|
| All Pages 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
Certificates & Licences >>
Driving licence |
|
If you have a valid driving licence from your country of origin, you can drive a rental car for a period of seven days. However, if you have an international driving licence, there is no time limit. Before the seven-day period is up, you will need to get a temporary driving licence that is valid for the period of your visa. All nationalities may exchange their country of origin's licence for a temporary Qatar licence, however you may not do so if you have already started the residence visa process. If this has been started, you will have to wait for the visa before applying for a permanent licence.
To obtain the temporary licence, you will need to apply in person at the Madinat Khalifa Traffic Department, where you will be required to complete an application form. This will have to be completed in Arabic (there are a number of typing shops within the confines of the traffic department who will assist, for a small fee). If you have entered the country on a business visa, your sponsor will need to sign the form.
The documents required for a temporary licence are:
- Application form
- Original licence from country of origin.
- Original passport or your Qatar ID card
- Passport copy
- Three passport photographs (remember, if you normally wear glasses, you should be wearing them in the photo)
Upon presentation of the above documents you will undergo an eye test, which is performed there and then on the premises. You will need to find (not an easy task), and then pay, the cashier. The fee is QR 150 and you will need a credit card as no cash payments are accepted. You should be able to collect the licence the following day.
A temporary licence allows you to drive rental cars, however you may not be insured to drive a privately owned car - this is purely at the discretion of the individual insurance company and they should be contacted to ensure coverage.
Upon receipt of your residence visa, you will be able to apply for a permanent licence, which is valid for five years. If you are caught driving without a licence, the penalty is QR 100.
Holders of GCC driving licences can obtain a permanent Qatar driving licence automatically, regardless of their country of origin. The majority of European and western licences can also be automatically exchanged; however, due to the constantly changing regulations, it is prudent to check with the traffic department at the time of applying.
If you do have an exchangeable licence, you will need to apply in person at the Madinat Khalifa Traffic Department (489 0666) and complete an application form that then needs to be typed in Arabic and signed by your sponsor.
The documents required for a permanent licence are:
- Application form
- Original licence from country of origin
- No objection letter from your sponsor (in Arabic)
- Copy of trade licence (if you are sponsored by a company)
- Copy of your sponsor's ID
- Original passport or your Qatar ID card
- Passport copy
- Three passport photographs
Upon presentation of the above documents, you will undergo an eye test, which is performed immediately on the premises. Pay the cashier a fee of QR 155 (no cash payments are accepted so take your credit card!). You should be able to collect the licence the following day.
If you are unfortunate enough to come from a country that is not allowed to automatically exchange licences, you will have to undergo a driving test. This involves both an oral test and a road test. The tests are conducted in manual transmission cars and there may be up to four people in the car, each one taking turns to drive. During the holy month of Ramadan ladies are not permitted to take a road test.
The operating hours for the traffic department are strictly 07:00 to 11:00 and 16:00 to 19:00, however, the ladies section is only open in the morning. At closing time, you will be asked to return either in the evening or the next day, regardless of how far you are in the queue! If you are prepared to wake up early and be there at 07:00, you will find it quite quiet. |
| Driving Schools |
| Al Rayah Driving School |
4877700 |
| Gulf Driving School |
4652822 |
| Qatar Modern Driving School |
4803717 |
| United Driving Company |
4681003 | |
| Liquor Licence |
|
Bars and restaurants inside hotels and some sports or leisure clubs are licenced to sell alcohol, although an extra charge of 17.5% tax can make it a rather expensive night out! The Qatar Distribution Company (469 9412 or 469 9413) is the exclusive importers of alcohol in Qatar, and because the brewing of alcohol is prohibited, are the only source of anything alcoholic. They are situated in the Industrial District in the Qatari capital and are the sole location where those with a special permit can buy alcohol. In order to obtain such a permit, you need a letter from your sponsor stating your basic salary (excluding your housing allowance or other benefits) and a copy of your ID. You will also need to pay a returnable deposit of QR 1,000.
The QDC calculates your monthly quota of alcohol based on your salary. This will not exceed 10% of your basic salary. They offer a good selection of wine from all over the world, as well as a number of brand-name spirits and a moderate selection of beers with 10 to 15 different brands available. QDC pays 100% landing tax on the import of all alcoholic beverages and no additional sales tax is added, making the prices reasonable, but not what could be described as cheap! Points to remember are that no children are allowed in the shop and that QDC is closed during the holy month of Ramadan (so remember to stock up). You are allowed to purchase alcohol at the airport when leaving the country, but you may not bring it into Qatar. |
| Birth Certificate & Registration |
Women must be married to have a baby in Qatar. An unmarried woman trying to deliver in any of the hospitals would run into serious trouble with the authorities. But do not panic, it is possible to get married in Qatar - contact your embassy or consulate for details.
