Guide for Relocating to Qatar From India
Get the complete insight about the main points of interest for relocating from India to Qatar. You will come to know how easy is the relocation process from India to Qatar, after reading this article.
Qatar is currently an economic powerhouse in the Middle East and one of the most happening places on earth. Indians are in high demand in various sectors like IT, construction, healthcare, petroleum industries. If you are relocating from India to Qatar, then the following points will help you in shifting from India to Qatar.
1. Residence permits and visa process
Expats from India along with their dependents/families need a residence permit in order to live in Qatar. For obtaining a residence permit, you require an employment contract from a Qatar based sponsor. After accepting the job offer, you have to submit attested copies of your educational and personal certificates like degree, birth etc for getting the work visa. If you are applying as a graduate then, your degree certificate attestation from Qatar embassy is required. Take the help of the authorities of Qatar Embassy in New Delhi. After you enter Qatar on a work visa, then your sponsor will begin the application process for residence permit, consisting of medical check, finger prints registration and other formalities. Compulsory medical tests have to be carried out, including blood tests for Hepatitis B and C, HIV and a chest scan for tuberculosis. These tests can be taken at the Medical Commission. After the residence permit is approved, you will be issued a Qatari ID card. After fulfilling certain requirements, you can sponsor residence permits for your dependents/family members.
2. Accommodation in Qatar
Accommodation in Qatar is expensive by Indian standards. Due to the rising demand created by the booming economy, rents are rising fast. If possible, you should ask your Qatari employer to provide you with accommodation, which should be clearly mentioned in the employment contract. As an alternative, you should ask for a substantial housing rent allowance (HRA) to cover the rent and the advance. If neither of these is available, then you can contact real estate agents in Qatar or go through private classifieds
3. Transportation in Qatar:
Road transport is the main form of transportation in Qatar. Railway construction is currently going on due to the anticipated future 2022 FIFA World Cup. Bus and taxis are plentiful and affordable due to cheap fuel prices. Generally, Indian expatriates take cars on rent, on a sharing basis. If your budget is more, then you can opt for purchasing second hand cars, which are quite reasonably priced in Qatar. After acquiring the residence permit, you can get a Qatari driving license.
Qatar has excellent public and private hospitals which have the latest equipment and highly trained healthcare staff. You will find plenty of Indian doctors, nurses and medical staff. Government hospitals offer subsidized healthcare services to all expatriates. You will be issued a Government health card for availing the services of public hospitals after you have been given residence permit. Private hospitals are quite expensive as compared to India. Usually, majority of Qatari employers offer mandatory health insurance as a part of the employment contract.
Qatar is the best country in the entire Middle East with regards to education. It has a massive project known as Education city, which contains campuses from the leading universities in the world. Qataris have the highest literacy rate among the Gulf countries. There are world class Indian international schools following the standard CBSE, ICSE curriculum. You will find no difference in teaching standards with then ones back home. But kindly note that, due to the huge rush of expatriates, there are waiting lists for school admissions. Tuition fees are also high, so it is better that you get an education allowance from your Qatari employer. It should be clearly mentioned in the employment contract.