A Qatar work visa is a work permit and a residence permit issued by the Qatari government for foreign employees or workers. The employees are required to be employed by a Qatari employer (can be a company or individual) who is typically responsible for handling their Qatar work visa application.

Documents required

A citizen’s employer can sponsor a Qatar work visa. However, an employee must possess a minimum of 2 years of working experience with his or her employer.

• A photocopy of the Qatari residence permit or ID.
• Submit the original and a photocopy of a passport with a minimum validity of 6 months.
• Two recent passport-size photographs.
• Applicant’s original and photocopy of educational qualification documents.
• Applicants must submit the original and photocopy of the employment agreement provided by the company or firm.
• The employer in India must submit a letter mentioning that there are no eligible Indians specialized for this job role other than the concerned applicant.

Qatar work visa age limit

While the national retirement age for Qatar public sector employees is 60, there is actually no retirement age for private sector employees. However, expatriates are not allowed to renew visas or change sponsors if they are over 60 years old.

Qatar work visa processing time

Typically, expatriates need to wait for about two to four weeks for their work residency permit to be issued. It sometimes takes longer than that, depending on the employer’s company and the country of the employee’s nationality.

Qatar work visa validity

A Qatar work visa which includes work and a residence permit is valid for between one and three months.

Qatar work visa cost

The total cost of a Qatar work visa has been reported to be quite expensive. However, the employer typically covers all the associated costs which include the employment entry visa to Qatar (QAR 200) as well as the conversion to work residence permit fee (QAR 500).

Visa Exemptions

Nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates) do not require a visa to enter Qatar.

Fees
A fee of QR300 applies.
This service can be obtained any time, and the approval or visa numbers can be issued immediately, given that their final approval takes three days.

Qatar Work Permit Renewal Procedure and Fees

The Qatari employer can renew the work permit for between one and three years through the government’s Residence Services portal. Approved employers have Qatari Smart ID cards which allow them to apply online.

Applications to renew a permit can be made three months before the current one expires. The fees are as follows:

Fees
QAR 1,000 for employees sponsored by companies;
500 for family sponsorships (for your spouse and children);
300 for employees on personal sponsorships.
Those renewing visas for three years can benefit from a 20% discount on the above fees.

Extendable Time

All the Qatar work visas are single entry normal with a stay duration of 90 days, 30 days, and 30 days have 90 days of validity.