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Governments around the world, including Qatar, continue to make changes to public health and travel policies in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. The Embassy recommends that U.S. citizens in Qatar remain vigilant regarding these policies.
International Parental Child Abduction
Qatar is not a signatory to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Hague Abduction Convention), nor are there any bilateral agreements in force between Qatar and the United States concerning international parental child abduction.
Under Article 36(1)(b) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the government of Qatar must, at the request of any detained American, notify the U.S. Embassy immediately after an arrest takes place. Qatar’s authority to try foreigners as well as its own citizens is based upon the principle of sovereignty, which is the right of a nation to make and enforce its laws within its own boundaries. All Americans in Qatar are under the absolute jurisdiction of Qatari courts. Anyone who breaks the law in Qatar is subject to prosecution under the Qatari legal system. If a person is convicted and sentenced to imprisonment by a Qatari court, this sentence will be served in a Qatari prison.
In the event of the death of a U.S. citizen, our American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit works closely with the family of the deceased, the deceased’s sponsoring employer, or their representative in Qatar to document the death and finalize procedures for repatriation or local burial.
When a U.S. citizen is the victim of a crime overseas, he or she may suffer from physical, emotional or financial injuries. It can be more difficult because the victim may be in unfamiliar surroundings, and may not know the local language or customs.
If you need reasonable accommodation for your appointment, we encourage you to request your accommodation immediately once you schedule your appointment. We make every effort to provide accommodations to persons with disabilities and medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations vary, depending on the situation and the person’s needs.
Examples of accommodations include, but are not limited to:
The waiting room of the Consular Section and its restroom is wheelchair-accessible.
Please contact us at ACSDoha@state.gov for more information or to request reasonable accommodation.
Consular Affairs (CA) is the public face of the Department of State for millions of people around the world. We provide many services, and the most common are listed below.
U.S. Citizens overseas can renew passports, replace passports, or apply for new passports.
Claim U.S. Citizenship for children born abroad, renounce citizenship, etc.
If you reside in Qatar and have questions regarding services provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA), kindly contact the SSA Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) located in Rome, Italy at FBU.Rome@ssa.gov. For comprehensive information on SSA’s services abroad, please visit SSA’s webpage Service Around the World. If you are already receiving SSA benefits payments, there will be no change in the method of distribution of those payments.
Service members, Veterans, and their beneficiaries can apply for benefits services on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website at www.va.gov. The Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) can also be of assistance if Veterans and beneficiaries have questions about benefits and services.
All U.S. citizens and resident aliens must file a U.S. income tax return, even if they permanently live outside the United States and may not owe any tax because of income exclusion or tax credit.
U.S. embassies and consulates overseas assist the Selective Service System with its registration program abroad. At this time, the Selective Service System online registration site is temporarily unavailable for overseas registrants. For security reasons, overseas registrants should complete the form below and mail it to the Selective Service System at the following address: Selective Service System Registration Information Office P.O. Box 94739 Palatine, IL 60094-4739
Now all U.S. citizens can receive their blank ballots electronically. Depending on the state in which you are eligible to vote, you may get your ballot by email, fax, or internet download. To start, go to www.FVAP.gov to complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), print and sign the form then return it to your local election office in the United States. We recommend overseas U.S. citizens get in the habit of completing FPCAs each January. You should include your email address on the form so it’s easier for your election officials to reach you if there is a problem. If your state delivers ballots electronically by fax only, be sure to include your fax number. If you request electronic delivery and include your email address or fax number, you’ll receive your blank ballot 45 days before general and mid-term elections and generally 30 days before special, primary, and run-off elections for federal offices.
The Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by, the entities or individuals whose names appear on the following lists. Inclusion on this list is in no way an endorsement by the Department or the U.S. government. Names are listed alphabetically, and the order in which they appear has no other significance. The information on the list is provided directly by the local service providers; the Department is not in a position to vouch for such information.
Legal assistance Medical Assistance Document Authentications Police Clearances Additional ResourcesQatar has an established and independent judiciary. It is divided into three court systems: the secular system which handles civil, commercial, and criminal laws; the Sharia’a system which handles Islamic marriage, divorce, child support, succession and some criminal law issues; and the Qatar Financial Center legal system which handles commercial cases arising out of Qatar’s special economic zone.
Good modern medical care and medicines are available in Doha, although only basic or no medical care may be available in Qatar’s smaller cities or outlying areas. Doctors and hospitals expect immediate cash payment for health services. Information about the Qatari national healthcare system is available here.
Document authentication services are available for Qatari documents only. Documents issued in one country which need to be used in another country must be “authenticated” or “legalized” before they can be recognized as valid in the foreign country. Authentication does not verify the contents of a document, it simply verifies that the document was issued by the agency/organization that is claimed by the seals.
The Government of Qatar requires foreign citizens to provide a police clearance from their home country before issuing a residence permit. You can obtain a U.S. police clearance from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) or through your city or county law enforcement agency. In both cases, the clearance will be run against the National Crime Information Center, which contains all federal, state and local criminal information.
The State Department maintains several resources that are useful for the U.S. expatriate or traveler. We provide general information about international travel and living abroad, travel alerts, travel warnings, and country specific information. The State Department maintains an electronic travel registration system that we use to disseminate important warden messages and to assist U.S. citizens in trouble abroad.
Please call: +974 4496-6700
Outside of Office Hours, contact: +974 4496 6000
Outside of Qatar: 1-202-501-4444 or 1-888-407-4747
Emergency Contact – All Locations Enroll in STEP International Parental Child Abduction Arrest of a U.S. Citizen Death of a U.S. Citizen Victims of Crime Emergency Financial Assistance
