Leaving Qatar formalities – A list of things-to-do

Leaving Qatar formalities – Checklist.

In terms of paperwork, leaving Qatar is probably as easy as to move-in.

When preparing for it, I was looking for information mostly in the internet, but couldn’t find too much. My wonderful friends helped me. I also received a lot of support from the officers and clerks and  I’d like to thank all of them for the information and support.

In order for me to understand what I had to do during my Qatar Close Out period, I prepared a checklist – Leaving Qatar formalities. When they were finally done, I supplemented them with some tips based on what happened during this process. Now, I share it with you.  Note however, that these things are very subjective. A lot depends on your current situation and status. Also, if you are lucky, some of the work elaborated in the following tutorials will be done by your Employer’s PRO and/ or by your Landlord.

If you have different experience or want to update something don’t hesitate to Comment this Post.

So, let’s go!

Here are general notes applicable to all cases elaborated further:

1. Make sure you know your departure date.
2. Make sure you know your family departure date.
3. Check the calendar to see, if there is Ramadan in the period between the moment you decided to leave till the moment you will effectively leave. Ramadan may impact the process of receiving the requested documents, office opening hours may vary etc.
4. Make sure you know when your kids school is closed (summer time)
5. It is highly important to understand well the timing in the process of leaving Qatar. The longest time you may need to reserve is for the Qatari credit card cancellation.
6. Remember- once you cancel Qatari credit card you shouldn’t use it any more. It gives some further implications, e.g. you won’t be able to use METRASH2, you may need to change the payment methods in several internet sites (e.g. Uber, Netflix, etc.)
7. In most of the Qatari offices you will be requested to pay with the card only. You will need a debit card to allow you to complete the paper works.
8. Some offices may ask you for the copy of your ID and/ or Passports. Make few copies and keep with you when you start the process.
9. When receiving letters, documents etc. read carefully to check if all the information is included and all necessary stamps and signs are in. Also make sure there are no spelling mistakes. It may save you a lot of time.

School Report Attestation in Qatar – Tutorial

Please note, that the following is based on the process conducted in 2018. Some locations and fees may vary.

School

1. Collect school report from the school (usually end of term/ year)
2. Make sure it is stamped by the school and signed by Principal and Teachers

Ministry of Education

1. Request for stamp from Ministry of Education. As of summer 2018 it is located here:
2. Proceed to the reception desk at the ground floor (entrance from the back)
3. You will be requested to pay QAR 10,00 (Card only)
4. You will receive stamp at once.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) office for Attestation

1. Request stamp From MOFA Attestation. As of summer 2018 it is located here (open hours: 7am-1pm, but it has also some extra brunches (with afternoon shifts as far as I know). Check it here: https://mofa.gov.qa/en/consular-services/legalization/legalization:
2. Proceed to the MOFA office (access via shuttle bus)
3. Shorter queues are in the morning (check opening hours)
4. You will be requested to pay QAR 100,00 (Card only)
5. You will receive stamp at once.

Embassy

1. Request an attestation from your national embassy. Location of Polish Embassy:
2. Please note , that each embassy may have procedures. For Polish Embassy the process is as follows:
3. Request via phone call for the visit or go on Thursday without prior appointment. Working hours 8:30am till 1:00pm.
4. You will be requested to pay QAR 126,00 (Cash only)
5. The attestation may be ready in the following day (officer will advise you when to collect)

Done!

Please note the following tips (based on the experience):

1. Make sure your school stamped the Report. Without school’s stamp, Ministry of Education will not stamp it.
2. School may advise you to go to different location for the Ministry of Education stamp. None of the other offices as advised by the school were able to stamp school report. Only the one in the West Bay.
3. In the Ministry of Education you may be asked to explain different signatures on the school reports. As this is pretty obvious that teachers may change during the school year, it easy to clarify.
4. Signature from MOFA may be not on the signature pattern list provided to your embassy. In that case you may need to go back to MOFA and request for new signature. This may delayed the whole process by 2-3 days.

ID Cancellation for your Family (you as a sponsor) in Qatar – Tutorial

Please note, that the following is based on the process conducted in 2018. Some locations and fees may vary.

