Indians looking to find work in Qatar will now have the opportunity to apply for a visa in their home country, after the Qatari ministry of interior opened a visa facilitation centre in Delhi.
Six other centres are set to open in Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Chennai and Kolkata.
The initiative follows Qatar’s decision to allow Indian tourists visa-free to travel to the Gulf country for 30 days.
Payment for the work visa will be made by the prospective employer in Qatar, and all necessary procedures – such as biometric enrolment and medical tests – will be done in India.
The opening is part of the State of Qatar demonstrating its commitment to Indian nationals – as, at present, there are some seven million NRIs living and working in the Gulf state.
Additionally, the centre will hold appointments in several different languages, including English, Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam to help applicants through the process.
