DOHA – The government of Qatar has introduced a fresh residency program for foreigners under which they can stay in the country for a longer time.
The program customized for talented individuals and entrepreneurs will allow them to work and reside in Qatar for five years, with the possibility of renewal.
As far as the eligibility for ‘talented individual’ is concerned, the applicant must obtain an endorsement from a relevant government authority in Qatar as a talented individual in one of 13 approved fields, including arts, entertainment, sports, education, scientific research, development or innovation.
Another condition for this category is that the applicant should have a job offer or an employment contract with an employer in Qatar, or prove that they have a minimum of QAR 36,500 (approximately USD 10,027) to support themselves until their immigration process in Qatar is finalized.
On the other hand, for entrepreneurs, the eligibility is that the applicant must have a business plan for an investment in Qatar that has been endorsed by one of the authorized business incubators in Qatar, including the Qatar Science & Technology Park and Qatar Fintech Hub. As far as the threshold of investment is concerned, it must be worth a minimum of QAR 250,000.
The government fee for the five-year residence permit under the talented individuals category is QAR 4,000 and QAR 5,000 for the entrepreneur category.
The government of Qatar eyes attracting talented individuals and business people to the country for diversifying its revenue streams and the residence permit is a testament to such efforts. It is believed that the permit would be available within the next few months.
