Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Qatar, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen.  Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own.  It is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings; well-marked signs will usually inform you.  Driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail.  There are also some things that might be legal in Qatar, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods.  Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States.  If you break local laws in Qatar, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution.  It is very important to know what is legal and what is not wherever you go.

Criminal offenses are punished according to Qatari laws, which in some cases are based on Islamic law, resulting in criminal penalties more severe than in the United States for similar offenses.  Persons violating Qatari laws, even unknowingly, may be arrested, imprisoned, deported, or subject to a ban from departing Qatar.  Travel bans are not lifted until both parties resolve a dispute and the case is abandoned or resolved by a court, which may take several months.  Qatari law enforcement authorities have detained without access to legal counsel potential witnesses or relatives of those accused of crimes during the investigation of a crime.

The U.S. Embassy in Doha cautions U.S. citizens that Qatari police have arrested U.S. citizens suspected of or witness to a crime, including traffic accidents involving injuries to pedestrians or the occupants of other cars, traffic arguments, slander, and a variety of lesser offenses.  Once an arrest is made, only the Qatari Public Prosecution and Courts have authority to grant a release.  As a result, arrested U.S. citizens, regardless of the charges, often spend one or two nights in jail awaiting a hearing with Qatar’s Public Prosecution or the appropriate court.

Qatari law enforcement authorities do not routinely notify the U.S. Embassy in Doha of a U.S. citizen’s arrest and, for more serious crimes, may not allow a U.S. Embassy official to visit an arrested U.S. citizen until an initial interrogation is completed.  Upon arrest, you should ask to speak to the U.S. Embassy immediately.  If you are not allowed to do so, request that a friend or family member notify the U.S. Embassy.

Incidents involving insults or obscene language or gestures often result in arrest, overnight imprisonment and/or fines.  Insulting someone in public is considered a punishable offense.  Drunk driving, public intoxication or other alcohol-related offenses are treated with severity and typically result in arrest, heavy fines, imprisonment, or expulsion from the country.  Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Qatar are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.  

Dual Nationality: Qatari law does not recognize dual nationality and requires that Qatari citizens hold only Qatari citizenship and enter and exit on a Qatari passport.  Qatari authorities have confiscated the U.S. passports of U.S. citizens who acquired Qatari citizenship through marriage to a Qatari national or U.S. citizenship by virtue of birth in the United States.  In several cases, Qatari authorities informed U.S. citizens that their U.S. citizenship had been revoked and was no longer valid.  Foreign governments, however, have no authority to revoke the citizenship of a U.S. citizen.  If such an incident occurs, please contact the U.S. Embassy in Doha immediately.

Qatari customs authorities enforce strict regulations concerning importation into Qatar of items such as alcohol, narcotics, pork products, weapons or weapons-related material (hand-cuffs, knives, laser sights, laser pointers, etc), or anything deemed pornographic or sexually-related by Qatari authorities.  While importation of religious material for personal use is acceptable, importation of religious material for the purpose of proselytizing is not.  It is advisable to contact the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington, DC, the Consulate General of the State of Qatar in Houston, the Consulate General of the State of Qatar in New York, or the Consulate General of the State of Qatar in Los Angeles for specific information regarding customs requirements.

Islam and tribal traditions provide an important foundation for Qatar’s customs, laws, and practices.  Be sensitive to Islamic beliefs and practices and do not wear sleeveless shirts and blouses, halter tops, or shorts.  Western bathing attire can only be worn at hotel pools and beaches.

Since religion is a very sensitive issue in Qatar, treat discussions on religion or answers to questions about religion with care and sensitivity.  Proselytizing is illegal in Qatar, and actions such as attempting to convert a member of one religion to another or “sharing one’s faith” with someone of a different faith could  be deemed violations of Qatari law, with deportation or even prison time as a consequence.  Accordingly, charitable activities, both religious and non-religious, must be approved in advance by the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Pets entering Qatar require an import permit from the Ministry of Agriculture.  Cats with proper documentation are allowed to enter with no difficulty, but some breeds of dogs, especially large dogs and breeds considered aggressive, are not admitted.  Application forms for import permits may be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture through a sponsoring employer.  A copy of the pet's health certificate and vaccination record must be submitted with the application.

