Indian Community in Qatar

The Indian expatriate community in Qatar, estimated to be 200,000 strong forms the largest expatriate community in the country. Approximately 70% of the work force comprises of skilled and unskilled workers, 20% of white collar employees and the balance are professionals. The skilled and unskilled workers are employed in construction work, industrial establishments, commercial undertakings and the domestic sector. White collar workers are employed in clerical services, commercial establishments, police, nursing etc. Professionals include doctors, specialists and consultants working in Government and other Health Centers, Chartered Accountants, Architects, Engineers, Executives in business concerns, Computer specialists etc. 

Consular Section in this Mission caters to the needs of this sizeable Indian Community by undertaking the Passport and Miscellaneous Services and the foreign nationals by providing Visa Services. 

Office Hours

Consular desk is open from 0800hrs to 1030hrs Sunday through Thursday when applications are accepted at the counters. The delivery time is between 1500hrs to 1545hrs, Sunday through Thursday. 

Consular Team also visits Salwa Road, Messaied, Dukhan and Al Khor(Tel: 4724013) Salwa Industrial Area (Tel: 4602391) and Al Shamal to provide Passport and Miscellaneous services for the Indian community in these cities on Every Fridays from 10.00 AM to 12.00 Noon. 

It also visits CCIC camp on Third Friday of the month from

1 PM to 3 PM

Passport & Miscellaneous Services

Note: The forms mentioned above can be downloaded from

Application Forms

Some important information on Passport and Miscellaneous Services

The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, is responsible for issuance of Indian Passport to the Indian Citizens. This document is issued from 28 locations across the country and 160 Indian missions abroad. Your passport is a valuable document. It should always be either in your own custody or in the custody of a person duly authorized by you. If lost or destroyed, the fact and circumstances should be immediately reported to the nearest Indian Mission and to the local police. 

In Qatar applications for passports/consular services such as issue of duplicate passports, renewals and miscellaneous services on passports, legalization/attestation of documents etc. are accepted at the Consular Section of the embassy between 08:00 AM and 11:30 AM from Sunday through Thursday. No application is received after 11:30 AM except in the cases of emergencies, such as death or illness in the family. The passports and other documents, irrespective of date or time of submission, are delivered only between 03:00 PM to 03:45 PM on working days. Miscellaneous services are normally attended to across the counter. Fresh and renewed passports are normally delivered on the third working day after the day the application is received in the Embassy. This, however, depends on the workload of the Consular Section. This time schedule does not apply to services where prior approval is required from the authorities in India. The date on which the passport can be collected from the Embassy will be indicated when the application is submitted. Here are some useful information on passport and other consular services available at the Indian Embassy in Doha. 

How to obtain a new passport?
Please obtain an application form the embassy free of cost or submit a photocopy of the form. Fill all columns carefully and legibly; the application may be submitted to the counter at the embassy either in person or through a representative. An application for a new passport can be made within 6 months of expiry of the old passport. For this "Application Form for an Indian Passport" along with your passport, copy of the passport, copy of Identity card and an affidavit should be submitted. Furnish 4 photographs (black & white or colour) size 35 mm x 45 mm frontal view of full face against a light background. Photos taken with coloured or dark glasses and in uniform are not acceptable. If the application is found to be in order and if no prior reference is required to be made to the original Passport Issuing Authority, the passport will be issued in the normal course. 

If you need the passport urgently you can avail of the Tatkal Scheme introduced by the Government of India. Under the scheme passports can be obtained out of turn from the embassy in the same day or the next day. An out of turn passport is normally issued only in cases of specified emergencies, on production of documentary evidence and an additional fee of QR. 312/-. 

Passport for minors
It is compulsory to have a separate passport for a minor as the procedure of endorsing names of minor children in their parents' passports has now been discontinued. This measure has been introduced in the wake of the practice, increasingly being followed by major foreign diplomatic missions, by granting visas to minor children only if they are in possession of separate passports. A minor in this case refers to a child who is less than 18 years of age and the passport for the minor child will be valid for five years from the date of issue or till 18 years of age, whichever is less. The five year validity period has been stipulated because the physical appearance of a child changes considerably over five years. Those children whose names have already been endorsed in their parents' passports need to apply for new passports only when the validity of the parents' passport expires or when they apply for additional booklets. The Birth Certificate of the child is required to be submitted along with the passports of both the parents. The fee for issue of a passport to a minor child in Qatar is QR. 95/-. 

