For short term stays in Qatar, you'll need to acquire a tourist visa; Qatar legislation will allow you to stay in the country for up to 30 days under these conditions, but if you're planning to stay there to work, then of course you need to get an official work visa - Qatar laws mean you don't need to do this before you enter the country, but it's important that you understand the process prior to travelling.
Regulations for your tourist Visa, Qatar
Even though you may not be a Qatari national, you don't always need to visit armed with a tourist visa; Qatar legislation offers exemptions to some nationalities, but to be sure you're acting in accordance with the laws you should check directly with the embassy to see if these exemptions apply to you. Among the visitors who are offered exemptions regarding the tourist visa, Qatar offers dispensation to British travellers and those arriving from GCC member states.
If you're one of the nationalities that do require a tourist visa, Qatar embassies across the world can issue you with the relevant stamp in your passport before you head off on your adventures. You can also arrange to obtain your tourist visa when you get there, but whichever way you choose to go about it, you need to make sure you've got everything with you that you'll be asked to produce.
Upon application for your tourist visa, Qatar law stipulates that you must have a minimum of three months left on your passport from your day of departure, and you'll also need to provide two passport size photographs along with copies of your plane tickets, hotel booking and an up-to-date bank statement. If you haven't booked a hotel because you're staying with people that you know, they will need to provide you with a letter detailing all of their contact and residential status details, along with a declaration of the length of your stay, their passport details, and their signature, so that you can present this to the authorities upon applying for your visa.
Organising your work visa - Qatar regulations
Although you may need to acquire a work visa, Qatar regulations mean that you don't need to organise this prior to departure. This means that you can head to Qatar prior to obtaining your work visa; Qatar laws do not offer an opportunity for you to organise your work visa outside of the country, so your employer or associates will need to arrange this for you once you get there. When you first travel to Qatar you'll go on a single entry visa and then your sponsor will take the necessary steps to organise your work visa for you.
Although the basic format required for the tourist visa application is the same as when securing your work Visa, Qatar legislation stipulates some more in-depth investigations if you're planning on making the country your home. You may have to provide police clearance from your country of origin, and you'll almost certainly be required to undergo blood tests, a chest x-ray and probably also a HIV test.
Your sponsor will have to submit an application on official company stationery to the Ministry of Interior in order to start the application process for your work visa. Qatar formalities also require you to apply for both a residence permit and an identity card, which will be issued once you have your work visa in place. Once the necessary work visa has been issued, you'll be able to move your family to Qatar as dependents.
Regardless of whether you're looking for a temporary holiday or a more permanent work visa, Qatar legislation can change without notice, just as can happen anywhere else in the world, so you need to check before you go. However, these basic formalities should not be a deterrent; once you've secured your work or tourist visa, Qatar and its many delights will be open for you to explore.
If you find yourself interested and wish to find out more about tourist visa Qatar applications and Qatar work visas please do take a look at our website.