Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC)

Register at your Embassy

All nationals working or residing in Qatar are advised to contact their country’s embassy to register or subscribe to its services. See Foreign Embassies in the Discovering Qatar section for contact details.

Residence/Work Permits

Expatriate workers must have a residence permit for themselves and each member of their family unless they fall into exempted categories. You need a Qatari sponsor to obtain a residence work permit enabling you to sponsor your family. Work residence permit: QAR1,260 per year (QAR1,000 annual fee, QAR100 for the ID card, QAR100 for the Labour Department paperwork costs, QAR60 for validation stamps). Work Residence Permits are renewed each year by the expatriate’s employer. It is usually the sponsor’s responsibility to deal with all the paperwork and to pay the annual fee at the Immigration Department in Al Gharrafa C2, the Industrial Area E2 or Mesaimeer E3. Families residing in Al Wakra F5 and Al Khor should apply locally. Register as a working woman (on husband’s sponsorship): QAR500 per year. Women on family sponsorship can work in Qatar without a separate residence work permit by obtaining a licence from the Ministry of Labour's Women’s Section. When you have been offered a job, the company must obtain an application form from the Labour Department and submit it with the following: • Three original copies of your employment contract (QAR60 for authentication). • A no objection letter (NOC) signed by the family sponsor giving his consent for you to work. • Originals and photocopies of passports and ID for you and your family sponsor. • Originals and photocopies of all your relevant academic and professional qualifications. • A certificate of good conduct from the MOI. • Copy of your resignation letter from your previous employment (if applicable). • A photograph and fees. Payment: Via credit card or eCash card from Qatar National Bank (QNB) sold on or near the premises. Family residence permit: Spouse and child over 18 – QAR500 per year, child under 18 – QAR400. Every member of the family residing in Qatar, including babies, must have an individual family residence permit. Holders of residence work permits can sponsor their immediate family (spouse and children) if they earn over QAR10,000 a month. Workers are allowed to sponsor their sons under 25 years of age who have not completed university studies and unmarried daughters of any age. The sponsorship law allows women in independent jobs to sponsor their husband and children (conditions apply). The General Directorate of Passports is in the process of introducing new procedures that will enable people to submit their family residency applications electronically and online via the Hukoomi website, Metrash2 and the internal services system. Documents required: Salary certificate from employer; copies of passports of family members; attested marriage, birth and degree certificates (as required); copy of electricity bill; six months worth of bank statements; stamped and registered accomodation lease. Final approval of the residence permit depends on the decision of the recruitment committee. Check hukoomi.gov.qa in case of changes. Domestic staff residence permit: QAR300 per year (on personal sponsorship). Employees must have a minimum salary and be married with a resident working spouse in Qatar (proof of which is required). Fill in the application form at your local Immigration Department. There are sometimes restrictions on the nationality you can employ so check before you start the process. In August 2017, HH the Amir ratified Law No 15 on service workers in the home (Domestic Workers Law). The cabinet adopted the law in February 2018. The law guarantees workers a maximum 10-hour workday, a weekly rest day, three weeks of annual leave, and an end-of-service payment of at least three weeks per year. Recruiting privately: Obtain the visa yourself for domestic staff (or use the office mandoub), register a contract with the Qatar Labour Department and complete any paperwork with the national’s embassy in Qatar. You must then go through an official recruitment agency to complete the entry process. Domestic workers in Qatar earn an average of QAR1,500 a month. Requirements and regulations are subject to change so please check when applying.