Ministry of Interior urges residents to always carry their ID cards

Qatari residents should always carry their Identity Document (ID) cards with them as it is the only proof of identity and valid residency accepted in the country, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has said.

MoI has said that all residents should produce their ID cards if and when demanded by concerned authorities, reported The Peninsula. If a person loses his or her ID card, it should be immediately reported to the General Directorate of Passports for replacement.

If a resident loses his or her ID card while out of Qatar, it will be very hard for the resident to return to Qatar unless a Return Permit for Resident is issued.

MoI clarified that since there are no more residency stickers on passports, ID cards are the only only supported document for Qatari residents to prove they live in the country.

Residents are obliged to show their ID cards at all airports, platforms and airline desks to be allowed to travel to Qatar. Airline companies have also been instructed to check the validity and information on the cards through MoI’s online website.

If a resident loses the ID card inside Qatar, he or she can approach one of the MoI service centers and fill a lost ID form. The passport should then be submitted for verification and a QR200 fee for the lost report will get you a new card.

If the ID is lost outside Qatar, the resident must file a report in the country where it has been lost, attest the report from the authorities in the foreign country and send a copy to the resident's representative in Qatar to be able to issue a Return Permit for Resident. The costs for this will come to QR200 as well.

A copy of it will be sent to the resident and he can come to Qatar. Once they are in the country, they should visit the Expatriates Affairs Department to issue a lost report and issue a new card.