Guidance

Qatar: Knowledge Base profile

Published 1 May 2024

About: Qatar

This document contains useful information about Qatar which will assist HM Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 26 April 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Qatar: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Qatar.

Names in Qatar consist of:

• forename
• middle names
• surname

Forenames can be used more than once. Some common names can have various spelling variations, for example, Mohammed, Mohamed, Mohammad.

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Qatar.

Qatar: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Qatar.

Dual nationality is not recognised in Qatar.

Qatar nationality (by birth) comes from the father only. Qatar citizenship is lost if the holder:

• becomes a citizen of another country
• joins the military service of a foreign country against the wishes of the Qatar government

Qatar: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Qatar.

Adoption is legal in Qatar.

Qatar: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Qatar.

Surrogacy is illegal in Qatar.

Qatar: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Qatar.

Transgender citizens are not recognised in Qatar.

Qatar: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Qatar.

Same sex relationships and marriage are not recognised in Qatar.

Polygamous marriage (up to four wives) is recognised in Qatar.

Qatar: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Qatar.

Birth certificates

Birth certificates are issued following the registration of birth in Qatar. Where a child has been born to unmarried, non-Qatar nationals, the Qatar authorities will not register the birth and the child will not have a Qatar birth certificate.

Births are registered within 60 days, and the birth registrations are held on a central register.

If a mistake is found on a Qatar birth certificate, it will be corrected and reissued.

Birth certificates from Qatar include:

• the parent’s:
  • names
  • religion
  • nationality
• a Supreme Council of Health stamp

The original birth certificate will be issued as an A5 size document, and ‘Copy Birth Certificate’ (which contain the same information) are A4 size documents.

Marriage certificates

Marriage certificates are issued by both the Sharia court and the church in Qatar. Marriages are registered at the time of the marriage and the certificates will contain a stamp from the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Each establishment will hold their own record of marriages. Records of a:

• church marriage will be held in a marriage book kept by the church
• Sharia court marriage will be held on a marriage certificate issued to the couple, in Arabic, containing information such as their:
  • names
  • nationality
  • place and date of birth

Death certificates

Death certificates are issued following the registration of death in Qatar. All deaths must be registered immediately.

The certificates are stored on a central register and must be issued before a burial can take place.

Identity documents

Identity cards are issued as part of a residence permit in Qatar. These documents are issued to all non-Qatar residents and are mandatory to live and work legally in the country.

The residence permits are issued nationally and include a vignette in the person’s passport along with the identity card. These documents are not laminated.