Return Visa for residents can now be applied online or through Metrash 2

Expatriates seeking a “return visa” for people under personal sponsorship who have stayed out of the country for more than six months can now apply online or through Metrash 2, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said yesterday.

This is among the three new online services launched by the General Directorate of Borders, Passports and Expatriates Affairs at the ministry on January 17.

They can be accessed through Metrash2 mobile application and MoI web portal, the ministry said on its Twitter account.

The return visa will be issued for those who have a valid residence permit (RP). It will have one month validity, which means the visa holder can enter the country in one month after issuance of the return visa, explained the ministry.

This will simplify the procedures for many expatriates who earlier had to visit a MoI services centre to get the visas of their wives and children renewed, if they had stayed out of Qatar for more than six months.

The return visas normally had a validity of two weeks, which has now been extended to one month. This service carries a fee of QR500 per person.

Passport details of a foreigner can now be modified online if the person holds a valid entry visa to Qatar and his passport was lost or damaged. 

There are cases in which a visa holder lose or damage his/her passport before entering Qatar. In such cases, the sponsor or employer can update the passport details online by adding the new passport number and expiry date, the ministry explained.

In the case of expatriates holding two visas — one existing and another new— it is now possible to close one visa and open the other online using Metrash2 or MoI e-services, after paying the service charges. It is no more required to visit a services centre for this purpose, said the ministry. [The Peninsula]