Citizenship for Qatar:

Foreigners may be granted citizenship if they fulfill the following:

• Legally resided in Qatar for 25 years with gaps not exceeding six months.
• Has legal income.
• Has good personality characters and has a clean criminal history.
• Has sufficient knowledge of the Arabic language.

Despite the fact that Qatari law permits naturalization of foreigners, responsible administrative offices rarely grant them citizenship even in a case they born on a Qatari mother.

Lately, Qatar has suggested a quicker citizenship process available for citizens of Bahrain.

Dual citizenship

Dual citizenship is not accepted in Qatar. Having another citizenship may result to the invalidating of Qatari citizenship.

Loss of Qatari citizenship

The person may lose Qatari citizenship in the following cases:

• An individual joins the military service of a foreign country.
• An individual works for a foreign government that is in war with Qatar.
• An individual takes up a foreign nationality.
• Citizens have opportunity to voluntarily give up Qatari citizenship.

Work Permit for Qatar

1. Temporary Permit

Your temporary permit has validity of a half year, and it permits you to be in Qatar and to have a job. Your future employer should set it up so you can begin working upon arrival, however all the formalities of acquiring a work residency permit must be accomplished within three months.

The residency work permit process generally takes 2-4 weeks, and you won’t be able to leave the country during that time.

2. Medical check-up

While applying for a residency work permit a health check is required for anyone. This will include a blood test and a chest x-ray. Your employer’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) will arrange an appointment for you.

You should generally have your results within three days. If you are medically unfit, your application will be refused, and you’ll likely be required to leave the country.

3. Residence permit and ID card

After the former steps are completed, your PRO will submit complete application package for your ID card and residency work permit at the same time. Permits are valid for one to three years. Once you have your ID card, you need to carry it with you at all times.

You might also be asked for a police clearance certificate. Your residency work permit loses validity in a case you stay out of the country over half a year at a time.

Prior to moving Qatar, you should make sure that all your educational certificates are attested by the Qatar embassy and authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you’re unable to do it in your home country, then attestation can be done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Doha, but it can be a lengthy process.

Visa for Qatar

Family Visa

This permits foreign workers in Qatar to bring in their family members from abroad, or renew residence visas for them.

Business Visa

On acquiring a business visa, passport holders of specific countries will be granted direct entry visa, without receiving preceding visas at borders of the country. A company or a recognized establishment should apply to the Immigration Department. The visa has 2-week validity and could be renewed for another two weeks.

Businessmen from specified countries are eligible for the visa.

However, the visa is subject to laws concerning entry and residency of foreigners and resolutions taken in that matter. It is also relevant to existing rules for residents of GCC countries, and people entering or exiting country with Qatar Airways.

Visas for Family Visits

This type of visa is applicable to family members of those living in Qatar for a short-term period of one month. The visa is provided to a visiting family member, who visit their relative residing in the country. If a visitor wants to stay more than one month, heshe must undergo a medical check prior to the end of time period.

After that, the visa could be renewed for five months for immediate family members (includes parents, siblings, children), and two months for other relatives.

Companions of GCC National Visa

The visa is issued to drivers and servants of residents in Qatar, as they reach to Qatari borders from the GCC States. It is issued for a month and can be renewed for five months. Particular conditions include the case when a receiver has a valid residency visa in a Gulf Council state country, or when heshe arrives with the sponsor of one of the sponsor family members (wife or sons).

GCC Residents Visit Visa

The visa is given to residents of GCC states who arrive at any of Qatar’s borders on a 14-day stay. It can be renewed for additional 14 days. Pre-conditions include the beneficiary possessing a valid residency visa in one of the GCC member countries, or an individual visiting his relatives who are Qatar residents.

Multiple Entry Visa

Multiple visas with expiry date over a year are provided to individuals, companies, and governmental organizations that have confirmation from a relevant qualified authority.