Emigration Check Not Required Stamp
As per Government of India rules and regulations following categories of persons are entitled to get the ECNR stamp on their passports: 
Gazetted Government Servants, Income-tax payees; Persons holding professional degrees; Persons staying abroad for more than 3 years; Spouses of the above mentioned categories; Persons holding 10+2 or higher degrees; Seamen in possession of Continuous Discharge Certificate and Deck Cadets if they have passed final examination of three year B.Sc. Nautical Sciences Courses at T.S. Chanakya, Mumbai, or if they have undergone three months Pre-Sea training at any of the Government approved Training Institutes after production of Identity Cards issued by the Shipping Master, Mumbai/Calcutta/Chennai; Persons holding two year diplomas from recognised institutions like Polytechnics or certificates of vocational training from Government recognised institutions, Nurses, Teachers possessing qualifications recognised under the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947; Dependent children of parents eligible for ECNR and All persons above the age of 50 years. All these categories of people can get the ECNR stamp affixed on their passports at the Embassy of India in Doha during office hours. All children who apply for separate passports will be granted endorsement of "Emigration Clearance Not Required (ECNR)"(Upto 18 years of age) provided accompanied by their parents. 

Lost/Damaged Passport : How to apply for a duplicate?
If you lose your passport, then please inform the nearest police station or the CEID and obtain a copy of the FIR. Also inform the embassy without delay. Passport is a valuable document and in case it gets misused, you can be held responsible, if you have not informed the police and the embassy. You may apply for a duplicate passport with application for lost passport, copy of the FIR, an affidavit, copy of lost passport and the fine for lost passport. 
If your passport gets damaged, you are entitled to get it replaced. Apply for a duplicate passport with an application for a damaged passport, original damaged passport and an affidavit. 
In case of damaged/ lost passports (except in case of habitual losers), provided your original passport was issued at the Indian Embassy in Doha, you should get passport in about one week. If you have applied for a duplicate passport in place of a passport which was originally issued at some other passport office, you should normally get your new passport within Six weeks. However, in case of emergency, the embassy can expedite the issue of passport under the Tatkal Scheme. 
A duplicate passport may not be issued for the second loss/damage of passport. Habitual losers of passports will be denied further passport facilities. 

Options in terms of the size of the Passport booklet :
You can either apply for a ten year validity 36-paged normal passport booklet (Fees: QR. 185/-) or a 60-paged jumbo passport booklet (Fees: QR. 225/-). The validity of short term passport, except in case of minors, can be extended up to 10 years from the date of issue. For this "Application Forms for Extension of Validity", should be submitted. This service will be rendered gratis. 

Miscellaneous Services : Change of Name
If you change your name, please get your passport booklet changed. For change of name or surname, consequent to marriage, you may submit the original marriage certificate duly attested in India, along with a photocopy and husband's original passport. In case of divorce, a divorce deed authenticated by a court in India is required. In case of re-marriage, divorce deed or death certificate of spouse duly authenticated along with the original marriage certificate duly attested in India and husband's original passport may be submitted. 
In all other cases of change of name and or surname in the passport the change has first to be advertised in a daily newspaper, both in Qatar and in India at the area of your residence. Original newspaper clippings are required to be submitted along with the application. An affidavit, duly notarized, is also required. Service is provided after a waiting period of 30 days from the date of publication of advertisement in the newspaper. 

Change of Address and Date of Birth
If you already have a passport and want to change the address recorded in it, apply for the same on Miscellaneous Services application form with the proof of new address. Applications for change in date of birth may be submitted with supporting documents like Birth Certificate, Educational Certificate etc., 

Incomplete / False Information
It is important to furnish full, accurate and truthful information in the form. Application forms should be filled in fully, legibly (in capital letters) and accurately and submitted with the passport. Misrepresentation of the facts may result in denial of passport/consular service. Applications received with incomplete details will remain unprocessed. 
It is an offense under the Passports Act 1967 to give false information in the Application. Passport facilities can be denied on grounds of suppression of factual information, submission of false particulars, willful damage of passport and for making unauthorized changes in the passports. Your passport can be impounded or revoked by the Government of India under the provisions of the Passports Act 1967 in which event you will have to surrender the passport to the nearest Indian Passport authority. 

Emergency Certificate
An Emergency Certificate (one-way travel document) which authorizes an Indian to enter India, is issued to the citizen of India whose passports have been lost, stolen or damaged and to whom new passports cannot be issued without approval from India. This is primarily with the objective of ensuring their return to India. 

No Refunds
Fees, once received, cannot be refunded, even if the application is withdrawn or service cannot be rendered. 
 

Visa Information

The Indian Embassy in Doha grants visas for those intending to visit India for tourist, business and other purposes in accordance with rules and regulations of the Government of India. Visa application forms are available at the embassy free of cost. You can also use a photocopy of the form or download it from the website of the embassy. Passport valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of intended departure from India should accompany visa applications. Application to be submitted in duplicate with passport copy and 2 passport size photos. In normal cases, the local residents and foreigners holding valid resident permit may get visa on the same day. For those who do not hold a valid resident permit in Qatar, a reference has to be made to their country of residence which will involve extra processing time and additional fee. The Applications received at the embassy counter between 08.00 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. are normally processed the same day and serviced passports can be collected from the counter between 03.00 p.m. and 3.45 p.m. Validity of all visas is counted from the date of their issue. Embassy reserves the right to refuse any visa without assigning any reasons whatsoever. 

Tourist Visa
Tourists wishing to visit India may be granted six months tourist visas effective from the date of issue, which is non extendable and non convertible. Travel Agents who have to visit India frequently may, however, be granted tourist visas of a longer duration. The applicant is required to produce/submit documents in proof of his financial standing. Tourist travelling in groups of not less than four members under the auspices of a recognised travel agency may be considered for grant of collective tourist visa. 

Business Visa
It is now possible to obtain Business Visas for up to 5 years validity with multiple entry for technicians/experts going to India in pursuance of bilateral agreements or joint venture projects having government approval. Others travelling on Business may be granted Visas for duration of 3 months or 6 months. A letter from sponsoring organization indicating nature of business, probable duration of stay, places and organizations to be visited incorporating there in a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc. should accompany the application 

Entry Visa
Entry Visas valid for six months to five years stay with multiple entry is given only to persons of Indian origin. However, members of the family of a person who is employed in India are also eligible for Entry visa. 

Student Visa
Student Visas may be obtained on furnishing proof of admission to recognised Universities/Institutions in India for the duration of the course of study. Change of purpose and institutions are not permissible.  Applicant should also enclose a letter from local Guardian or Father of the student undertaking to bear the expenses of the child in India. 

Employment Visa
Employment Visas are issued to skilled and qualified professionals or persons who are engaged or appointed by companies, organisations, economic undertakings as technicians, technical experts, senior executives etc. Applicants are required to submit proof of contract / employment / engagement of foreign nationals by the company or organisation clearly indicating the designation of the official, salary offered, and name of the company for whom he/she will be working in India. 

Transit Visa
Transit visas are issued for a maximum period of 15-days with single/double entry facilities to bonafide transit passengers only. Transit visas are required to be obtained before departure, as Transit Visas for brief halts in India (up to 72 hours) enroute to other destinations, cannot be obtained from Immigration counters at airports in India. 

Conference Visa
Conference Visas are issued for attending conferences/seminars/meetings in India. A letter of invitation from the organiser of the conference is to be submitted along with the visa application. Delegates coming to attend conferences may combine tourism with attending conferences. 

Registration of Foreign Nationals in India

Normally for persons holding long term (validity exceeding 6 months) Tourist, Business and Entry Visas, the duration of each stay in India should not exceed 6 months. However, if the stay in India is to exceed 6 months, registration with Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 14 days of arrival in India, is mandatory. 

Foreign nationals except Pak/Afghan are required to register themselves within 14 days of their first arrival in India if their visa is valid for more than 180 days. All nationals except Pak/Afghan holding up to six months visa are exempted from Registration. US nationals with a valid Tourist or Business visa for a period of 10 years are exempted from Registration. Pakistan nationals are required to get their names registered within 24 hours of their arrival in India. Afghan nationals are required to get their names registered within 7 days of their arrival in India. Registration can be done with the Registration Officer at the following addresses. Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO), Ist floor, Hans Bhavan, Bhadur Shah Zafar Marg, Near ITO, New Delhi; FRRO & Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Branch-II (CID), Mumbai; Chief Immigration Officer, Shastry Bhavan Annexe, 26, Haddow Road, Chennai; S. P. (Immigration and CID), Interrogation Centre, PCP Attari Rail Mal Mandi, Amritsar; DIG (Border), Intelligence Branch, 13-Lord Singh Road, Calcutta. 

Visa Services

Delivery time 1500 -1545 hrs on indicated date

Note: The forms mentioned above can be downloaded from

Application Forms