Registering a car (from personal experience)

Hello all,

I thought I would post this to help any other newbies when registering a car. This was my experience today (November 2010) but of course may change at any time.

Now the car I bought is second hand and was found here on the QL website. It was being sold by a French National and was originally bought with a bank loan.

There are a number of pieces of paper that will be required that you need to have sorted in advance. None of this can be done until you have your Qatari ID card.

You also both need to go together to get the jobs done. Bear in mind that some places are not open at the times you might expect and that phoning to get information is pretty much a non-starter unless you speak arabic.

Insurance - this still had nearly a year to run so had to be changed to my name. This was a simple task. We took his details to the insurance office and he entered the details from my ID card onto the computer. After the computer had beeped a few times and the insurance clerk had made a phone call the printer spat out a new insurance policy with my name on and a copy to take to the traffic/licence office. We expected to pay a fee for this transfer but were not charged.

Registration - next we headed to the traffic offices in Doha (near Landmark). You need a colourful form which has to be completed in Arabic. It took a while for anybody behind the counter to point this out to us. To get it completed we had to go back outside the carpark to the little building opposite the entrance.
A man, armed with a typewriter will complete the form for you 10QR. You will also need a photocopy of your ID so if you haven't brought one with you get it done here at the same time.
Back across the carpark and into reception again. Collect a ticket and wait your turn. You may need to ask someone for the ticket as they are kept behind the desk and the staff aren't very helpful.

When you are called over you will need to present the car registration card, the insurance, and your ID. Also required is a letter from the sellers bank indicating that the loan has been paid off. The seller needs to arrange this and it can take several days.

The letter of no objection (NOC) is next. If you work for the government or a government organisation (I work for RASGAS) then the NOC is not required but you will have to make it clear who you work for. When they asked me what my job was I said I was a teacher working for RASGAS and that was as much as they asked.
However many people will need the NOC and again this can take time to get from your sponsor and needs to have details about the car included.

I was also asked if I was getting the car with a loan and I assume that if I was I would need to present some paperwork form the bank. Since I was paying cash this was quickly passed over.

Finally I had to pay QR200 (no cash only card) and a few minutes later had the vehicle registration card in my hand with my name on and was told in the curtest possible terms - "FINISHED!"

We weren't. Into another building across the carpark to check that there were no unpaid fines on the car.

Then we really were done and off I drove in my new(ish) car.

If you have any questions about the process please ask as I found it yet another example of laughable Qatari bureaucracy.

Cheers