Joint Tourist Visa

The visa is provided upon arrival at Qatar border from 33 countries, and the receiver can enter any country directly and is free to move to another country before the expiry of the stay period. The visa which is valid for 21 days could be renewed for another week.

Citizens of 33 countries are the target audience for such visa.

Nevertheless, Joint Tourist Visa holders cannot work in Qatar with or without payment.

Official Visa

An official visa is a type of a free visa which is provided upon the request of ministries and governmental organizations for a period of one month, which could be renewed to five months, proceeding fingerprints and medical tests.

Tourist Visa

Citizens of particular countries, who hold a valid passport, are issued visitor entry visas before arriving at the border. Meanwhile, the holders of this visa cannot work in Qatar with or without payment. Visas are mainly provided within 2 days and are valid for 14 days, which could be extended by additional 14 days.

Work Visa

Work visas are provided to individual sponsorships, private entities and companies, and needed to be approved by the Ministry of Interior. The fee and collection of visa are taken care of by the sponsor.

Visas for wives and children for more than a year:

Visa allows extended stays and applies to wives and children of residents working in government departments, civil service employees and private companies. The permanent committee for arrivals makes confirmations.

Visa for Newborns

The Newborn visas are for newborn babies aged less than three months. The visa is provided upon their arrival at the Qatar border. A parent will have to produce the original birth certificate of the baby. The baby should have a passport, or hisher name should be attached to the parents’ passports. Parents should have a valid residency visa, and the mother should be on the child’s father’s sponsorship. The visa is out of charge.

Transit Visa

Applicable in a particular situation, wherein travelers may have to halt in Qatar for two days. This does not apply to transit travelers who do not require a pre-arranged visa and have opportunity to enter country through sponsorship of the relevant airline company, provided they have a stopover in Qatar for more than 6 hours, until their departure to another destination as per the following flight dates, determined beforehand.

Return Visa for visitors

Return visas are provided to visitors as the have allowance to return twice a year or once in every half year to their home country.

Return Permit: are issued for those who lost their passports. It is issued to all categories of residents and residents with personal sponsorships and company sponsorships. However, an official letter from the sponsor and a copy of the company registration form should be sponsored by the company. The visa is valid for 14 days, and the visa will be renewed after the lost passport is counted in the blacklist system.

Visa-on-arrival for GCC Residents

There is an issued and revised list of 188 professions, and the GCC-resident specialists under these professions which can acquire visa upon arrival at the Doha International Airport. The visa will have a one-month validity period. The professionals can get a visa, provided, their GCC Residency Permit is valid for at least six months, while the original passport has at least six-month validity and they should have a return ticket.

The visa can be issued after paying QR100 fee via credit card. However, the visa can also be extended by further three months by paying a fee of QR100 for each additional month. Yet, QR200 penalty must be paid for each day over expiry.

Other than doctors, businesspeople, and engineers, the revised list will include businesswomen, medical equipment technicians, journalists, military officers.

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Taxes In Qatar

Qatar does not have personal income tax, VAT or sales taxes, capital or wealth tax systems.

The only taxes payable are:

– Corporation Tax, which is primarily applicable to foreign companies.

– Import obligations on necessity items imposed at 4 percent of the cost of most products.

– government levy of 5 percent and service tax of 10 percent on restaurant and hotel bills.

Corporation tax is payable on a progressive scale on any income over QR 100,001, from 10% up to a maximum rate of 35% on income above QR 5 million. There are several allowable deductions, including interest payments, salaries, rentals, depreciation, etc.

Income of self-employed foreign professionals is also subject to taxation.

Business Establishment in Qatar

Just as in any other country, Qatar has its specific guidelines and requirements about foreign nations operating in this country. There are adequate services in Qatar for legal, counseling, tax, financial, business matters, feasibility studies and company background checks. Professional experts are available for any professional advice on such issues.

In order to launch a business in Qatar, foreign organizations should appoint a service agent/sponsor first. Specialists state that the requirement for service agent/sponsor in Qatar is lenient day by day and may be eliminated in future.