1. Make sure persons whom you cancel IDs are in Qatar
2. Take your ID and the IDs under your sponsorship to the Al Gharafa Immigration Department 
3. Proceed to Gate 2 (or B)
4. Wait in the queue
5. Request ID cancellation at the desk.
6. Please note that you will have to cancel ID not more than 5 days before the date of leaving Qatar. There are different information in the web(e.g. 30 days, 90 days), but the officer in the Immigration office will advise you about 5 days only.
7. Pay QAR100,00 for each ID to be cancelled (Card only)
8. Collect canceled IDs
9. You may be request at the Airport Immigration to submit the cancelled IDs.

Done!

Please note the following tips (based on the experience):

1. Waiting time in the Immigration Office may be long – queues
2. Make sure to leave the country within the max required time from the cancelation to the departure
3. Make sure persons whom you cancel IDs are in Qatar when you cancel their IDs
4. If you use METRASH2 system, please note it will neither accept non-Qatari credit card nor Qatari/non-Qatari debit card. Considering the timing (45 days for cancellation of the credit card and 5 days to leave Qatar when the ID is cancelled) it basically you will have to cancel your family’s IDs in person.
5. Make sure you have Passports with you at the Airport. IDs will not work at the Airport once canceled
6. Note you will not be able to pass through E-gates any more.

Bank Clearance before leaving Qatar – Tutorial

Please note, that the following is based on the process conducted in 2018. Some locations and fees may vary.

1. Make sure you know the date you will be leaving Qatar for good.
2. In min. 45 days before leaving Qatar proceed to your bank and cancel your Credit Card. You will have to clear any debt on the credit card on cancellation. Ake sure you have a money in your bank account for that.
3. Cancel/ pay any loan you may have.
4. Your Employer will request from you the Bank Clearance Letter. You may request it from your bank in approx. 10 days before you will be leaving Qatar.
5. For instance, Commercial Bank of Qatar need approx. 5 days to issue the Bank Clearance Letter.
6. You will be requested to pay QAR 20,00 (deducted from your bank account or payable to the cashier)
7. Collect the Bank Clearance Letter and submit to your Employer.

Please note the following tips (based on the experience):

1. There is no need to clear your bank account. As advised by the bank there is a certain period of time when the bank account will remain open. It may depend on the transfer getting into your bank account. Bank may close your account after certain period of time there will be no transfer in/ out to your account
2. Make sure you don’t use your Credit Card after cancellation. Be aware that you may have use it for the renewable subscriptions that you have forgotten (e.g. Netflix). In that case realistically your Credit Card won’t be closed and bank will notify this in the Bank Clearance Letter. This may not be accepted by your Employer.
3. If you use the Internet Banking, you may want to change the mobile number to which you receive One Time Passwords. If you expect to use the internet banking when you leave Qatar to transfer money that may come after your departure, you will have to still receive passwords while your Qatari mobile may not work!
4. If you plan to use the debit card issued to your bank account when you leave Qatar, make sure you apply for the overseas transactions.
5. If you use METRASH2 system, please note it will neither accept non-Qatari credit card nor Qatari/non-Qatari debit card. Considering the timing (45 days for cancellation of the credit card and 5 days to leave Qatar when the ID is cancelled) it basically you will have to cancel your family’s IDs in person. It will also complicate other METRASH2 transactions such as car selling, cancel traffic violations.
6. When requesting Clearance Letter you may ask for the IBAN certification. It may be necessary for cancellation of the Kahramaa Contract.

Done!

Selling the Car in Qatar – Tutorial

 Please note, that the following is based on the process conducted in 2018. Some locations and fees may vary.

1. You can advertise your car in many ways (Facebook, Qatar Living, etc.).
2. Make sure you paid all the traffic violations prior to the transaction (you can check it and pay in the METRASH2 – Qatari credit card necessary – or in the Traffic Department)
3. Prepare all the required information you may be asked, e.g. Istimara due date, mileage, car conditions, engine volume, last service date etc.
4. Once advertised, prepared for the calls and WhatsApp requests (may impact your work!)
5. When you find a good offer from the buyer, arrange for the visit.
6. It may be necessary that the buyer will request to arrange for the car tests in the garage. You may need to allow for extra time for that.
7. Once buyer has decided to buy your car, you can proceed in two ways:

Way A – through METRASH2:

• You can only use METRASH2 for car selling if you have a Qatari credit card (if you or the buyer don’t have – proceed to Way B)
• Arrange for the meeting. Prepare your mobile with METRASH2
• Have your ID ready
• Have the Istimara ready
• You will need buyer’s ID
• You can only use METRASH2 for car selling if you have a credit card
• Fill all requested fields in METRASH2 and pay the fee (Qatari credit card)
• Collect the money from buyer!
• You will receive notification from METRASH2 about the transaction being done
• Buyer will collect new Istimara either from the Traffic Department or through the delivery from Post Office (depending what you have selected in the METRASH2)

Way B – through Traffic Department:

• Go with the buyer to the Traffic Department
• Take with you Istimara and your ID. Buyer will need take the his/her ID
• You will be charged with the fee QAR200,00 – card only
• Collect the money from buyer!

