Qatar Maid Visa – Rules and Process
The laws for sponsoring and hiring a maid in Qatar are complex and subject to unexpected
change. Hence, ensure to check out current regulations with your respective embassy
or consulate before setting out for this search. The local government website www.gov.qa/wps/portal
can be of help, or you may visit the Labour Department at C-Ring, or search on the
web editions of local newspapers for latest information.
Several expat families employ domestic help in Qatar. By law, you are required to
sponsor a domestic helper, and they should be allowed to live in your home. It is
illegal for a single man to hire a live-in-maid. A married man, looking to hire
a maid for his family, should first obtain an NOC from the maid’s current employer
for taking over her sponsorship, or can hire a new maid from abroad.
There are agencies that can help you with the process, saving you all the tiresome
paper works, apart from the fact that you can return your maid and seek a new one
if she doesn't work out. But, when the maid arrives, she will have to undergo the
usual residency procedure, medical testing and fingerprinting.
Only women from certain countries, such as Phillippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia
and Nepal, are permitted to work as maids in Qatar, and their salary will depend
on their nationality, based on the agreement between Qatari government and relevant
embassy. Besides housing, you may have to accommodate the maid's additional expenses
of food, clothing and optional extras. Also, you will have to obtain a health card
for her, which should be renewed every two years. On the whole, as a sponsor, you are largely responsible for the behaviour and welfare
of your maid.
For more details and info please check the links above.
