1.0 Getting an Entry Visa to Qatar

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1 QU HR Guide for Fulbright Scholars/Students: These instructions are for Fulbright Scholars/Students. 1.0 Getting an Entry Visa to Qatar Prior to Arrival Entry Visa An Entry Visa (also known as a permanent or official visit visa) is required for people who are coming to work in Qatar or for those coming to live as dependents of an employee. Qatar University will process your Entry Visa and the information to you prior to your arrival into the country. Requirements: Please submit the following documents to the Recruiting Section as soon as you accept the offer. 1. Photocopy of Passport: Applicantʹs Passport, Spouse and children if any. 2. Photocopy of Certificates Required: Marriage Academic Degree or certificates Childrenʹs Birth Certificate (if applicable) Police Clearance Certificate of the candidate from his/her home country duly attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of his/her country and from the Qatari Diplomatic Mission in his/her country. (For further details on this item please refer to the section on page 2 entitled Getting a Police Clearance/Good Conduct Certificate. Important Notes The process takes approximately 4 6 weeks. Copy of the official Visit Visa must be shown at Doha Airport upon arrival. 1

2 Fulbright scholars/students planning to stay in Qatar for more than a year must provide a police clearance from the country for which he/she is a citizen. (Refer to section on page 2 entitled Getting a Police Clearance / Good Conduct Certificate. 2.0 Important Notes 2.1 What you should do after you receive your affiliation letter from Qatar University: As soon as you receive an affiliation letter from Qatar University, please provide the Recruitment Section of the University with a scanned copy of the following documents: A copy of your passport, and that of your spouse, and dependent children A copy of your highest educational certificate/degree A copy of your marriage certificate (if applicable) A copy of birth certificates of children (if applicable) 2.2 What happens after you submit the above documents? Qatar University s Recruitment Section will coordinate your permanent visa application through the University s Passport Office. Qatar University s Passport Office will submit and follow up your application with the Labor and Immigration Department. Qatar University s Recruitment Section will the visa to you once it is issued. Print the ed visa and present it to the authorities at the airport who will have your details in their computer system. Getting a Police Clearance/Good Conduct Certificate: Getting a Police Clearance or a Good Conduct Certificate is the responsibility of all who plan to stay in the country for more than a year. Each new comer must complete the process on his or her own. Please note that this is a State requirement; therefore, the University is not responsible for any short notice changes made by the Immigration Department. Typically, you should provide the Police Clearance or the Good Conduct Certificate from the same country that you are holding a passport from or intend to use it to enter Qatar. For example, if you are planning to enter Qatar on a US passport, you will have to provide the University with a Police Clearance from the US, even if you are residing outside the US. The clearance must be notarized by the issuing agency. To do this, you should get the clearance authenticated/attested from the State Department and have it attested by a Qatari Diplomatic Mission in your country. Once the signatures are secured 2

3 by the Fulbright Scholar/Student, the University s Immigration Coordinator will present the documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar for further attestation. For Police Clearances issued in a foreign language other than Arabic, the document must be translated and authenticated at the Chamber of Commerce in Doha. Please note that the process involved in getting this document is often complicated and cumbersome. Therefore, you are requested to start the process as soon as possible prior to your arrival in Doha. Please note that finger printing is a commonly requested procedure by your country s authorities in order to issue a Police Clearance/Good Conduct Certificate. A separate set of finger prints will be taken in Doha to process your residence permit. Since governments require finger prints in order to process Police Clearances, you need to be able to get finger printed at a local police station in your country prior to your arrival in Doha. However, if you are in Doha, you must first visit the US Embassy during their consular hours and obtain a letter from them requesting CID for finger printing. You must present the US Embassy with your passport for them to issue you with a letter. Use the finger print form (must be original can be obtained from the US Consular Section) and take it along with the letter to CID. American Citizens must present the CID with the following documents: Letter from the US Embassy to the CID Letter from QU to the CID Form from CID (to be typed in Arabic by the QU Passport Office) Downloaded FBI form from the FBI website or US Embassy s website 2 Passport sized pictures Copy of your passport Copy of your entry visa to Qatar Copy of your degree The University has made arrangements with the Qatari authorities to provide all faculty members with an exemption for one year if they do not have their Police Clearance ready. If you do not have your Police Clearance ready by the time you apply for a Residence Permit, you will be issued a Residence Permit valid for one year. Once you secure the Police Clearance, you can get your Residence Permit extended to three years. Therefore, for QU faculty members, having a Police Clearance on hand is not an entry criterion to Qatar. Please note that this exemption should not deter you from starting your Police Clearance application as soon as possible prior to your arrival in Qatar. Also note that the Police Clearance is for the employee only. Family members do not need a Police Clearance. It is essential to have the Police Clearance attested by your home country s 3

4 Ministry of Foreign Affairs and attested by a Qatari Diplomatic Mission in your country. If you are in Qatar by the time you receive your Police Clearance, you may be able to further attest the document at your Embassy (if a diplomatic mission is available in Doha) and the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 4

5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Q1. What does the Residence Permit process consist of? The Residence Permit process consists of: a physical examination conducted by the Medical Commission of Qatar; a finger print process conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the State of Qatar. The Residence Permit process is a requirement for all expatriates if they are applying to work or reside in Qatar for over 6 months. All expatriates must undergo the process if they are applying for any type of visa other than a tourist visa. Q2. Who looks after the Residence Permit process? QU s Recruitment Section will provide you with a letter to take to the Medical Commission. Q3. Who pays for the documents and related service costs? Qatar University will reimburse the employee for processing fees charged by the Medical Commission and the Immigration Department. The cost of getting a medical is QR 150. Please keep your receipts as proof of payment. Q4. Where will I live in Doha? How far is the compound from the University? Do I have a choice between an apartment and a villa? Most Fulbright Scholars/students stay at the University Guest House. It is approximately half an hour away from the University Campus. Q5. Is the accommodation furnished and what is supplied? The accommodation has basic furniture such as: beds, closets, dining table, a sofa and chairs. A TV and satellite connection is also available. The kitchen is supplied with pots, pans, plates and utensils, a fridge, an oven and a washing machine. Some units are supplied with dishwashers. The units are supplied with linen, bed covers, towels, shower curtains, shower rods. The kitchen is not supplied with a microwave, Q6. Internet connection: 5

6 QU is in the process of installing wireless connection in the Guest House. The service will be ready be September 08. Q7. How do I get a mobile/cell phone? QU will provide all new arrivals with a SIM card and a mobile phone (Contact Mr Moh d Hussein, External Relations). You may opt to keep the mobile phone with you or return it to HR after two months of employment. The SIM card is yours to keep. The cost of the SIM card and the pre paid minutes for QR 150 must be reimbursed to the External Relations as soon as you pick up your mobile phone. You may continue to purchase a pre paid phone card to make your calls. You may also choose to subscribe to the postpaid service with QTel, the local telecommunication provider. Q8. Where do I rent a car from? Most new comers opt to rent a car until they are ready to purchase one. It costs approximately QR 2000 per month to rent a car. Please contact the Recruiting Section for a list of car rental companies and private taxi firms (locally known as limousines ). If your driver s license is issued in the West, you may use your country s driver s license for 7 days after which you need to apply for a temporary driver s license. When your Residence Permit is issued, you can apply for a permanent Qatari Driver s License. Some country s licenses are transferable to a Qatari Driver s license without taking a driving test. You may also bring an international driver s license if you are planning to rent a car. However, not all rental companies will accept an international driver s license. Q9. Is transportation provided? During the first two weeks of your arrival, transportation is provided by the University (to and from Campus only). This service is provided to help you get by until you rent a car. 6