Local Rules You Need to Know When Visiting Qatar Pt.2

Photography/Media

When documenting or photographing visitors at religious, military, or construction sites, be mindful of cultural sensitivities. Visitors who attempted to record or take pictures in sensitive areas have been detained. Ask for permission if you're unsure.

To film or take photos as part of your work as a journalist, you must obtain authorization from the Qatar News Agency (QNA) and enter the country with a visiting press pass. This license offers other important information as well as clearing technological equipment, including cameras, through airport customs.

In Qatar, there are stringent privacy rules. It may be illegal in Qatar to publish internet content (including videos and pictures) that appears to offend, defame, or is culturally insensitive. People have been arrested, charged with crimes, and/or found guilty of sharing this kind of content.

Dress Code

When out in public, even while driving, you should dress modestly. The shoulders of women must be covered, and short skirts must be avoided. When visiting governmental offices, medical facilities, or shopping malls, it is advisable that both men and women avoid wearing shorts or sleeveless tops. You might be asked to leave or denied entrance to these places if you are not dressed modestly.

It is especially crucial to dress modestly during the holy month of Ramadan.

Non-marital relationships

Any public intimacy between men and women, including between teens, is grounds for arrest.

In Qatar, it is against the law to live together while single, and having intercourse with someone who is not your spouse, regardless of whether you are the same sex or not, is also outlawed. This could result in an arrest and a court proceeding where the verdict might include a fine, a jail sentence, and eventual deportation. Particularly where the behavior has offended, this is true.

The restrictions against sex outside of marriage make it possible for you and your partner to be imprisoned or deported if you get pregnant outside of marriage. During prenatal visits, doctors will inquire about marital documentation. If an unmarried woman gives birth in Qatar, she can have trouble reporting the birth of the child there and risk being detained, jailed, or expelled. You must present a marriage certificate to the Qatari authorities in order to obtain a birth certificate, and they may compare the marriage date to the anticipated conception date.

Financial crimes

Financial crimes, such as fraud, writing a check that bounces (including post-dated and "security checks"), and not paying expenses (such as hotel or car rental payments), can result in jail time, a fine, and deportation from Qatar. Other assets, such as bank accounts, can also be frozen. Additionally, you might be held accountable for checks that you endorsed on behalf of a business.

You won't be able to terminate your residence permit if you have unpaid loans or financial obligations, and you may be subject to a travel ban that will prevent you from leaving Qatar, including going on vacation. Before leaving the country, all debts must be paid in full. Once you have paid the bill in full, ask your bank for a certificate to prove you have no outstanding obligation.

In the same way, you might discover that there is a restriction on your sponsorship, preventing you from moving to a different sponsor (company), and any end-of-service rewards to which you might be entitled could be utilized to pay off the outstanding debt.

Deportation

The State of Qatar reserves the power to issue an Administrative Deportation order if you are proven guilty of a crime. Regardless of whether deportation was part of the judgment, this is true. If you work in Qatar, this will undoubtedly have an effect on your job and could limit your ability to stay in Qatar in the future.