Living & Working in Qatar: Here's what you should know

The Sovereign Arab state of Qatar is known to be one of the most preferred destinations for people from all over the world due to its 5-star lifestyle. Home to an enormous reserve of oil and gas, it has an incredibly fast growing economy. In fact, Qatar was granted the title of the World's Richest Country of 2013 by Forbes.

Note to nurses & physiotherapists: we have a number of exciting opportunities to work in the thriving health industry in Qatar, with very attractive salary & benefits: learn more here and here. Interested? Get in touch.

However, travelling to such a destination may prove to be a drastic change from what you are used to here in Europe. So here are a few noteworthy details to help you prepare for such an opportunity.

Visas

• Family Visas are only available to those earning a minimum of 10,000QR approximately 2257E.
• A residence Visa takes about 2-6 weeks to apply for and is valid for 6months to 2 years.
• Once you have acquired your Visa you must then obtain a residence permit within a week.
• This process includes fingerprinting and medical tests checking for HIV, Tuberculosis and the like.
• A couple are forbidden to live under the same roof unless married.

Transport

• Drivers with a valid license from any country are permitted to drive a rented car for up to a week.
• An international License will grant you permission to drive legally for 6 months.
• You may apply for a Temporary License which allows for you to drive legally until you residence permit is processed.
• There is a 0% tolerance for drunk driving.

Cost of Living

• Whilst salaries are impressive and petrol is super cheap, cost of living may prove to be quite steep depending on your lifestyle habits.
• Labour costs are quite cheap in fact its very common for one to have a live-in cleaner.
• 90% of food is imported from countries such as Lebanon and Turkey which means that everyday goods are more expensive than what we're used to as well as the fact that fresh fruit and vegetables are hard to come by.
• The cost of entertainment rose by 8.7% this year.
• In terms of accommodation, the average 4 bedroom Villa goes for about 13,000 QR (2914E)a month; whilst a 2 bedroom apartment in West Bay or the Pearl costs around 12,000QR (2690E) a month.
• Pork may be found in shops but is strictly for home use only.
• Alcohol may be purchased and consumed in one's home provided that the person is in possession of an alcohol license.

Women's Rights

• Women can drive in Qatar as long as you meet their requirements,
• They can also work, providing that they have a women's work permit,
• They are free to wear whatever you like as long as you chest, shoulders and knees are covered.

Health Care

• Qatar has an extremely well resourced health care system which offers free emergency treatment to all citizens and residents in possession of a government-issued health card. 
• This card can only be applied for once your residence visa has been processed so many people opt for private healthcare.
• The government is however planning to introduce universal health insurance by the end 2015, meaning that every employer would provide its employees with health insurance
• Further to this, the inhabitants of Qatar are generally very warm and welcoming, they are said to be friendly and very willing to help new visitors. If you are looking to enhance your career satisfaction and advance in your field a move to Qatar is a move in the right direction.

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