Having a child out of wedlock in Qatar
Hello everyone,Â
I have really appreciated reading all the candid information on the site. I'm new to this community. You seem to be a wonderful group of people and incredibly helpful. I am Canadian and am considering taking a position for several years in Qatar. Â
I have posted this same question on other Qatar forums and hope to receive advice from those in the know.  During the time of my stay I was planning on having a child by artificial insemination (done in Canada or Europe).  The point is that I would be doing this on purpose without a father to put on a birth certificate.  If I don’t do this over the next couple of years, I will be beyond childbearing age and my window of opportunity will have closed.   Elsewhere in the world this is not a legal problem for expats (though it may be a social one).  I have read that in Qatar if a child is born out of wedlock and/or without a known father (both of which would be my case) that the child is taken away.  I have also heard that, in the event that I decided to go back to Canada to have the baby and avoid that problem, and then tried to get the child sponsored on my residency visa in Qatar, that I would not be allowed for the same reason, no father on the birth certificate.   I have worked in other countries where workmates have chosen to have children as single women and have not had any problem but fear that in Qatar the situation may be much more difficult.  I’d hate to have to have two choose between these two big life decisions but I’m afraid it may come to that. Do any of you know of anyone that has been in this situation?  Any sage advice? If the legal hurdle can be jumped, the next issue is the social one. Is one ostracized, either in western companies, or by compatriots and other expats for being an intentionally (or perhaps unintentionally) single mother? Any information/advice would be very gratefully received. Thank you!
"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"
Gal. 4:16
The bottom line is this.... YOur idea is not acceptable in Qatar legally. No way ma'm....
You could check & ask a scholar at www.islamonline.net & www.islamweb.net
Having a child without marriage causes a person problems in Islam. The father should be the biological father & the mother should be the biological mother. The biological father & the biological mother should be married.
I wonder if Islam allows people to save eggs & sperms of live & married couples to produce children in the future. That would be an option for you.
The answer I had from the Canadian authorities was the following. They are not the final word on what Qatari officials would do but it was frightening nonetheless:
A woman giving birth in Qatar without a father would encounter serious difficulties. The child would not be released until the father had been "recognised" by the local authorities, and possibly could be taken away from the mother, depending on the circumstances. We've had Canadian parents who had children born here having problems to have the child released form the hospital and obtaining a birth certificate until they could prove to the authorities here that they were legally married.
A child born to a Canadian parent is a Canadian citizen regardless of where he/she was born. If your child was born here, he would not acquire Qatari citizenship as only the father can transmit citizenship to a child. Therefore, should you have a child here and assuming that you would be able to overcome the difficulties of having a child "out of wedlock", your child would be in the eyes of the local authorities a Canadian citizen only. You would need to obtain a Canadian passport for the child, and then sponsor him/her as your dependant for a Residency Permit.
If you were to have a child in Canada and come to work in the region, the child would have a Canadian passport and you could sponsor him/her without problems. However, should the child be of schooling age, you could once again encounter problems as the child's birth certificate that would be required would show the child fatherless. Even divorced mothers must provide proof of divorce for matters concerning the children.
Hi CanadianinQatar,
I do not think you will be ostracized by the community. You will not be the only single parent in Qatar (I know what you are saying).
Regarding visa, you will need to check with Immigration who will be the right people to give you a proper answer.
Angelo