Family Residency Process

The family were due to arrive in Qatar on the 7th, The day before I popped into the office to sign the sponsorship paperwork which was managed by the companies Government Affairs team.

The family arrived on the Friday night and given that Friday and Saturday is the weekend in Qatar, I popped into the office on the Sunday morning to hand over their passports so the residency could be processed.

On Monday 24th, I received an invitation from the GA team to meet them with the family at the Gulf Lab & X-Ray (on Al Kinana Street) to allow them to get their blood grouping sample done. Needless to say the kids didn't like the sound of having their fingers pricked, so we had a few tears to deal with and little bit of restraining with the youngest.

There were also some other new arrivals meeting us at the lab for their relevant tests to also be done.

On completion of this, we all jumped back in our cars and followed the GA guy across to a small photographic studio just off the C'Ring (think it was on lbn Labeed Street) where they got their official photographs taken. Trying to keep four cars close together on the streets of Doha isn't easy. We were the last one in the line and thought the others in front were going to lose the lead car on a couple of occasions. Got there in the end!

At this point the process is over for the children, thankfully!

The next day, we met with the GA guy at the Medical Commission on Industrial Area Road, this was for the adults to get their chest X-Rays and Blood samples. Fortunately it wasn't too busy, so were over and done quite quickly.

Today, was fingerprints day. I am back offshore now, so Nadia had to meet up with the GA guy over at the fingerprint center at the CEID (Criminal Evidence and Information Department) on Salwa Road. Despite sleeping in she still made it on time.

That should be the process complete and just need to wait for the passports to be return and the Qatar ID cards handed over. As soon as we get these and give copies of them to the school, so the kids can start school at the beginning of September.

Next thing for Nadia is Driving License transfer, that should be happening next week.