Malibu
We have just relocated from Florida (September 06) and I can share my experience.
Regarding the VISA and bringing Family
It all depending on your employer and the Offer package that you received. Due to the High cost of living in Qatar (housing) some people are coming to Qatar for few months and returning to the USA. It also depends on the schools and if you have kids.
I recommend that you come by yourself for few months and then see for yourself and determine if it is worth it to bring the family. Anyway, you will be in the summer months and you don’t want the family here in the summer.
You did not mention the job that you got and the Money and the package. If you are still negotiating insist on a villa (not housing allowance) Qatar is not worth it for American unless you are given a key to a villa with paid utilities.
Regarding the Car. We brought a 2005 Honda odyssey minivan. It was allowed in but that was in 2006. My shipper told me same thing about the car being “minimum” 3-5 old. That is a mistake.
Given the year, size and value of the car, I recommend NOT bringing the Car UNLESS you have room in your shipping container. We had a 40 foot container and had space in it and the minivan costed 35,000 USD. if you need to ship it separately, it is not worth it. In any case the car value is not much and there are plenty of Toyota is the leading dealer in Qatar with reasonable prices. Sell the 2005 in USA, you should get a good price, and buy new 2007 in Qatar and save the hassle.
Yes there are customs duties on the car (4-5%) however that is based on the depreciated value of the car. In Qatar they depreciate 20 percent for the first year and probably 20% for the second year. So you will pay customs for about half the value of the Corolla.
They will also charge legalization Fees for the car Papers. You could do that in the USA, but it can be done by customs in the Doha PORT. Legalization fees run about 350-450 USD. To legalize the car in the USA. You need a clear title, send to Arab Chamber of commerce in Houston, LA, or New York, and Then to the Qatar Embassy in Washington DC. Regardless what your shipper tells you. DONT DO legalization in the USA. They will legalize here in one shot for the same fee.
Also remember if you employer is asking you to get any paper certified by Qatar Embassy in the USA, That is a major effort. Regardless of the paper (police report, fingerprints etc.). The embassy of Qatar will only notarize any papers UNLESS they have been notarized by the US Department of State. and that require notarization by Secretary of the State where you live, and that require notarization by a notary public in your county where you live.
Regardless; DO NOT SELL YOUR HOUSE and Always Have an option for Returning to the USA return.
The more important discussion is not the “Corolla” . What is important ( critical) is the compensation Package that you will get in Qatar. (housing, kids education, allowances, etc). As we say the corolla issue is “Peanut’ in comparison to the big picture.
Malibu
We have just relocated from Florida (September 06) and I can share my experience.
Regarding the VISA and bringing Family
It all depending on your employer and the Offer package that you received. Due to the High cost of living in Qatar (housing) some people are coming to Qatar for few months and returning to the USA. It also depends on the schools and if you have kids.
I recommend that you come by yourself for few months and then see for yourself and determine if it is worth it to bring the family. Anyway, you will be in the summer months and you don’t want the family here in the summer.
You did not mention the job that you got and the Money and the package. If you are still negotiating insist on a villa (not housing allowance) Qatar is not worth it for American unless you are given a key to a villa with paid utilities.
Regarding the Car. We brought a 2005 Honda odyssey minivan. It was allowed in but that was in 2006. My shipper told me same thing about the car being “minimum” 3-5 old. That is a mistake.
Given the year, size and value of the car, I recommend NOT bringing the Car UNLESS you have room in your shipping container. We had a 40 foot container and had space in it and the minivan costed 35,000 USD. if you need to ship it separately, it is not worth it. In any case the car value is not much and there are plenty of Toyota is the leading dealer in Qatar with reasonable prices. Sell the 2005 in USA, you should get a good price, and buy new 2007 in Qatar and save the hassle.
Yes there are customs duties on the car (4-5%) however that is based on the depreciated value of the car. In Qatar they depreciate 20 percent for the first year and probably 20% for the second year. So you will pay customs for about half the value of the Corolla.
They will also charge legalization Fees for the car Papers. You could do that in the USA, but it can be done by customs in the Doha PORT. Legalization fees run about 350-450 USD. To legalize the car in the USA. You need a clear title, send to Arab Chamber of commerce in Houston, LA, or New York, and Then to the Qatar Embassy in Washington DC. Regardless what your shipper tells you. DONT DO legalization in the USA. They will legalize here in one shot for the same fee.
Also remember if you employer is asking you to get any paper certified by Qatar Embassy in the USA, That is a major effort. Regardless of the paper (police report, fingerprints etc.). The embassy of Qatar will only notarize any papers UNLESS they have been notarized by the US Department of State. and that require notarization by Secretary of the State where you live, and that require notarization by a notary public in your county where you live.
Regardless; DO NOT SELL YOUR HOUSE and Always Have an option for Returning to the USA return.
The more important discussion is not the “Corolla” . What is important ( critical) is the compensation Package that you will get in Qatar. (housing, kids education, allowances, etc). As we say the corolla issue is “Peanut’ in comparison to the big picture.