Onboarding in Qatar

Let the prodding, paperwork – and fingerprints continue

As a newcomer coming to live in Qatar you need a residency permit. You won’t receive one without a sponsor (usually a family member or employer) and a clean bill of health.

Fortunately, I have both – a husband and a thumbs up from the Ministry of Health after the earlier blood drawing and chest x-ray run (see previous blog) to ensure that I am in good health.

What I may not have is:

1. clear fingerprints, or
2. an ability to relax when said prints are being taken

This I discovered soon after taking up part 2 of the onboarding process – having my fingerprints taken.

Oh, and by the way, as far as I understand, it doesn’t matter how long you live in this country, if you are not a Qatari you will never be a permanent citizen. This is even if your parents lived here as residents and you are born here.

Officialdom

Officialdom in Qatar is real. In fact, it should come in capital letters because failure to rigidly adhere to the regulations and accompanying bureaucracy in this country is likely to land you in jail.

I mean here, everyone wears their masks. Well, it’s that or face a fine of QR200 000 (about R816 000). I kid you not. And even now after the Qatari cabinet announced in mid-February that masks are no longer mandatory in open public places, except in certain cases, everyone is still diligently wearing them outdoors too.*

It’s against this backdrop that I headed for the Ministry of Criminal Evidence and Investigation for fingerprints. The Ministry is on the outskirts of town in the Al Rayyan industrial area, a good 30-minute drive from the city centre.

Take a number

Again, as with the health checks, boys and girls go their own separate ways, and you’re given a number and a queue to join. At least there’s seating but no semblance of order, bar the all-important numbered ticket, and an electronic board at the top of the room to alert you to your turn.

It’s a bit like waiting for your takeaway order, except you’re the one being ordered.

Again, a multitude of newbies in all shapes, colours and creeds are awaiting their turn – none of us quite sure what to expect but witnessing all that lies ahead.

There are seven booths where each of us is to be put through the fingerprint ordeal. Well, when the only noise in your sterile surrounds is the monosyllabic hollering of an officious woman in black, it’s a tad frightening.   

Relax

With paperwork in hand, I move to next fingerprinting station. Of course, I landed the lass issuing the “move”, “leave”, “next” instructions. You will be pleased to know that the dirty black ink of yesteryear has been replaced with high-tech machinery in which your thumbs, fingers and palms are captured on glass in a process that takes about three minutes.

Or five in my case, since getting clear prints proved to be a challenge. The fingerprint technician or whatever these women are called, kept indicating that I should add more “cream”, “rub” – and “relax”. I wanted to tell her that if she perhaps lowered her voice and released her gloved grip on my hand, I might be able to relax! But mostly I remained both stiff and mute, bullied into silence.

Okay, so I might be exaggerating just a little. But really, it was not a conducive atmosphere for ensuring that my hands were able to give the best of themselves.

Repeat exercise  

And so, it should have come as no surprise to learn that I had to return to the CEID for a repeat session with my fingers some two weeks later.

I didn’t really know why, but here it’s best not to ask, and certainly not to argue.

Those in charge certainly don’t suffer anyone who disobeys the law. If you do so, you’re seriously fined, marched off to jail or deported. 

Anyway, I am happy to report that second-time around – my hands were perfectly behaved (as, indeed, was I).

Qatar residency

With my health, fingerprints and all the other paperwork in order, it took just three days for my Qatar residency permit to arrive.

I am now officially a resident for a year and looking forward to all that lies ahead in exploring and experiencing life in the Middle East.

*From today (2 April), you do not have to wear a mask in a shopping mall, but should wear them when entering shops.