Qatar Explains How Many Years Foreigners Must Live in Country Before Applying for Citizenship
- Qatar's government has outlined the official requirements foreigners must meet before they can apply for Qatari citizenship
- One of the key conditions involves a minimum period of consecutive lawful residence in the country before any application can be considered
- Applicants must also meet strict conduct, language, and financial requirements, and face a significant trade-off regarding dual nationality
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Qatar has officially set out what it takes for a foreigner to become a citizen, and the bar is notably high.
The Qatari government, through its official Hukoomi portal, has published detailed guidelines explaining how non-Qatari residents can apply for citizenship under Law No.38 of 2005 on the Acquisition of Qatari Nationality.
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The law, which revoked the earlier Law No.2 of 1961, stipulates that citizenship may only be granted through an Amiri Decree, meaning the process is neither automatic nor guaranteed.
Qatari Citizenship: Years of Continuous Residence Required
The most demanding of the four core requirements is residency. A foreign national must have lived lawfully in Qatar for a minimum of 25 consecutive years before filing a citizenship application.
The rules do allow for some time spent outside the country during this period, but only within strict limits. A resident may not spend more than two months per year outside Qatar, and any time beyond that threshold will not count toward the required years.
If an applicant leaves Qatar after submitting their application and remains abroad for more than six months, the Minister of Interior holds the authority to nullify their entire previous residency period.
Beyond the residency requirement, applicants must demonstrate that they have legitimate and sufficient means to support themselves financially. They must also show good conduct, with no final criminal conviction for offences involving dishonour or breach of trust, whether inside or outside Qatar. A working knowledge of the Arabic language is equally required.
Qatari Citizenship: Children and Dual Nationality Rules
The law also addresses the situation of children connected to Qatari nationals. Sons and daughters of Qatari women are given priority when nationality applications are considered.
Children of naturalised Qatari fathers are automatically regarded as naturalised Qatari citizens themselves, regardless of whether they were born in Qatar or elsewhere.
One condition that applies to all successful applicants is particularly consequential: anyone granted Qatari citizenship must renounce any other nationality they hold. Qatar does not permit dual citizenship, so acquiring a Qatari passport means giving up ties to one's country of origin.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
