Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior has recently implemented revisions to specific regulations and procedures governing the entry process for residents' families, focusing on visits and residency.
In an official statement, the Ministry declared that this initiative aims to "enhance the service quality in line with the state's overarching strategy."
Under the updated protocols, sponsorship of families is contingent upon adherence to the provisions outlined in the employee's electronic work contract, particularly regarding salary and accommodation.
Government and semi-government sector employees are required to secure family housing through their employer or maintain a salary not less than QAR 10,000, as verified by an employment contract. For private sector employees, the profession should fall within technical or specialized fields (non-labour), with a salary not less than QAR 10,000, or QAR 6,000 along with family housing, as verified in the employment contract.
In family sponsorship cases, children should not exceed 25 years of age, and daughters must be unmarried. Mandatory health insurance covering the entire duration of their stay, effective from their date of entry into the country, is also a prerequisite.
Furthermore, children within the mandatory education age range (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. This requirement is vital during the issuance or renewal of the residence permit.
Concerning family visits, the sponsoring resident's profession must belong to non-labour sectors, with a salary not less than QAR 5,000. 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.
The Ministry emphasized that these updated procedures and regulations are currently in effect. To ensure public convenience and streamline processes, the General Directorate of Passports provides all its services electronically through the Metrash2 app and the Ministry of Interior's official website.