07 December 2023
Immigration
Impact High
Summary
Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has revised specific regulations and procedures governing the entry process in connection with family residency and visit visas, effective immediately.
The Detail
In an effort to make the entry process more efficient and straightforward for families of residents planning to visit or reside in the state of Qatar, the Ministry of Interior has updated certain regulations and procedures. This initiative seeks to streamline visa processes for dependents inline with the State’s overarching approach.
According to the revised procedures, the sponsorship of families is contingent upon the provisions outlined in the employee’s electronic work contract, particularly those related to salary and accommodation. The requirements include the following:
● For Government and semi-government sectors, employees are required to secure family housing through their employer or maintain a monthly salary of no less than QAR 10,000, duly accredited with an employment contract.
● For those in the private sector, the employee’s profession on the Qatar residence permit should fall under a certain category, technical or specialised fields. The salary amount should not be less than QAR 10,000 per month or QAR 6,000 per month with housing provided by the employer verified in the employment contract.
● Furthermore, children within the mandatory education age bracket (six to eighteen years old) must be enrolled in schools within the country or should provide evidence of their education enrollment outside of the country. We reported on this in our last Qatar newsalert. This requirement is crucial during the issuance or renewal of their residence permit.
● All dependent children should not exceed 25 years old and daughters must be unmarried. It is also mandatory to provide health insurance covering the entire duration of their stay, effective from the date of entry into the country.
● With respect to family visit visas, the employee’s profession on the residency visa should have a non-labourer job title, with a salary not less than QAR 5,000 per month. The housing should be accredited by the relevant authorities. Visitors should be a relative to the sponsoring resident such as father, mother, brother and sister, with no specific age restriction. Health insurance coverage is mandatory for the whole period of stay in the country and can be purchased through the following link: https://www.moph.gov.qa/english/derpartments/policyaffairs/hfid/hirs/insurancecompanies/Pages/default.a spx
What this means
The Minister of Interior has set out clear guidelines. Understanding the above requirements and changes to the renewal process for dependent children is important, to be able to plan family visits and renewal applications moving forward.
How we can help
We will continue to closely monitor and provide timely guidance on any new updates announced by the Ministry of Interior and highlight the impact of any changes that may follow.
Contact us
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Anir Chatterji
EMEA Immigration Partner
anir.chatterji@vialto.com
Rekha Simpson
Director, Middle East Immigration
rekha.simpson@vialto.com
Marilyn Serrao
Senior Associate, Middle East Immigration
marilyn.serrao@vialto.com
Further information on Vialto Partners can be found on our website: www.vialtopartners.com
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Contact us on the following address – me-immigration@vialto.com