Family Residence Visa in Qatar
A family residence visa is the type of visa that allows a foreign worker to sponsor his family members instantly. His family members include his wife and children. They can stay for a long term in Qatar. After the complete process, every family member must have an individual residential visa to stay in Qatar. However, there are some specific requirements that a foreign employee has to qualify to sponsor his family.
There is a procedure to submit required documents, including attested marriage certificate, birth certificate, salary certificate, and tenancy contract. You will find a complete guide in this blog. You will get details related to the required documents, visa fees, and steps to follow to apply for their family residence visa. You will completely know how to obtain a Qatar family residence visa.
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Requirements to apply for a Qatar Family Residence Visa
Here are some main requirements for a foreigner to be eligible to sponsor his family.
- The sponsor must have a residence permit.
- The sponsor must have his residence permit in Qatar, and it is the first and basic requirement. You must have your Qatar ID card and residence card before applying for a family residence permit if you are a sponsor.
Professional Requirement
The sponsor should not be a labor, driver, cleaner, delivery boy, etc. He must be a technician or a specialized professional. For example, doctors, engineers, Managing directors, or high salary grade jobholders can apply for a family residence permit. Laborers will not be eligible to sponsor their families as they have lower salary scales.
The Salary Requirement to apply for a Family Residence Permit
The foreign employee’s salary must be QR 10,000 to sponsor his family. The employees who have QR 7000 salary with the family housing granted by the company can also apply. The salary scale is fixed to ensure that the sponsor can support his family’s living costs in Qatar.
However, MOI is now processing salaries above 15,000 QR for the person. It may be to control the higher number of applications received after the break of visa service in 2020. The salaried person between 10,000 to 15,000 may be dealt with later.
Accommodation Requirement
If you have a 10,000 QR salary or above, you must provide a tenancy contract, attested by the Municipality. In another case, if you have your salary above 7000 QR and less than 10,000, you need to present the employment contract if it grants your family housing allowance or an alternate for it.
The Process to Apply for a Qatar Family Visa
You can apply for a Qatar Family visa by following these steps. You can also take help from your company or employer, as some companies help out to do this process as it is their employment policy.
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The steps to apply for a Qatar Family Visa Residence Permit
Apply directly or online for the family entry visa
You must submit all required documents to get a family residence visa approval. You will get a one-month visa to allow your family to enter Qatar. Some other steps like medical tests and fingerprints are done after arrival. There is another simple process to bring the family on a visit visa. For it, you have to pay an extra fee of 500 QAR to change the visit visa without leaving the country. Some private employees need to submit a six-month bank statement to complete this process.
Documents you required for the Qatar Family Visa Application
You require the following documents to apply for our family residence visa.
- A complete visa application form
- Your passport copy with photo page and bio page
- Your Qatar ID card copy.
- Passport copies of all family members
- Copy of marriage certificate attested by Qatar’s embassy in your country, your country’s embassy in Qatar, and Qatar’s ministry of foreign affairs.
- Copy of birth certificate of the children. It should be attested by your country’s embassy in Qatar, the Qatar embassy in your country, and Qatar’s ministry of foreign affairs.
- You require a no-objection letter, the NOC from your company. It is in the Arabic language and dated within the last three months. Or a certified copy of the employment contract with detail and salary
- Copy of tenancy contract attested by the Municipality. Or you can give a letter from your company to provide family housing.
- Stamped bank statement from your bank for the last six months to prove your salary credit
- Copy of company registration card or copy of the employer QID
- Attested copies of your educational degrees or certificates
It would be best if you got a marriage certificate, birth certificate, and education certificates translated into Arabic. The private attestation companies in Qatar help you in attestation and translation work.
Family Visa Application Process – Online
- At first, download and register on the Metrash2 (Android, iOS) application on your cell phone.
- Open the Metrash2 application.
- Log in to your Metrash2 account.
- Select the “Visa” button or the icon on your screen.
- After it, click on the “Issue Visa” icon followed by the “Family Visit” icon.
- Now select “Family Visa Application” from the drop-down menu.
- Then, Click on “New Application” and fill up the visitor’s details, including Gender, Relation, Date of Birth, Passport Details, etc.
- Select the” I agree on data validity” option to move on.
- Now, you have to upload the documents. There will be a button to ‘Upload the Visitor’s documents,’ including Birth Certificate, Passport Copy, and Passport Copy (Others). Make sure that the document pictures or scans are readable and clear.
- Upload all the required scans and documents and click on the ‘Next.’ button.
- Confirm the uploading of all your documents. It is the final step of the process.
When the application is verified and approved, you will receive an application number within a few days to proceed with the fee payment. If there are any missing documents, the department will notify the application.
Make the Visa Payment
The applicant will now be needed to pay the fees for the visa once the application has been verified and approved. You can pay from the Metrash2 application. Once the payment has been completed, download the visa copy from the Ministry of Interior website and send it to the visitor.
