WHAT IS A RESIDENCE PERMIT, AND HOW TO OBTAIN ONE?
Qatar’s residence permit (RP), also known as Iqama, is a gateway to legal existence in the state of Qatar.
The Residence Permit (RP) is basically an ID card, that must be carried in your wallet or wherever all the time, to be ready to present it whenever some governmental authorities or hotels require you to.
For some nationalities, the RP is required to apply for a Qatar driving license.
In Qatar, no expat (except tourists) can live or work in the country without a sponsor.
If you choose to enter the country for work purposes or family purposes, you definitively need to require a sponsor.
What is a sponsor?
A sponsor is the person who is “responsible” for your activities and whereabouts (including abidance to the laws) in the country.
Your sponsor could be your husband or your father (family residence permit) – and the spouse/father/sponsor is sponsored by a company that is owned by either a Qatari or the government.
Before understanding how the sponsorship is working in Qatar, we need to delve a little into the purpose of your visit to Qatar.
You can find types of Qatar visas in another post, where we discuss how you can obtain them in details.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A RESIDENCE PERMIT IN QATAR?
It requires certain steps that involve the physical presence of the person, who is applying to be issued a RP.
There are three steps to follow:
Medical procedure:
The medical commission make tests to screen newcomers for infectious diseases, including:
TB, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.
The Ministry of Public Health details the process and steps on their very informative website.
Fingerprint:
After your medical results have been published online, you need to make fingerprints.
The fingerprints is done in a Criminal Evidence and Investigation Department (CEID) branch.
(Usually the sponsor will receive a SMS of the medical test results the same day)
Residence permit:
Congratulations! Your RP will be printed and ready for collection from the immigration department
3 TYPES OF RP’s:
Residence permits for direct hires (out of Qatar)
If you are one of those who got hired out of Qatar directly by your employer, you will first be issued a temporary entry visa.
After arriving to the country, your employer or their Mandoob (authorized person to deal with the government bodies) will assist you in the standard immigration procedures.
Residence permits for local hires
The procedure for getting RPs for local hires vary depending on what your visa status has been by the time a new employer has decided to offer you a job and hire you.
Tourist or business visa to employment visa
A tourist or business visa holder is usually being required to “exit” the country for visa status change. While some business visas may permit transfer of sponsorship, most won’t and would require you to leave the country or at least travel from airport-to-airport so your RP application process may be done by your new employer. Again, this RP application process will start from an entry permit and would require you to take the three-step procedure of medical, fingerprinting, then RP issuance. The entry permit may take from 1-3 days.
Family visit visa to employment visa (RP)
Sponsoring a family member to work or live in Qatar with an RP requires a minimum salary of QAR 10,000/month. In cases where your family member who sponsored you to get into the country earns below QAR 10,000, you will only be given 3-6 months to stay in the country. If within those periods you find a job that would issue you a work permit, then all you will need is a letter of no objection (NOC) from your sponsor (your family member who brought you to Qatar) along with a copy of his/her ID submitted to your new employer who will then process the transfer of your sponsorship.
Employment visa (RP) to a new employment visa (RP)
This is the tricky part. Expatriates in Qatar are not usually given the luxury of jumping from job-to-job or employer-to-employer unless A) the employer decides to provide a No Objection Clearance (NOC) or B) the contract has ended (typical range is from 1-5 years).
Residence permits for family members
If you are coming to live to Qatar under the sponsorship of your spouse or parent, you are permitted to obtain a Residence Permit if your family member sponsor is earning at least QAR 10,000. You go through the same 3-stage process to obtain the RP and, in any case you need to work, you are free do so if your sponsor (your family member) gives you a written permit which you submit to your employer. Your employer must assist you in obtaining a work permit on top of your QID.
Residence permits for business owners who incorporate through the Qatar Financial Center (QFC)
Now this is a very interesting option and opportunity for expatriates who wish to invest and start a business venture in Qatar. The Qatar Financial Center allows for 100% foreign ownership of businesses – meaning the need for a Qatari sponsor/partner who owns at least 51% of your business is eliminated. If you qualify for the QFC, you will be able to obtain a Residence Permit under your own company that is powered by the center.