General Information

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 then 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
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If you are relocating to Qatar from outside the U.S., the visa process is handled directly through housing and Immigration in SFS-Qatar. Your point of contact is:

Hussein Aldobashi
Housing and Immigration Manager
Georgetown University
School of Foreign Service in Qatar
P.O. Box 23689
Doha, Qatar
Office Telephone: 4457-8326
Mobile Telephone: 5588-7091
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 on the links below. The requirements are divided into two phases – before departure to and after arrival in Qatar.  Then once in Qatar, you may need to obtain some licenses.