Business and Employment Contracts: The written Arabic text of a contract governs employment and business arrangements under Qatari law.  Before signing a contract, U.S. citizens and companies should obtain an independent English translation of the original Arabic to ensure a full understanding of the contract's terms, limits, and agreements.  No U.S. citizen should work in Qatar or make a business arrangement without having seen and understood the full written contract. Verbal assurances or side letters are not binding in Qatar.

In the event of a contract or employment dispute, Qatari authorities refer to the Arabic language of a contract.  Since a Qatari sponsor controls the issuance of exit visas, U.S. citizens will be unable to leave Qatar without their sponsor’s approval in the event of an emergency or employment or business dispute.  Any U.S. citizen who breaks an employment or business contract may have to pay substantial penalties before being allowed to depart Qatar.  Qatari law favors employers over employees, and Qatari sponsors have substantial leverage in any negotiations and may block the departure of the employee or bar future employment in Qatar.  If a sponsor files a complaint against an employee who departed Qatar, the employee may be barred from returning to Qatar, even on a subsequent tourist or airport visa.

Transferring employment in Qatar requires the permission of the previous employer, which is discretionary, and is subject to approval by the Ministry of the Interior.  The Ministry of the Interior has denied employment transfers in the past, including ordering U.S. citizens deported and barred from re-entry to Qatar for two years.  The U.S. Embassy has no standing in Qatar’s courts, cannot sponsor visas, and cannot mediate labor or business disputes.  U.S. consular officers can provide lists of local attorneys to help U.S. citizens settle disputes, but ultimate responsibility for the resolution of disputes through Qatar’s legal system lies with the parties involved.

To obtain a residence permit in Qatar, the Government of Qatar usually requires foreign citizens to provide a police clearance certificate and authentication of educational degrees, certified true copies of civil documents (marriage and birth certificate, adoption paperwork, etc.), and occupational certifications from their home countries.  Prospective residents can obtain a U.S. police clearance certificate in two ways: through a local or state law enforcement agency or through the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).  In both cases, the clearance will be run through the National Crime Information Center, which contains all federal, state and local criminal records, and must then be authenticated.  Please visit the U.S. Embassy Doha website for more information. 

The U.S. Embassy in Doha cannot certify copies of educational degrees, transcripts, or other public records such as birth or marriage certificates or court documents.  Most certified copies of documents must be authenticated in the United States for use in Qatar.  This multi-step process requires several weeks.  The U.S. Embassy in Doha strongly recommends that prospective residents obtain a U.S. police clearance and any document authentications before arriving in Qatar to avoid delays in obtaining residence permits.  Detailed information about the document authentication process may be found on the U.S. Embassy website’s Authentication page.   

You will be barred from exiting Qatar upon termination of employment if you have a current loan on account with a Qatari bank.  Qatari banks place holds on residents’ accounts to ensure that all debts are paid before residents leave Qatar.  Before approving an exit visa, sponsors and Qatari immigration authorities check with the employee’s Qatari bank to verify whether any outstanding loans exist.

For more information on business opportunities and practices in Qatar, please visit the Foreign Commercial Service’s Country Commercial Guide for Qatar.

 If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBT ISSUES: Consensual same-sex sexual relations between men are criminalized in Qatar.  Persons convicted may be sentenced to lashings, a prison sentence up to seven years, and/or deportation.  For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Qatar, you may review the State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013.  For further information on LGBT travel, please read our Information for LGBT Travelers page.

Always carry a copy of your passport for proof of identity and U.S. citizenship should you be questioned by local officials.  In the past, employers routinely held employees’ passports during their stay in Qatar.  A law passed in 2009 formally forbids this practice, and all employers are prohibited from holding employees’ passports, except for visa and immigration processing.  Residents carry a Qatari Identification Card (Iqama) for identification in place of a passport.  Foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, may not leave Qatar without permission in the form of exit visas obtained by their employer/sponsor.

ACCESSIBILITY: While in Qatar, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States.  Qatar is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons, and is working to ensure that Qatari laws and codes comply with the Convention.  Qatar’s leadership has dedicated a quasi-government institution, the Shafallah Institute, to the issue of accessibility, accommodation, and integration of people with disabilities into all the various sectors of Qatari life – including education, employment, transportation, and medical care.  Individuals with disabilities, however, may still find public places difficult to access (i.e. scarcity of ramps, TTY or TDD communication systems, Braille signs, and/or appropriate restroom facilities) and public transportation such as buses and taxis unfamiliar with procedures required to accommodate people with disabilities.