RP & TRAVEL - BEWARE

well i would like to share my experience.I am a cabin crew for qatar airways.As far as i know if you have RP less than 3 months U can go anywhere as long as you have the visa of that particular country.

As far as UAE is concern i dont know abt these guys coz ive got visa on arrival even my RP was expiring in 2 months.but generally ABU DHABI IMMIGRATION IS pretty stiff but dubai allow u even less than 3 months Expiry.

Thank you for clarifying QS.

listen to me everbody, i will claryfy things. Rolling Stone, it"s not that you CANNOT leave Qatar when your RP is going to expire in less then 3 months. It is because you cannot obtain a visa on arrival in the GCC countries. If you don't belong to citizens of 33 countries, who can obtain visa on arrival in any GCC country any time, you still have a prevelage to obtain visa on arrival in case you have both RP in one of these countries and senior position in this RP. BUT.. when your RP remains less than 3 months, you cannot obtain visa on arrival in GCC country. This is the rule. If you were going to travel to your country of origin, it wouldn't be a problem, you COULD leave Qatar. But since (I am sure) your destination was one of GCC countries (most likely Dubai), they won't let you go, because they know Dubai won't let you in..

i hope it's clear

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“You become responsible forever for what you have tamed”. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

6 months back I have the experience from Qatar Airways when I want to visit Dubai. My RP vas only valid for 45 days, without know about this I went to airport. When I reach for boarding pass QA staff check my passport and tell me I can't fly because my RP is valid only 45 days and you should have minimum 3 months to travel to UAE.

Then QA supervisor suggest me go to Emirates and check with them, and when I approch the station charge of Emirates she told me, no problem cancel your QA ticket and get a new ticket from outside travel office for Emirates. I did that and I went to Dubai with Emirates half an hour later.

Rolling Stone, sorry to hear that. I assume no Dubai trip with the family ?

Thanks Binugafoor

Went to the airport today and asked the Qatar Airways check-in staff. They advised that for travel within the GCC, your RP should be valid for at least 3 months and for travel to Bahrain & Kuwait its 6 months, regardless of nationality.

The issue for me could be at Dubai where immigration could refuse entry for my maid given that her RP expires in June. I'm pretty sure I've travelled to Bahrain with less than 6 months left on my RP but who knows how thoroughly this is checked or if nationality really is an issue.

Nothing left to do but renew her RP. The PRO my company uses says it takes a week which I doubt is entirely true but who am I to question? Just have to kiss QR1500 goodbye for cancellations of flight & hotel bookings. C'est la vie

I've heard of this 3-months rule too restricting sponsored people from travelling out of Doha. However I have never till date faced an issue travelling out of Doha, even to Dubai in the last 3 months before RP expiry. There were no special requirements for the renewal as well after I returned back to Doha, just the same old simple procedure to sign on the Q-ID form and fees.

Like another member mentioned in a comment above, it may just be an unfortunate case of profiling...

Anyways, my suggestion to you, if you are as worried about this issue, just have the renewal organised immediately, because it does not take even a day for the renewal of your RP. Only 5 minutes if you or your PRO (Mandoob) goes to the Immigration Dept. with the required docs & money.

Cheers!

for the money you pay them.

Try calling Qatar Airways (449-6666) and asking the reservation agents and their supervisors. I've just been on the phone with them several times this a.m. and they've confirmed that anyone with less than 3 months remaining RP validity will not be allowed to travel on trips of less than 3 months.

I find this hard to believe as well but I've now heard it from 4 different sources within Qatar Airways reservations.

Only way of checking for sure is to call Qatar Immigration but they aren't picking up the phone. Maybe closed today

Stop rolling mr rolling stone and get your facts right. There is no such law.

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Listen to Many..Speak to a few.

I've since been advised that this was a problem because I was traveling to the UAE and their immigration authorities apply the 3-month rule. Qatar Immigration will check RP's if your destination is the UAE and you won't be allowed to depart if any RP's have less than 3 months validity.

Has anyone else heard of this?

To clarify where I got this information, I was told this was the case by Qatar Airways booking agents at their main booking office on airport road and also at City Centre.

I didn't actually say it had anything to do with Qatar Airways, only that it would be nice if they checked RP's before making the bookings rather than make the bookings, checking RP's and then then charging US$25/person to cancel & rebook.

So you can leave, it just means you've got to reapply for your RP when you return. Hence the original statement that you can't leave is not true.

And it still has nothing to do with Qatar Airways, or any other airline for that matter.

It is true. I work for a large multinational company and we are aware of it..

You can leave but you need to start your RP all over again.So unless you or sponsor wants to pay for this that maybe the reason.

I'm pretty certain that's not the case, and even it was it has nothing to do with Qatar Airways.

I have done it numerous times, as have my colleagues. Sounds to me like your sponsor is trying to pull a fast one.

A life unexamined is not worth living -- Socrates

i doubt there is any rule that way.

That is news to me. I have exit many times within three months of RP renewal. It sounds more like profiling to me.