Effective immediately, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has revised certain regulations and procedures to streamline and simplify the entry process for residents’ families intending to visit or reside in Qatar.
- Sponsoring families is now subject to the provisions in the employee’s electronic work contract concerning salary and accommodation.
- Government and semi-government sector employees must secure family housing through their employer or maintain a salary not less than QAR 10,000, verified by an employment contract.
- For private sector employees, the profession should belong to technical or specialized fields (non-labour), with a salary not less than QAR 10,000, or QAR 6000 along with family housing verified in the employment contract.
- Moreover, for family sponsorship, children should not exceed 25 years of age, and daughters must be unmarried.
- It is also mandatory to provide health insurance covering the entire duration of their stay, effective from their date of entry into the country.
- Additionally, children within the mandatory education age bracket (6-18 years old) must be enrolled in licensed schools within the country or provide evidence of their education enrollment outside the country through the educational platform supervised by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
- For family visits, the sponsoring resident’s profession must belong to non-labour sectors, with a salary not less than QAR 5000. They should have family housing accredited by the relevant authorities. The visitor should be a relative within the permissible degrees of relation to the sponsoring resident, with no specific age restriction; however, it is mandatory to have health insurance covering the visitor’s period of stay in Qatar.
Erickson Insights
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.