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Updated February 2024

Are you considering relocating to Qatar and obtaining residency in this vibrant and rapidly developing country? If so, understanding the process of applying for a residence visa is crucial.

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From eligibility criteria to necessary documentation and application procedures, Wego will provide you with the essential information you need to embark on your journey towards residency in Qatar.

Table of Contents

Qatar residence visa updates

The Ministry of Interior has updated regulations and procedures to simplify the process for residents’ families wishing to visit or live in the country. This effort aims to improve service quality in line with the state’s overall approach.

According to the latest information, applications for family visits must now be made through the Metrash2 app. Here are the general conditions for bringing a family:

sons should not exceed 25 years old.
daughters must be unmarried.
children between 6 and 18 years old must be enrolled in schooling, either within or outside the country.
hosted expatriates must possess health insurance for their entire stay, starting from their entry date into the country.

Government and semi-government workers must either receive family housing provided by their employer or have a minimum monthly salary of QAR 10,000, supported by an official employment contract.

Private sector employees, specifically in technical or specialized roles (non-labor positions), need an employment contract and a minimum salary of QAR 10,000. Alternatively, they can have a salary of QAR 6,000 if family housing is supplied by the employer and supported by an official employment contract.

Qatar residence visa

A Qatar residence visa is a type of permit that allows foreigners to live and work in Qatar legally.

There are various types of residence visas available in Qatar, each catering to different circumstances and purposes. Each visa type has its own eligibility criteria, benefits, and duration, providing individuals with diverse options to meet their specific residency needs in Qatar.

Work residence visa

A Qatar work residency visa is the visa that most expatriates obtain when they are hired by a Qatari employer. The employer acts as the sponsor and applies for the visa on behalf of the employee. The employee must undergo a medical examination, fingerprinting, and security clearance before getting the visa.

Qatar Visa Centers (QVCs) located overseas have simplified the recruitment process for hiring workers from various nations. Currently, these QVCs solely handle work visa services, but they will soon expand their operations to include family visit visas, multiple entry visas, and family residence visas.

The General Directorate of Passports issued a directive to explore the feasibility of implementing procedures such as fingerprinting, collecting biometric data, conducting medical examinations, and signing work contracts in the expatriates’ home countries prior to their arrival in Qatar. This initiative involves establishing visa centres abroad in collaboration with relevant authorities in Qatar to facilitate the completion of these processes.

Family residence visa

This visa enables expats in Qatar to support their spouses and children in Qatar for an extended period. To qualify, the sponsor must meet specific requirements, including holding a valid work residency visa, having a technical or specialized occupation, earning a minimum monthly salary of QR 10,000, and having suitable housing arrangements.

Additionally, the sponsor needs to provide several documents, such as a verified marriage certificate, birth certificate, educational certificates, bank statements, and medical reports.

Qatar Family Residence Visa 2024: Everything You Need to Know

Real estate residence visa

Qatar real estate residence visa permits individuals from abroad to acquire property in Qatar and acquire residency rights. The property must be situated in specific designated zones in Qatar and meet a minimum value requirement of QAR 730,000. The real estate residency visa entitles the holder to reside in Qatar as long as they possess the property.

Qatar residence visa requirements

Work residence visa

The following are the documents that employees must provide to get a residence permit:

a valid passport
two passport photographs of the employee
the employment visa
a copy of the company’s Commercial Registration
a copy of the business’s immigration card
the employee’s medical certificate

Family residence visa

You will need the following documents in order to apply for a Family Residence Visa in Qatar:

an application completed (only while applying offline)
Qatar ID card copy
passport copy (front page with name, photo and other identification)
passport copies of all the family members entering Qatar.
attested copy of Marriage Certificate
certified copy of Birth Certificates for all the children
attested copies of all your diplomas.
No Objection Letter from your organization specifying your qualification and income (written in Arabic and dated within the last three months.)
Company Registration Card / Employer QID Copy
rental agreement copy certified by Municipality or proof from company
a six-month stamped bank statement to confirm your salary rate.
employment Contract stamped by the Ministry Of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs.

Real estate residence visa

Below is the list of required documents that you need to obtain a real estate residence visa:

copy of valid passport.
letter from concerned authority mentioning investment.
good conduct certificate of the application and children above certified by the concerned authorities.
proof of passing the medical examination outside the country as per the mechanism specified by the concerned authorities.

Qatar residence visa application

Work residence visa

To obtain a work residence visa or permit, the employees/workers need only to submit their documents to their employers.

