Qatar Introduces Simplified Residence Procedures

Good news to all expats bound for Qatar! The Ministry of Interior has introduced a new system when expats can complete the requirements while still in their home country. This saves time and effort to the worker.

Workers from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines and Tunisia can avail of this service. The first phase will begin with Sri Lanka.

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A New Procedure to Complete Requirements in Home Country before Travelling to Qatar

Under the agreement between Qatar’s Ministry of Interior and a Singapore based company, expats from the eight countries can accomplish several procedures while still in their home country. After they receive their visas, they can proceed to the service providing centers in the country. In there, they can accomplish many steps of the entry and residence procedures. As this is the first phase, the expats can already have a biometric data record, fingerprint, medical check up and contract signing.

With this new service, expats are ensured that they have successfully passed the requirements before they go to Qatar. Once the expats have undergone the procedure in the service centers, they don’t have to do in again in Qatar because the results are linked electronically with the concerned departments. The information can also be verified at the airport counter.

This new service will be effective four months from now, starting with a service center in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Afterwards, there will be seven centers in India, four in Pakistan, three each in Bangladesh and Indonesia, two in the Philippines and one each in Nepal and Tunisia. After careful studies, this new service will be offered to countries of other expats as well.

Brigadier Muhammad Ahmad Al Ateeq, Director General of the General Directorate of Passports, said “this project has undergone longer studies and evaluation to ease the entry processes in favor of the expatriate workers and preserve his rights well. The documentation and signing of contract in his country before his travel to Qatar will help the workers to start their works with the hosting companies immediately after entering the country and transfer his salary to the bank since the first month of work.”

The second phase of this project will include the authorization of educational certificates and other documents. It will also offer services like wage protection of the workers.