Tax Residence Certificate in Qatar – Tutorial

 Please note, that the following is based on the process conducted in 2018. Some locations and fees may vary.

 Ministry of Finance

1. Make a copy of your ID and your Passport.
2. Take your ID with you.
3. Proceed to Ministry of Finance. As of summer 2018 it is located here:
4. At the reception as for the Tax Residence Certificate
5. You will be requested to go to the 4^th floor (
6. The 4^th floor is a bit odd place – no reception, glass door with access control only. You may need to ask somebody to help you get it.
7. Find an officer responsible for issuing Tax Residence Certificates
8. He/ she will collect ID and Passport copies and ask you about the date you would like to have as a start date which will be stated in the Certificate (sic!)
9. You will be advised when to collect the certificate (usually one-two working days)
10. When collecting certificate, makes sure all necessary information is there (date, signature, stamp etc.)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) office for Attestation

1. Request stamp From MOFA Attestation. As of summer 2018 it is located here:
2. Proceed to the MOFA office (access via shuttle bus)
3. Shorter queues are in the morning (check opening hours)
4. You will be requested to pay QAR 100,00 (Card only)
5. You will receive stamp at once.

Embassy

1. Request an attestation from your national embassy. Location of Polish Embassy:
2. Please note , that each embassy may have procedures. For Polish Embassy the process is as follows:
3. Request via phone call for the visit or go on Thursday without prior appointment. Working hours 8:30am till 1:00pm.
4. You will be requested to pay QAR 126,00 (Cash only)
5. The attestation may be ready in the following day (officer will advise you when to collect)

Done!

Please note the following tips (based on the experience):

1. It doesn’t seem to be a very frequent procedure for the Ministry of Finance to issue such Certificate, therefore it is very important to make sure all the necessary information is stated in the letter. Make sure there is a proper date, there is a word “from” prior to the date, there is a stamp and signature in place, your name and last name are spelled
2. Signature from MOFA may be not on the signature pattern list provided to your embassy. In that case you may need to go back to MOFA and request for new signature. This may delayed the whole process by 2-3 days.
3. The date you will be requested to provide to the Ministry of Finance for the Tax Clearance Letter (date “from”) should match the time you arrive to Qatar and receive the ID.
4. There are different needs you have to fulfill to make sure you have a valid Tax Residence Certification. It varies depending of your Country of Origin. If you are not sure what is necessary, ask your national embassy prior to the process to avoid abortive work.

Cancellation of the Contract with Kahramaa in Qatar – Tutorial

 Please note, that the following is based on the process conducted in 2018. Some locations and fees may vary. 

1. Find out the proper Kahramaa office to the place you live (to the place your house/ apartment is; e.g. in the Pearl it’s in Medina Central next to Police Office)
2. Go to Kahramaa office and take the hard copy of the Contract Cancellation Letter
3. Fill the requested fields.
4. You will need copy of your ID and the electricity/ water meter readings. Request them from your Landlord.
5. If you are going to close your Qatar account, request the IBAN certificate from the bank with your account being open during the time you expect to receive back the deposit.
6. Collect all the papers and proceed again to Kahramaa office to submit all the papers
7. Collect the contract termination confirmation from Kahramaa and submit to your Landlord

Done!

Please note the following tips (based on the experience):

1. Please note, that your Landlord will provide you the electricity/ water meter readings only few days prior to your move out.
2. When filling the form you may need to provide with the details of the person who will act on your behalf to collect back the deposit. Usually Kahramaa makes transfer to your account however.
3. If don’t close the account in Qatar and you expect to receive back the deposit to Qatari account, you may ask for the IBAN certificate from your Qatari bank just in case, but it is not necessary. You only need to fill the form with the proper IBAN number in such case.

Photo: from Flickr, Aero Icarus