Here are the steps that employers need to do to apply for their workers’ visas:

register with the Immigration Department within the Ministry of Interior by providing several documents, including a copy of their trade license. They will be given an Immigration Card and a Representative Card upon registration.
apply for a work permit for each worker they wish to employ. The application documents should be submitted in Arabic, and they also need to disclose the worker’s job position and nationality. They will get the Ministry of Labour’s approval afterwards. Employees may travel to Qatar once they have received a work permit.
lodge an application for the employees’ residence permit within seven days after the arrival of the employees by submitting the documents to the Ministry of Labour.

After the issuance of the residence permit, the workers may start working only for the company that has issued their visas. Employees and workers are advised to carry their ID and relevant visas at all times as there may be inspections by government officials.

Family residence visa

Online application

The visa application can be conveniently completed online by the following steps:

first, make sure to download and register on the Metrash2 (iOS, Android) application on your mobile phone.
open the Metrash2 application and log in to your account.
select the “Visa”, icon that appears on the screen.
then, click on the “Issue Visa” icon followed by the “Family Visit” icon.
select “Family Resident Application” from the drop-down menu.
click on “New Application”, and fill up the personal details of the visitor including Gender, Relation, Date of Birth, Passport Details, etc, accurately.
select the ” I agree on validity of data” option to proceed.

You will receive a notification within a few days to proceed with the fee payment once the application has been approved and verified.

Offline application

The Qatar family visit visa can be applied offline by following the steps given below:

the Family Residence Visa application form can be downloaded from here.
fill up the form and take all the above mentioned documents to the Al Gharrafa Immigration Department (Google location)
get your virtual number from the reception and wait for your turn.
once your turn comes, submit all the documents to the department manager.

You will receive a notification within a few days once the application has been approved and verified. You must then proceed with the fee payment.

Real estate residence visa

Below are the steps that you can do to obtain your real estate residence visa:

to apply for a residence visa for a real estate owner, you need to visit the General Directorate of Passports at the Ministry of Interior (MOI) office.
download the application form here.
complete the form with the necessary information, and make sure you have all the documents in hand that are listed under the “Required Documents” section of this page.
after filling out the form, attach the documents mentioned in the required documents section below with the completed application form.
Check the application form and then submit it to the respective officer in the general directorate of passports in the Ministry of Interior (MOI) office.
the authorities will verify your application and validate the submitted documents.
after the verification process, your residency visa will be approved.

General Directorate of Passports Qatar address

General Directorate of Passports – Head Office
Ministry of Interior
Address: Doha, Qatar
Phone: +974 2367111
Phone: 2366666
E-mail: [email protected]
Official website

Qatar residence visas validity

Work residence visa

The work residency visa is usually valid for one to five years, depending on the contract duration. The employee can also sponsor their family members for a family residence visa once they have a work residency visa.

Family residence visa

The validity and duration of the family residence visa, range from one to five years, depending on the length of the sponsor’s contract.

Real estate residence visa

The validity of the real estate residency visa is five years and can be extended upon the condition that the property is well-maintained.

Qatar residence visas cost

Work residence visa

The cost of a work residence visa in Qatar varies depending on the duration of the visa and the number of entries to Qatar. The employment entry visa to get you into the country costs QAR 200 (USD 55) and there is a further fee of QAR 500 (USD 138) to convert this to a Work Residence Permit. However, your employer will usually pay for it on your behalf.

Family residence visa

The visa costs for the entire family residence visa application procedure are as follows:

Qatar Family Visa Application fee (online and offline): QAR 200 (USD 54.86)
Qatar ID card (for a one-year period): QAR 500 (USD 137.15)
Medical Test: QAR 100 (USD 27.43)

Real estate residence visa

In order to qualify for real estate residency in Qatar, the property’s worth should exceed QAR 730,000 (USD 200,239), which is equivalent to seven hundred and thirty thousand Qatari riyals. To be eligible for permanent residency with additional privileges, the property’s value must surpass QAR 3,650,000 (USD 1,001,195). The application fee is QAR 200 (USD 54.86).

Qatar residence visas status check

To track the visa approval status of your Qatari visa for residency from the Ministry of Interior (MOI) website, follow the steps given below:

visit the MoI website
click “Visa Services”, and then choose “Visa Approval Tracking”
enter your “Application Number”.
select “Residency” from the “Visa Type” column.
enter either your “Application Date” or the “QID Sponsor/ Person In Charge”
enter the Captcha displayed on the screen accurately.
click on ‘Submit’.

The screen will now display the visa approval tracking status of your Qatari visa for residency.

Qatar residence visas print

You can take a printout or hardcopy of your Qatar visa through the Ministry of Interior (MOI) website. To take a printout of your Qatar visa through the Ministry of Interior (MOI) website, follow the steps given below: