Working in Qatar
For Pakistan passport holders · Checked 2026-08-15
A Qatari employer must sponsor and obtain your work visa in Qatar; you then complete Qatar Visa Centre checks in Pakistan and register with the Protector of Emigrants before you fly.
What the employer must have
- The Qatari employer must be registered with Qatar's Ministry of Labour and obtain work-visa approval before hiring from abroad; approvals are granted electronically to Labour-Law-compliant companies.
- The employer sponsors your entry visa and residence permit — a worker cannot self-petition for a Qatar work visa.
- For hires from Pakistan the sponsoring company must submit the employment contract with salary details to the Qatar Visa Centre, and must pay at least the QAR 1,000/month minimum wage plus QAR 500 housing and QAR 300 food allowances if not provided in kind.
What you must do before you leave
- Get a signed employment contract from the Qatari employer before travelling — the visa process starts on the employer's side, not yours.
- Complete medical and biometric procedures at the Qatar Visa Centre (QVC) in Pakistan when the employer's application reaches that stage.
- Register with the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (Protector of Emigrants) before departure — direct registration if you found the job yourself, or through a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter (OEP); this is required under Pakistan's Emigration Ordinance 1979.
- Verify any recruiting agent's OEP licence on beoe.gov.pk before paying anything.
Things to watch
- Qatar suspended visa-on-arrival for Pakistani nationals on 31 March 2026. Work visas were never issued on arrival — they have always been employer-obtained before travel — but every visa category must now be secured before departure.
- Qatar's own Hukoomi work-visa service page returned server error 500 this session; employer-side procedure was verified on the Government Communications Office page instead.
- The system is kafala-derived: exit permits and No-Objection Certificates have been abolished on paper, but the visa exists only through the sponsoring employer.
- Domestic workers fall under a separate law (Law No. 15 of 2017) with different rules.
What you may lawfully be charged
THE MOST A LICENSED AGENT MAY LAWFULLY CHARGE YOU as a service charge is PKR 15,000 (PKR 6,000 if you found the job yourself and only need the paperwork done). You do not hand it over — you deposit it in a bank and the agent is paid only after the Protector of Emigrants confirms you reached the job. Anything he spends on your ticket, medical or visa must come with a signed, stamped receipt.
Rule 15 and 15A, Emigration Rules 1979 (SRO 1058(I)/2023). Charging more is punishable by up to 14 years — Section 22(a), Emigration Ordinance 1979.
⚠️ Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa on this route. Legitimate employers and licensed agents do not charge workers for jobs.
Official sources
This describes the immigration system, not your personal case, and not this specific vacancy.