In Qatar a foreigner may obtain a Residence Permit if they are employed by a local company. It is also possible to become a permanent resident.
When incorporating a local company and appointing a foreign citizen manager of the company, the foreign citizen must obtain a residence permit and QID within 3 months after the incorporation of the company / the appointment to the position of manager.
To be allowed to employ foreign citizens, a company must obtain a special Computer Card. Obtaining such a card takes 5 workdays after all required documents have been filed.
The applicant, in turn, must apply for a business visa and after obtaining it must enter Qatar on that visa.
Then one proceeds to obtaining a work visa and residence permit. At this step of the process, the applicant must:
In Qatar, a resident visa may be obtained based on real estate investments.
In particular, investing at least 728 000 QAR (~ 200 000 USD) makes it possible to obtain a temporary residence permit for a period of 1 year, which may be extended.
To obtain a golden visa for up to 5 years, the invested amount must be at least 3 650 000 QAR (~ 1 000 000 USD).
In February 2024, Qatar introduced a new immigration program for talented foreigners and entrepreneurs.
A visa for independent foreigners (Mustaqel Visa) is issued for a period of 5 years, which may be extended.
The grounds for filing an application as well as the list of documents can be divided into 2 categories:
Foreigners who have recognized achievements in the following areas may try to obtain a talent visa:
One will also have to prove they have a fob offer from a Qatari company or enough money to stay in Qatar for 3 months (at least 36 500 QAR).
To file an application, the candidate must prove their unique skills in the dedicated organization, Jusour.
After the approval, one needs to apply for a visa and enclose the following documents:
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When applying from Qatar
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When applying outside Qatar
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1. passport + personal photo;
2. Qatari ID card; 3. police certificate / no-criminal-record certificate(s) from home country and countries of previous long-term residency (if different); 4. employment contract or no-objection certificate; 5. ID card of sponsor in Qatar or company establishment card; 6. proof of academic degree(s); 7. proof that language test has been passed (Arabic or English, at your discretion); 8. proof of work experience; 9. contract signed with hiring organization or employment offer letter from hiring organization; 10. personal bank account statement. |
1. passport + personal photo;
2. police certificate / no-criminal-record certificate(s) from home country and countries of previous long-term residency (if different); 3. proof of academic degree(s); 4. proof that language test has been passed (Arabic or English, at your discretion); 5. proof of work experience; 6. contract signed with hiring organization or employment offer letter from hiring organization; 7. personal bank account statement. |
To obtain an entrepreneur visa, a business project worth at least 250 000 QAR (~ 68 500 USD) will have to be implemented, and approval will have to be obtained from one of the Qatar’s accredited business incubators:
After the approval, the following documents must be provided:
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When applying from Qatar
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When applying outside Qatar
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1. passport + personal photo;
2. Qatari ID card; 3. police certificate / no-criminal-record certificate(s) from home country and countries of previous long-term residency (if different); 4. employment contract with employer in Qatar or no-objection certificate; 5. ID card of sponsor in Qatar or company establishment card; 6. personal bank account statement; 7. proof of support by business incubator. |
1. passport + personal photo;
2. police certificate / no-criminal-record certificate(s) from home country and countries of previous long-term residency (if different); 3. personal bank account statement; 4. proof of support by business incubator. |
Expatriates permanently residing in Qatar are given an opportunity to obtain the status of permanent resident (obtain permanent residency). For this purpose, they must meet 4 conditions:
The status of permanent resident of Qatar allows you to invest in economy sectors determined by resolution of the Council of Ministers without a Qatari partner provided that the company is established in accordance with provisions of the Commercial Companies Law.
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Service
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Cost (USD)
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Obtaining a visa and Residence Permit in Qatar
(the expenses are stated for one work visa and Residence Permit), including: - payment of all state fees (Work Visa, Qatar ID); - preparation, execution and approval of necessary documents; - escort to the clinic to undergo medical examination; - escort to state authorities to give fingerprints and biometric data; - filing documents to obtain and stamp the visa; - filing an application and obtaining a resident’s card; - transport costs. |
4 200
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Renewal of a Qatar ID
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3 800
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Assistance in opening corporate and personal bank accounts:
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Services in:
- analysis of the structure of the company, its activity / business model / turnover OR information on sources of funds / residency / account balances of an individual in the case of opening a personal account; - individual selection of banks – up to 3 options; - preparation of banks’ descriptions stating the criteria of selection; - preparation of description of further steps of the account opening procedure. |
500
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Services in:
- collection and analysis of corporate and other documents required to be provided to the chosen bank; - preparation of a detailed application to open an account, including complete information on the company, its owners and counterparties; - sending this application to one of the banks chosen by you; - preparation of a detailed description of all further steps of the account opening procedure; - preparation for the interview; - escort to the in-person meeting with a banker (if necessary); - interaction with the bank at ALL steps. |
2 750
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[1] The cost of services is effective as of July 2024.