Qatar's Permanent Residency Card

Who this is for

This is not the same as the regular residence permit most expatriates hold (see our separate guide on getting your Qatar ID). Permanent residency is a distinct, harder-to-get status under Law No. 10 of 2018, for either: (1) a non-Qatari who has held legal residence in Qatar for 20 years if born abroad, or 10 years if born in Qatar, and meets the other conditions below, or (2) someone in a short list of exempted family categories, mainly close non-Qatari relatives of Qatari citizens. It does not apply to the general resident population.

Before you start

• Check you are actually in an eligible category: either the long-residence route (20 years if born abroad, 10 if born in Qatar), or one of the exempted family categories listed below.
• A Qatar smart ID card with e-services activated, for you and for each family member under 18 who will be included on the application.
• A smart card reader device connected to the computer you will use to apply.
• Be ready to show you can support yourself and your family financially, are of good conduct with no final conviction for a dishonourable offence in Qatar or abroad, and have a reasonable knowledge of Arabic — unless you fall under an exempted family category, where these conditions do not apply.

Steps

1. Confirm your category

   The exempted family categories are: children of a Qatari woman married to a non-Qatari; the non-Qatari husband of a Qatari woman; the non-Qatari wife of a Qatari man; children of a Qatari by naturalisation; those who performed great services to the state; and people with special capabilities the state needs. Everyone outside these categories must meet the 20/10-year residence condition and the other conditions above.

2. Go to the Ministry of Interior's e-services

   On the Ministry of Interior website, choose "Electronic Services", then "Residence Service", then "Permanent Residence Card". Choose to start a new application.

3. Select your category and the family members included

   Pick the category that applies to you from the options shown, then continue. A list of people linked to you (eligible family members) appears; tick the ID number of each person under 18 you want included, since the card can also cover a spouse and children under 18.

4. Submit and pay

   After submitting, you'll receive a text message confirming your application was received, and a payment receipt you can print or save. This completes the first stage.

5. Wait for the document request, then upload

   The committee reviews the application and sends a further message when it needs supporting documents. When that message arrives, log back in the same way and upload the documents requested, matched to each person's ID number — first your own, then each other family member included.

6. Track your application

   Use the "follow-up" option on the same portal to check the status of your application.

Useful numbers and apps

• Permanent Residence Committee email info@moi.gov.qa Source

Good to know

• This is a genuinely limited status, not an upgrade available to any long-term resident on request — most of the exempted categories are close non-Qatari relatives of Qatari citizens, and the general residence route requires 20 (or 10) years of continuous legal residence plus the income, conduct and Arabic-language conditions.
• The card covers the holder plus a spouse and children under 18; it does not automatically extend to adult children.
• The law lists investing in parts of the economy without a Qatari partner, and owning real estate for housing or investment in specified areas, among the privileges — but both are subject to further conditions and specific sectors/areas to be set by Council of Ministers decisions, not an automatic, unconditional right.
• There is a separate official "Permanent Residency Eligibility Inquiry" e-service to check your eligibility before applying.