Qatar's New Immigration Law

Law No.(21) of 2015 Regulating the entry, exit and residency of expatriates in Qatar (New Immigration Law) has recently been published in the Arabic press and reported in various English language publications. We understand that it will be published in the official Gazette next month. The New Immigration Law states that its provisions will take effect one year after such publication, i.e. towards the end of 2016. There is yet no fixed implementation date. The Minister of Interior (Minister) through the Ministry of Interior (Ministry) and Immigration Department will be responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the New Immigration Law.

The New Immigration Law will repeal Law No.(4) of 2009 (Old Immigration Law) and the decisions and resolutions previously issued to implement it. However, until the Minister issues the new implementing decisions and regulations, the current decisions and resolutions will remain in force to the extent that they do not contradict the provisions of the New Immigration Law.

This article sets out some of the provisions introduced or amended by the New Immigration Law which may be of interest to expatriate employees currently working in Qatar and those individuals considering working in Qatar in the future. Unfortunately given that the New Immigration Law has only recently been published and given the lead time for implementation, this article cannot consider in any detail the effect the law may have on expatriates when this New Immigration Law comes into force.

This article contains general statements in relation to the New Immigration Law and should not be construed in any way as legal advice. Formal legal advice should be sought on a case by case basis when interpreting the provisions of the New Immigration Law.

Observations

Timelines in the New Immigration Law have been amended, in some cases materially. By way of example, the period within which an expatriate employee should now be issued with his or her residence permit after entering Qatar has been extended from 7 to 30 days. 30 days is also the maximum period an expatriate employee can remain in Qatar without being obliged to obtain a residence permit. In relation to certain matters the New Immigration Law gives more clarity in relation to what is and what is not legally permitted. For example whilst the New Immigration Law makes it clear that it is not acceptable for an employer to retain an employee's passport or travel document after it has...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT