All About Your Driving License in Qatar
To be legally allowed to drive in Qatar, you will need to have a valid driving license. If you have an approved driving license from your country of origin, visitors to Qatar can drive for 7 days from the date of arrival into the country—you can check to see if your country’s driving license is valid over at the Traffic Department at Madinat Khalifa. The Traffic Department is also the relevant authority that is authorised to issue driving licenses for everyone.
While visitors can enjoy driving privileges in the State with no worries for short-term stays, individuals who plan to reside in Qatar for a period of more than 6 months need to apply for either a temporary or a permanent driving license.
Why is it important to carry a valid driving license? Just like with any other official business matter, having a legitimate license not only ensures your own safety whenever you are on the road, but it also ensures the safety of everyone around you. Driving licenses help maintain order on the road for everyone’s benefit.
A temporary Qatar Driving License has a validity of 3 months, and can be renewed once it expires. This temporary license allows you to drive rental cars during your stay, and may even include private cars (although this is subject to the insurance company of a privately owned car).
In order to apply for a temporary license in Qatar, you will need your duly completed application form from the Traffic Department. Attach your original license from the approved country of origin, as well as both the original and a photocopy of your passport.
Now, if you have been staying in Qatar for a while and you already have a residence permit, you can choose to convert your temporary driving license into a permanent one with a validity of 5 years. To apply for a permanent driving license in Qatar, you can easily download the application form and submit the necessary forms to the Medinat Khalifa Traffic Department. Required paperwork includes a copy of your ID, copies of your own passport and your employer’s ID, and the completion of the required tests. You must also pay the appropriate fee—for a new private vehicle driving license which is valid for 10 years, while for non-Qataris which is valid for 5 years. Keep in mind that a vision test is mandatory for any applicant. You can have this done at the Traffic Department of Interior Ministry, or you can visit a private clinic or any licensed hospital.
That said, it definitely helps to have a trusted business consultancy partner to help facilitate all of these requirements when it comes to processing, translating, and attesting all of the required documents in order to get your driving license in Qatar without a hitch.
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Afreno is a Business Consultancy that draws on its long presence, over 10 years in fact, in the field of forming companies, while capitalizing on its impressive know-how at both local and international levels. This endeavor also extends to developing local partnerships and offering excellent opportunities in real estate.
Unlike any other Business Consultancy company in the State of Qatar, Afreno includes under its umbrella three closely-linked comprehensive services: business advice, legal negotiation and real estate possibilities. This means that any project, however complex, can be dealt with in all its aspects. Added to this is our wide range of reliable clients and trusted business contacts, plus our up to the minute awareness of what is going on in the markets, whether GCC or local. Your business venture will be backed by our in-depth knowledge, the valuable connections we have built over time, and our solid reputation, ensuring that you succeed quickly, whatever enterprise you are involved in. All this will be achieved with the minimum of stress; unsurprisingly Afreno has become the point of reference for anyone wishing to incorporate or grow their business in the local market.