Newborn babies must have their Residence Visas processed within two months; failure to do so will result in a QR 10 per day fine until the visa is issued. The hospital will issue you with the paperwork necessary to obtain a birth certificate, but it is the parents' responsibility to register the birth with their country's embassy or consulate.
Documents required for birth certificates:
- Child's local birth certificate from the Preventative Health Department
- Both parents' birth certificates
- Both parents' passports
- Parents' marriage certificate
- Payment of QR 308
To register the birth at the British Embassy costs QR 484. |
| Marriage Certificate & Registration |
| It is not that common for expats to get married in Qatar. Most either get hitched in their own country of origin or travel abroad. Christian churches are not officially sanctioned in Qatar, although there is a resident Chaplain and a resident Roman Catholic priest. Certain embassies are able to perform marriage ceremonies. |
| Death Certificate & Registration |
The death of a family member or friend is difficult at any time, but the procedures in a foreign country may add to your stress and pain. Your national embassy will certainly assist wherever they can and will provide you with clear instructions of what needs to be done.
The police must be notified in the event of a death, so that they can issue a report stating that there was no foul play involved. Once this report has been issued, you need to go to the mortuary (439 2594) to collect the Notification of Death certificate (which is a yellow form).
Once you have the police report and the death certificate, you must go to the Preventative Health Department (located on Al Rayyan Road, near Lulu's) to obtain further paperwork.
In order to obtain all the relevant paperwork, you will need the following:
- 10 copies of the deceased person's passport
- 10 copies of the deceased person's spouse's passport
- 10 copies of the passport of the person handling the arrangements
- Copies of each person's ID card may also be required
- The cost will be approximately QR 100
|
Post mortems are not usually performed in Qatar, or any of the other Gulf countries, unless there is reason to believe that the death was not due to natural causes or accidental. If a post mortem is necessary, a relative must sign a form, which is written in Arabic, and which states that you have no objection to any organs being removed and destroyed in non-criminal cases.
You will then need to go to the CID with all the paperwork obtained from the Preventative Health Department in order to obtain a Transfer of Dead Body certificate. The CID is located in the same place where you normally go to have your fingerprints taken. You will need to purchase a QR 6 stamp and take it to the fifth floor.
Thereafter, you will need to return to the Preventative Health Department with all the paperwork and they will issue you with six sets of death certificates. You must also register the death with the deceased person's embassy. They will require a death certificate and a completed Registration of Death form; available at the embassy. As an indication of cost, at the British Embassy, registration of a death costs QR 484 and a death certificate costs QR 308.
The embassy will cancel the deceased person's passport, which is necessary if the body is to be repatriated. The residence visa must also be cancelled, and the deceased person's sponsor should arrange this for you. You will then need to make arrangements with an airline for shipment of the body, as well as with an undertaker in the country to which the body is being flown. Remember to advise the mortuary which flight has been booked. The mortuary will then make arrangements to transport the body to the airport.
The next step is to contact Qatar National Travel (4626900), which is located at the cargo section of the airport. They will require copies of the deceased's passport and that of the accompanying person. They also need contact details of the undertaker in the home country. They will issue an airway bill for the body and will expect cash payment in advance.
There are no undertakers in Qatar. Eugene the embalmer will help with the preparation of the body. Eugene and a team of volunteers do not charge for their services, but will happily accept donations, which she then gives to local charities. Eugene will come and prepare the body 24 hours before it is due to leave the country. Eugene can be contacted on 442 7427.
You will need to order a coffin and this can be done through Gulf Timber (460 0822); alternatively you can call Mr. Cesar (541 4768) or Mr. Jaffer (551 0962/5533145). It takes a maximum of two days to make a coffin once they have the measurements of the deceased. The approximate charge is QR 3,000, paid in advance, and they will deliver the coffin to the mortuary on the day the body is being flown home. On the day of departure, you will have to take the paperwork, together with the deceased's original cancelled passport and the airway bill, to the airport. At Arrivals, go to the Customs counter, where they will stamp one set of papers. Then go to Immigration who will stamp the deceased's passport with an exit stamp. You will then have to return to QNT with all the stamped documents.
|
|
