Bringing your spouse and children to Qatar starts with the family residence visa, the permit that lets a working resident sponsor dependants for long-term stay. This guide explains the 2026 salary threshold, the attested documents you must prepare, how the Metrash2 application works, and what the medical tests and residence permit fees cost.
Who you can sponsor
A resident holding a valid Qatar ID (QID) in an eligible profession can sponsor immediate family. Typically this covers your wife, sons under 18 (or up to 25 if studying), and unmarried daughters. Parents can be sponsored in some cases, usually with extra documentation and higher scrutiny. Sponsorship is generally reserved for skilled and professional workers rather than general labour categories.
Minimum salary requirement
The salary you must earn depends on your employment sector and whether your employer provides housing. The figures below are the thresholds applied under Ministry of Interior rules in 2026.
| Situation | Minimum monthly salary |
|---|---|
| Government sector employee | QAR 10,000 |
| Private sector, without company housing | QAR 10,000 |
| Private sector, with employer-provided accommodation | QAR 6,000 |
You must also show suitable accommodation for the family and valid health insurance covering every dependant for the full duration of their stay. If you want a fuller picture of pay bands and life in the capital, our guide to working in Qatar and salaries in Doha is a useful companion read.
Documents you need
Relationship documents are the part most applicants get wrong, because they must be attested to be accepted in Qatar.
- Copy of your QID and a valid passport for each family member
- Marriage certificate to sponsor a spouse, attested by the issuing country and the Qatari embassy, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar
- Birth certificates for children, attested through the same chain
- Salary certificate or work contract confirming your income
- Tenancy contract or proof of housing
- Health insurance policy for the dependants
- Passport-size photographs
Documents not in Arabic or English usually need a certified legal translation. Start the attestation early, as it can take weeks in your home country.
Applying through Metrash2
Most family residence applications are submitted on Metrash2, the Ministry of Interior’s mobile app, rather than in person. The typical flow is:
- Open Metrash2 and go to Visa Services, then Family Visa Application
- Select the relationship, enter the dependant’s details and upload the attested documents
- Pay the application fee within the app
- Wait for approval, then the family member travels to Qatar
- Within 30 days of arrival, complete the medical, biometrics and QID issuance
Medical tests and QID
After arrival, each dependant aged 18 and over attends the Medical Commission for a health screening, including blood tests and a chest X-ray. Fingerprinting and biometrics follow, and the residence permit is then stamped and the QID card produced. For a detailed walkthrough of the ID and health card steps, see our guide to the Qatar ID and Hamad Health Card.
Fees to budget for
Individual fees are modest, but they add up across a family. Figures are indicative and per person.
| Item | Approximate fee |
|---|---|
| Family visa application | QAR 200 |
| Medical Commission test | From QAR 100 |
| Residence permit (per year) | QAR 500 |
| QID card production | Around QAR 100 |
Attestation and translation costs in your home country are separate and often larger than the Qatari government fees. Your dependants’ end-of-service and employment rights sit under a different framework, covered in our explainer on Qatar labour law and end-of-service benefits.
Processing time and renewal
Once your documents are attested and uploaded, an in-country application through Metrash2 is often approved within a few working days, though cases needing extra review take longer. After approval the dependant must enter Qatar and complete the medical, biometrics and QID steps within 30 days. The residence permit is normally issued for one year and is renewed annually through Metrash2 before it expires, so keep the health insurance and tenancy contract current for each renewal.
Common reasons applications stall
- Marriage or birth certificates that are not fully attested through the correct embassy and ministry chain
- Salary that falls below the threshold for your sector or an ineligible job title on the QID
- Health insurance that does not cover the dependant for the whole permit period
- Accommodation deemed unsuitable for the number of family members
- Documents in a third language submitted without a certified translation
Fixing these before you apply is far quicker than resolving a rejection afterwards, so have your employer’s PRO check the file first.
Bottom line
The Qatar family residence visa is straightforward once your salary clears the threshold and your marriage and birth certificates are properly attested. Sort the attestation before you apply, keep health insurance and housing proof ready, and run the process through Metrash2. Confirm the current salary bands and fees with the Ministry of Interior or your employer’s PRO before you commit, as thresholds and per-profession rules can change.
Read next: Qatar Domestic Worker (Housemaid) Visa 2026: Costs & Rules
Primary source: the Qatar Ministry of Interior.