For doing business in Qatar, the typical practice is to found a Limited Liability Company. In those instances, the foreign company should not surpass 49 percent of the capital, while the Qatari Partner owns 51 percent. New Qatari law allows foreigners to earn nearly 80percent or more of the Company profits if the foreign entity is the leading player in the joint venture. The joint venture firm does not need a service agent/sponsor to do business.

Foreigners cannot own land in Qatar, other than specific real estate development projects such as the Pearl of the Gulf. However, foreign firms can rent property on a long-term basis, up to 50 years to complete specific projects.

Currently Qatar is not recognized as a tax-free zone. Personal income tax does not exist in a country, however, foreign-based companies must pay tax on corporate income, at the rate of 0 percent on fewer than QR 100,000 and up to 35 percent on more than QR5million. Based on the activities of the foreign establishment, certain tax exemptions are permitted, in a case the establishment directly benefits Qatar, or incorporates modern technology, or fulfills the strategic goal of the Qatar government. Original copies of documents entered to Qatar should be produced. All goods shipped to Qatar should have commercial invoices, shipping document, packing lists and Certificate of Origin should.

The Customs Duty for cargo reaching Qatar is approximately 5 percent. For temporary imports into Qatar, permission from the General Director of Qatari Customs is required, despite the cheque or bank guarantee to Customs Department towards payables for the shipment. This will be refunded on producing proof of export from Qatar. Average customs clearance by air is 1-2 days and by sea is 2-4 days.

As for banking, foreign investors require permission from the Qatari Government to invest in the banking and insurance sectors.

Qatar is one of the fast-growing regional economies and among the most promising globally, maintaining steady growth rates despite various global challenges. Over the past few years, the State has prospered in consolidating Qatar’s position on the global economic map. Qatar is currently pursuing its journey towards establishing a diversified, knowledge-based and competitive economy among with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Qatar’s economic policies have provided support for various sectors and bolstered their contribution to economic growth, thus strengthening and enhancing investor confidence in the national economy. Qatar has been intense on developing an attractive investment environment highlighting important fields of the economy of Qatar, held by an administrative and legislative system providing advantageous conditions on doing business and an appropriate legislative framework for investments and business development.

Disclaimer for Immigration, Qatar

We DO NOT provide consultancy for illegal immigration to Qatar and do not promote illegal immigration for Qatar, including, illegal residency for Qatar or illegal work permit for Qatar. Also, we do not entertain agents for illegal immigration for Qatar.

Information provided on https://www.millionmakers.com regarding Qatar cannot be taken as legal advice in any way, please consult immigration lawyer in Qatar for expert legal advice for Qatar.

We don’t support or provide any of our services to below mentioned Individuals or category(s) of business in Qatar for immigration:

• Any device for Qatar that might result in abuse of human rights in Qatar or be utilized for torture in Qatar.
• Trade in Qatar, distribution in Qatar and/or manufacturing of arms in Qatar, weapons in Qatar, ammunition in Qatar, mercenary or contract soldiering in Qatar.
• Espionage in Qatar or technical surveillance in Qatar or bugging instrumentation or equipment in Qatar.
• Any illegal activities in Qatar or criminal activities in Qatar or company(s) or individual(s) that are black listed in Qatar under The Law of Qatar.
• Genetic material in Qatar.
• Hazardous or Dangerous or risky biological, chemical or nuclear materials which also includes, instrumentation or machinery accustomed for disposing or manufacturing or handling of any such material(s).
• Trading in Qatar, storage in Qatar or transportation of Human or animal organ(s) in Qatar, use of animals in Qatar or abuse of animals in Qatar for any scientific or product testing.
• Adoption agencies in Qatar, as well as, surrogate parenting procedures in Qatar or any kind of abuse of human rights in Qatar.
• Non-secular cults in Qatar and their charities.
• Pornography in Qatar.
• Drug paraphernalia in Qatar.
• Pyramid sales in Qatar.