GulfFacts
Search GulfFactsSign in

Getting a job in Qatar

Maria Santos, 29. Registered Nurse (ICU) in Doha.

Maria was recruited by a Doha hospital through a licensed agency. Healthcare is the longest route on this site because licensing has to finish before the visa can start.

From
Manila, Philippines
Industry
Healthcare
per month
QAR 11K ≈ $3K
Timeline
16–24 weeks
Visa route
Work residence permit with DHP licence
Maria Santos at work
“The Prometric exam was hard, but the waiting for verification was harder. Keep every certificate in one folder.”

Step by step

  • You
  • Employer
  • Government
  1. 1

    Recruitment and offer

    2–4 weeksEmployer

    Interviewed by the hospital via a licensed recruitment agency. Housing and transport were included, so she compared the basic salary rather than the total.

  2. 2

    Primary source verification

    4–8 weeksYou

    Her nursing degree, licence and experience were verified directly with the issuing bodies through the provider used by the Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP).

    Cost: about USD 300

  3. 3

    Prometric licensing exam

    2–4 weeksYou

    Booked and passed the DHP nursing exam at a Prometric centre in Manila. Results go straight to her DHP file.

    Cost: about USD 200

  4. 4

    Home-country exit clearance

    1–2 weeksYou

    Filipino workers need an Overseas Employment Certificate from the Department of Migrant Workers before departure. The agency handled most of this.

  5. 5

    Qatar Visa Center

    1–2 weeksGovernment

    Medical exam, biometrics and contract signing at the Qatar Visa Center in Manila, so the medical did not need repeating in Doha.

  6. 6

    Arrival and QID

    2–3 weeksEmployer

    Residence permit (QID) issued shortly after arrival. Then she opened a bank account and registered on the Metrash app for government services.

  7. 7

    Full DHP licence and first shift

    1–2 weeksEmployer

    Hospital completed credentialing and activated her licence before her first ICU rotation.

Employment journeys

All journeys
Priya Nair, Senior Software Engineer

United Arab Emirates · Dubai

Priya Nair, Senior Software Engineer

Priya moved from a product company in Bengaluru to a Dubai fintech. Her employer sponsored the work permit and residence visa; she handled degree attestation, housing and banking herself.

per month
AED 28K
Timeline
10–14 weeks
Ahmed Hassan, Civil Engineering Project Manager

Saudi Arabia · Riyadh

Ahmed Hassan, Civil Engineering Project Manager

Ahmed joined a contractor delivering a Riyadh metro extension. Engineering roles in Saudi Arabia require professional accreditation, which added a step most other professions do not have.

per month
SAR 22K
Timeline
12–16 weeks
James Whitfield, Compliance Manager

Bahrain · Manama

James Whitfield, Compliance Manager

James relocated with his family to join a retail bank in Manama. Bahrain was the fastest process of the six countries, largely because LMRA handles permits on one platform.

per month
BHD 2.4K
Timeline
6–9 weeks