the PRO that you application can proceed or if there is an issue.
The Blood Group Test
One other procedure you’ll need to get done for both you and everyone in your family (if they are to join you in Qatar) is to have your blood group confirmed.
This can be done at any of the certified clinics or hospitals in Qatar for approx. QR20 each. You simply go to one of the certified places, pay your money (or get the PRO to accompany you and pick up the bill) and wait your turn. This is a simple finger prick test so they draw a very small amount of blood onto a slide and test it. You will receive back a signed certificate confirming your blood group.
This blood group will added to your RP application and will appear on your RP card when it is issued.
This is required for all applicants regardless of age now so all children will have to have this done as well. This test can be done at any time whilst your application is under process but it usually recommended to be done as soon as possible and before the Medical Check. Get this done here in Qatar rather than in your home country.
Step 4 – The Processing Time
At this point, assuming all is well, you can do no more than wait for the RP to be approved and issued. The PRO will be monitoring your application and make you aware of any issues with the application.
The biggest issue holding up the approval of an RP is because of documentation issues. Either through an illegible, misunderstood or a missing document. Let your PRO find out the issue and what the solution is. Once you understand what is required, do your best to comply with the requirements if possible. If you find the requirements impossible or insurmountable then lean on the PRO to find the best way forward. They are licenced by the Qatari Ministries and are the only ones allowed to handle these cases. If you try going to the Immigration department yourself unaccompanied by the PRO you may find resistance from the staff to listen to you.
It has been noted by member of the When, Where & How in Doha group that some nationalities tend to get their RP’s processed and approved quicker than others. Whilst this may be true it is usually down to the documents being the issue rather than whether you are from one nationality or another. All companies employing overseas workers need to have an amount of visas preapproved for the countries they recruit from before they hire someone.
Should you not get the approval for your application within the 30 days limit of your original entry visa you can obtain second 30 day extension to the entry (tourist) visa to give you more time to get the application through. However, you cannot extend this a second time and at that point you will have to leave the country and re-enter Qatar and maybe start all over again. I’m sorry if this does happen to you. It does happen I’m afraid especially if your documents are not in proper order first time. Hence the need to be prepared before you arrive.
Step 5 – The RP is Approved!
Congratulations! The waiting is over and you have received word that your application is all approved and your RP is ready for collection. Your PRO will now go to the appropriate section of the Immigration Department and collect your new RP card for you.
You’re now ready to go after the next few steps of your new life in Qatar. That may be finding a new home, getting a bank account, getting a Qatari driver’s licence or getting your permit for QDC (the alcohol shop). WWHIDOHA.com can help guide you through each of these procedures so look out for other posts on the site and we hope you have a great life here in Qatar! Good luck!
Please be aware that this is not a comprehensive list of the issues or steps you may have to go through to get you RP in Qatar. If Qatar is anything then it is unpredictable at the best of times. Things can and frequently do get held up in the Ministries for all manner of reasons that will be beyond your control (or maybe comprehension!) so be patient! It is best not to fight the system but to mould it around to your needs! If I have missed anything important then please let us know and we can update the post!
Thank You
We try to keep this information up to date but if you notice that something needs updating then please contact us on update@wwhidoha.com