Qatar Visa Centres (QVC): Locations, Services and What Happens There

If you have a job offer for Qatar and live in South Asia or the Philippines, you will probably be told to go to a "QVC". This guide pulls together what Qatari and Pakistani official statements, as reported in the press and on the Pakistan Embassy in Doha's FAQ page, say about it. We could not open the official Qatar Visa Centre website or Hukoomi from our system, so fees, forms and appointment rules are not covered. Check them on the official site before you go.

Where the centres are

At the launch of new services on 10 July 2024, Gulf Times listed the current centres as:

• **India:** New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi.
• **Pakistan:** Islamabad and Karachi.
• **Bangladesh:** Dhaka and Sylhet.
• **Nepal:** Kathmandu.
• **Philippines:** Manila.
• **Sri Lanka:** Colombo.

The same report said centres were planned for Kenya, Indonesia and Tunisia, subject to coordination with those authorities. If your country is not on the list, your recruitment will follow a different route, which we have not covered.

What is done at a QVC

The Ministry of Interior official quoted by Gulf Times said that people at QVCs "register their biometric data, sign employment contracts and undergo medical examinations". Attestation is also available. In July 2024 the Ministry added medical examinations for temporary work visas and for multiple-entry work visit visas, and vision tests for driving licence applicants, with results sent electronically to the General Directorate of Traffic and driving schools.

The same report describes a temporary work visa as single-entry, with a stay of up to 12 months depending on the contract. A multiple-entry work visit visa allows several entries, also with stays of up to 12 months depending on the contract.

The steps as reported

Gulf Times, reporting the opening of the Islamabad centre in December 2018, described this order for Pakistani applicants:

1. Get a visa reference number from the Ministry of Interior.

2. Book an appointment on the QVC website.

3. At the centre, staff check your identity and documents and give you a token.

4. Give your biometric data.

5. Take the medical tests, which the report lists as blood tests, an X-ray, vision tests and a physical examination.

6. Sign the work contract before departure.

7. Track the application online or through your employer in Qatar.

The centre hours in that report were 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, with information in English, Urdu and Arabic. These details are from 2018 and may have changed.

A difference between sources

The Pakistan Embassy in Doha's FAQ describes a slightly different order. It says the worker first secures a job, through a licensed overseas employment promoter or directly, then visits the QVC to sign the agreement and submit documents. The QVC then does the medical examination, and if the result is fit, the biometrics. After that, it says, the QVC asks the employer to apply for the visa, and once the visa is approved the employer provides the tickets. The 2018 report puts the visa reference number first. We cannot tell which is current in practice, so follow the instructions given by your employer and the QVC. See our guide to the work visa process.

What to bring

We did not find an official worker document list. Based on the steps, expect to need your passport, the visa reference or approval number from your employer, the job offer or contract draft, and photos. Ask the employer or QVC for the exact list and do not pay anyone for "QVC documents". Under Labour Law Article 33, licensed recruiters may not collect recruitment fees from recruited workers. See recruitment fees in Qatar: who pays.

After you arrive

The medical test at home is not the end. Hukoomi's residence permit page, covered in our guide to Medical Commission appointment problems, lists a medical certificate from an accredited centre in the worker's country and a QAR 100 fee for the Medical Commission exam in Qatar. See also converting to a residence permit and Qatar ID and your first week in Qatar.

Avoid fake "QVC" sellers

• Book only through the official QVC channel named by your employer or the Ministry of Interior. Check the web address carefully.
• Never pay for a "guaranteed appointment" or a "fast medical".
• Read how to check an agency and avoid fake Qatar job offers.

What we could not verify

• The current official QVC website, fees (if any), booking steps and document lists.
• Whether the order of steps in the 2018 report still applies.
• Which diseases lead to a failed medical, since we found only older press reports and no current official list.
• Any centres opened after July 2024.