Relocating from Abu Dhabi to Doha

dominic11
By dominic11

I will be relocating from Abu Dhabi to Doha this coming August.  I will be driving my car from Abu Dhabi to Doha via Saudi Arabia (transit visa).

I am expecting the following requirements:

 

1.  Get and pay for the proper export papers and plates within the UAE.

2.  Pay for a transit visa to pass through Saudi Arabia.  I may have to aquire this transit visa at the Saudi Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

3.  At the Saudi-UAE border crossing, pay for insurance to cover me while passing through.

4.  Pay for temporary Qatari insurance somewhere near the Saudi-Qatar border.

5.  Register my vechicle and acquire insurance as soon as possible once I am in Qatar.

These are the broad strokes of what I expect.  Please inform me of what else I need to know and the expected costs.

 

Thank you very much for your kind assistance.

 

D.

By dominic11• 17 May 2014 14:06
dominic11

I found out today from a Chevrolet Dealership that Saudi Arabia does not allow one to export a car that is older than five years. However, someone at the Qatari consulate told me in person that it is no problem to bring a 2004 vehicle into the country. I need to corroborate this last bit of information.

By dominic11• 16 May 2014 19:05
dominic11

I was at the Saudi Embassy in Abu Dhabi recently to find out about getting a transit visa for the mere one hour or so needed to cross into Qatar. No one was able to help me. How deluded am I in thinking that as long as I show up at the UAE-Saudi border with a work-entry visa, proper vehicle export documentation, and a letter of employment from a Qatari institution, I will automatically be granted a 24-hour transit visa?

By dominic11• 13 May 2014 20:01
dominic11

I am trying to contact Muhammad Salah, as he is someone who comes recommended for obtaining KSA Transit Visas. The two Qatari telephone numbers I have for him are +974 4691161 and +974 6026304. Is one of these a cell number, to which I can send him a text message? Thanks.

By dominic11• 8 May 2014 22:23
Rating: 4/5
dominic11

This is what I found out today about exporting a vehicle from the UAE to Qatar.

1. Thirty days prior to your planned departure, go to your insurance company to set a cancel date for your insurance. Set the date to a few days after your planned departure. You should get a prorated refund for the unused portion of the insured period.

2. Twenty days or so before your intended move, take your vehicle to an inspection center for an export inspection. Pay 120AED. If anything needs repairing, get it repaired and return to the inspection center. One retest is free within 30 days of the initial inspection.

3. A day before you intend to physically leave the UAE with your car (or the morning of departure), go to the inspection center again and pay 300AED for export papers and 50AED for blue export plates.

4. Pay 100AED for four days of export insurance. You now have four days to get the car from the UAE to your destination.

sankarguhan: Most likely I'll be working in Doha for September and October awaiting my RP. Even if I were to to ship my car via road cargo, I still would not be able to insure and register it in Qatar until I had my RP and Qatari ID. My understanding is that the export documents and export plates allow me to drive the vehicle to Doha, where I will have to find somewhere to park it for two months or so, while I wait for the necessary Qatari documents.

Another option is to find someone I can trust to insure and register the car for me, though I believe that it would still be illegal for me to drive a non-rental vehicle in Qatar without an RP. That's the way it works in the UAE, though many people do manage to drive non-rental vehicles on only a work-entry visa for the first month or so they are in-country.

By dominic11• 6 May 2014 12:39
dominic11

Thank you for your replies.

sankarguhan: I will be entering Qatar on only a work entry visa. The residence visa will come a bit later.

Maria Issa and Jones10: I'm relocating for work. Specifically, I am relocating from Al Ain to Doha. Jones10, please tell me more about how the sponsorship system in Qatar is changing. Is it a change for the better or for the worse? All my research tells me that if one is not into the social nightlife scene, Doha is an enjoyable place to live and work.

By Jones10• 5 May 2014 14:36
Jones10

Hahaha @ Maria Gud Question ,but i guess it's becoz sponsorship system in Qatar is changing soon that's one reason ,second reason he'll tell u...

By maria issa• 5 May 2014 08:14
maria issa

:( why would you come from Abu Dhabi to Doha :"(

By sankarguhan• 5 May 2014 07:56
Rating: 5/5
sankarguhan

To drive your car into Qatar, First you should have a residence permit of Qatar. It is always better to send your car through cargo by road, which will cost approx 3500 DHS, depending on your car model and price. I came from Abu Dhabi to Qatar and brought my car through cargo, which is safe. If you drive you would save money, but need Qatar Visa.

By Molten Metal• 5 May 2014 06:40
Rating: 2/5
Molten Metal

90 % complete .............................................................................. Mon, 05.05.2014 , 06.45 hrs

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