Work/Residency Permits
Pre-Arrival Steps |
Post-Arrival Steps |
Licenses |
In order to live and/or work in the State of Qatar, anyone who is not a Qatari citizen must have a sponsor and a residence permit issued by the Ministry of Interior. The Qatar Foundation sponsors all SFS-Qatar and other Education City employees. New employees enter Qatar on a temporary work visa and apply for a work residence permit and a multiple exit visa, which allows employees to leave and re-enter Qatar without additional visas. Both are valid for two years and are affixed to your passport. Dependents – spouses and children – are then sponsored by employees and receive family residence permits. Dependent female spouses on family residence permits do not need a multiple exit visa. However, dependent male spouses need to obtain either a multiple exit visa or a single exit visa each time they travel. Dependent spouses on family residence permits are allowed to work, either remaining under the sponsorship of their spouse or transferring their sponsorship to their employer.
If you are relocating to Qatar from the U.S., the visa process is initiated through the main campus of Georgetown University. Your point of contact is:
Margaret Cerrato
Senior Administrator
Georgetown University
SFS-Qatar Washington Operations Office
3300 Whitehaven Street, N.W., Suite 2100
Washington, D.C. 20007
202 687-4545
Send an email message 
If you are relocating to Qatar from outside the U.S., the visa process is handled directly through Human Resources in SFS-Qatar. Your point of contact is:
Hussein Aldobashi
Human Resources Officer
Georgetown University
School of Foreign Service in Qatar
P.O. Box 23689
Doha, Qatar
Office Telephone: 492-7803
Mobile Telephone: 588-7091
Send an email message
After your arrival in Doha, you will complete residence permit applications for yourself and your dependents and apply for other documents needed to get established in Qatar. All of the steps and documents are explained in detail below. The requirements are divided into two phases – before departure to and after arrival in Qatar. Once in Qatar, you may need to obtain some licenses.
Quick Links
Events Calendar
Upcoming SFS-Qatar Events
- Dec 1, 5:30pm: Faculty Film Series
- Dec 6, 6pm-8pm: Monthly Dialogue: Kai-Henrik Barth
SFS-Qatar News
- Student Gets Education at International Finance Conference
This October, Georgetown student Miodrag Stamboldziev (SFS ’11) was able to put his international relations education to use while attending the Annual Meeting of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Istanbul, Turkey. (November 08, 2009) - SFS Dean Discusses Changing Face of International Relations
More than 300 people gathered at the Four Seasons on Monday evening to listen to Georgetown professor Carol Lancaster discuss the “new world order” in international relations, and how this will impact the balance of wealth and power in the coming years. (October 14, 2009) - Georgetown Welcomes the Class of 2013
On Thursday, August 20, the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar) officially welcomed the Class of 2013 into the university during its New Student Convocation ceremony. (August 25, 2009)