Family Visa Application Process – Offline
You can apply for the Qatar family visit visa offline by following these steps:
- You need the visa application form that is in Arabic.
- Please fill out this visa application form and submit it to the Ministry of Interior (MoI) service center and other required documents.
- The person at the counter can decide to accept the form or write comments asking you to meet the Officer for final approval.
- The Officer will interview to ask you questions regarding your reason for visiting Qatar and your relationship with the sponsor. If the inquiry Officer gets satisfied with your answers, he will give a receipt.
- That receipt has a tracking number to use after working for two days to check the status of a Qatar visa online.
- When the visa gets approved, visit the MOI center again and submit your receipt.
- After submitting that receipt, you will have to pay the visa fee at the center or pay online from the Metrash 2 application.
- After paying the fee, you will get a printout copy of your family visit visa. You will book the tickets for your family members.
- You can download it from the Ministry of Interior website.
- How can you check the status of your Qatar Family Visit Visa?
You can check your Qatar family visit visa status on the MoI website under Inquiries >> Visa Services >> Visa Approval Tracking. Fill out all the required details accurately, and you will be able to check the status of your visit visa.
What Is The Qatar Family Visit Visa Fee/Cost?
A Qatar family visit visa fee is fixed at QAR 200 (USD 55) per month.
What Is Qatar Family Visit Visa Validity?
The validity of the Qatar family visit visa is one month. Who can extend the visa validity to six months for quick family members (wife, children, and parents) and up to three months for other relatives?
How Can You Extend A Qatar Family Visit Visa?
You can extend your one month Qatar family visit visa in the following two ways:
Visit the MoI Service Center or the office of the Ministry of Immigration and submit your passport and return ticket. Pay a QAR 200, as the renewal fee for the visit visa is QAR 200 per month for each extra month.
You can also extend your visa from the Ministry of Interior website for the online process.
What Is A Family Visa in Qatar?
The Qatar Family Visit Visa is a short-term visa that enables settler residents to bring their father, mother, wife, children, or families to Qatar for a visit. The visit visa is issued for one month and can be extended up to six months in some cases.
Period
After submitting the fees, all Qatar visas take 7-10 days of processing time. You will get an application number to proceed to pay after the application is approved. Usually, the time taken for processing a family visit visa is a maximum of one week. Resuming the visa applications in 2021 takes up to 4 weeks for many people.
Why Is A Family Visa Rejected in Qatar?
Family visit visa Qatar rejected the main reason for the visa rejection is the sponsor’s salary or profession. If the salary is 20,000 or above 20,000, but the RP shows you are lower than an engineer, your visa will get rejected.
Can A Wife Sponsor Her Husband in Qatar?
In Qatar, a wife can only sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit for certain professions and her salary is not less than QR10 000.
Can I Update My Qatar Residence Permit?
Yes, you can update your Qatar Residence Permit for your family by making essential changes to the Metrash2 mobile app. Further, you will need to make an online payment.
Can I Get A Qatar Residence Visa For Other Relatives?
Qatar Family Residence Visa is issued for spouses and children only. Sometimes, who can sponsor parents, but it is rather rare.
What If My Family’s Qatari Residence Application Is Declined?
If your family visa application is declined, you need to visit the Gharafa Immigration Office and relate your issue to the visa approval committee.
Arriving In Qatar Using Entry Visas
When you meet all the civilities, your spouse and children can come to Qatar. The visit visa expires after a month from the arrival date. The next courses, like dactyloscopy and health tests, should be done for one month. When your family arrives using a Visit Visa, it’s easy to move on to the next actions.
Obtaining Family Residence Permit Card
You need to obtain a Qatar ID (a Residence Permit Card). You can go to your local Police Office with your Qatari ID card, your spouse’s and children’s photos, and Passports copies. For the first year, the Residence Permit fee is QR 500. After paying the fees, the officers will notify you once the cards are ready for collection.
- Qatar Family Visa Fees (Per Person)
- Qatar Family Visa QR 200
- Qatar ID card (for one year) QR 500
- Health Examination QR 100
Remember that extra charges may be for documents verification, Blood Group certificates, etc. Also, you will be charged extra money if you decide to transform a Visit Visa into a Residence Visa without leaving the country.
If You Are Children above the Age with You
When bringing your family members with you, please note that sons 25 years and above are not allowed to be on their parents’ visas. But, there is no age limit for daughters until they are married. Adult children who overstep the age limits can get a Residence Permit from their parents for one extra year to find a job during that time.
If you’re a Family member, Decide To Work
If your adult children or spouse intend to work, they need to get special permission (called a Work Permit) to work legally in Qatar. It is also possible to use Metrash2 to obtain the Permit.
