Check your RP/Visa before you travel
Hey, a strange experience folks. When ever you are travelling please check if your RP / Visa is valid at least for a period of 6 months.
My RP expires on 16 Nov.2010, while the Immigration counter cleared with their seal, the guy Pravesh of Qatar Airways in the departure lounge never permitted me to board the flight at the last minute. I showed my return flight is within 48 hours, even if he wants me have a longer vacation,I cannot stay away, as I joined my employer 8 months back. I showed my EXIT permit and I am travelling to Muscat just for 2 days for a family commitment.
As per GCC regulations the Visa is stamped for 2 years and RP renewed every year, I don't know how the Visa was also stamped for one year in my case. He took me to his Supervisor another Kid of 24, 25 years ; I mentioned I have lived in the GCC for 24 years and I would not jeopardise my job nor their job, but the guy went on blabbering 'I don't want to lose my job' again and again. I pity the plight of these youngsters, who would not understand practicality - while my stay in the airport for 2 hours such chaos and passengers speaking high tone and getting away for excess baggage and what not, I politely asked me to show me the counter for processing the refund and walked home with disappointment, afterall a week end trip to Muscat and back was futile. Please check the RP well before you plan your trip, just a caution so that you do not face the same disappointment, specially if it is a annual vacation.
L.Balakrishnan
She is on a Ukrainian passport, so not one of the 33 that get visas on arrival...
i have a freind who experience the same as yours. He been told that the visa should be at least 3 months before it will expire on your date of departure. He was not able to travel to dubai as visit visa, and refund only 50% of his ticket fare. so better watch-out....
oliepogi yes I agree, I suspect it depends on the passport you are travelling on, I can't see why your RP has anything to do with visiting another country as a tourist, just depends on what passport you are travelling on...
just went for vacation last april and my visa expiration is july 2010. . i didnt have a problem with the immigration. . im back now and my visa is already renewed. .maybe the problem is with the passport. .
requirements, very specific that at the time you apply for a visit visa (to Canada), the RP should be at least 6 months before expiration!
but still "luck" must be always on your side! Lol!
Please advise am traveling in December with my RP valid till March, hope am cool?
I have a friend who used to travel frequently for courses in UAE.... on one trip she flew just a few days before her permit expired, but was only gone two days... no problem...
There must be more to this story...
Same here snessy, I just got back from Dubai today and was in Bahrain last month, and RP renewal is due next month!!
Load of crap, I recently flew with less than 6 months remaining on my RP!
I am all confused now.....if this is true, I need to extend my visa in September before going for vacation though it is valid upto January 2011???
OK this sounds totally bizarre to me, I believe you guys in what you are saying, this is Doha and theres no such thing as common sense here, and loads of stupid dumb ass rules in place. I travel within the GCC on a regualr basis, Dubai, Bahrain and Muscat and have never had this happen, my RP gets renewed every September, and I've just come back from Dubai. So if this 6 month thing stands how on earth do you travel, is there a special doc you get or what? Sorry if I'm sounding dumb here but it just sounds bizarre!!
No way, that really didn't make any sense.
BS
Imagine my plight yesterday afternoon, this happened on Thursday 5 Aug., afternoon for taking the QR 164 to Muscat. After they turned me, I was sent to the arrival lounge, at that particular point loads of passengers arrived and it took 45 minutes to clear my immigration for re-entry to Doha ; I walked over to Departure lounge to Qatar Airways counter, requested for refund, they deducted QR 170 and said, since this ticket purchased by Visa card you will get the refund to your Visa card after 10 working days, just walked out of the airport with total disappointment and frustration.
With regard to eligibility of Visa [as long as the title Manager is written on the RP], expatriates within the GCC can get the Visa on arrival ; I had been to Dubai last March and visa was obtained without any problem ;
Yes, it is for family visa as well ; please ask your sponsor to renew the visa and then proceed on leave, since it is 5 months for the expiry of the Visa
for 6 months RP as well as Passport,while on return journey at check in counters they will ckeck RP validity,if any passenger is denied entry on arrival the Airline he has flown must deport back to the point of Origin of the passenger at Airline cost,so check in staff make some fuss.
If the RP validity is current with out expiry definitely he can enter and he will pay fine if he dosent renew
I agree with Flan and a few others, passport has to be valid for 6 months, RP has nothing to do with going anywhere for a weekend or a few weeks holiday, its only purpose is to show you are legit to work in Qatar...
passport has to be valid for at least 6 months, not your RP.
nice review.. thanks for this node
I very much think that the issue was visa on arrival in Muscat which needs validity of RP for 6 months in any GCC country.
I have never heard of this before...
The passport needs 6months vadility at least... but the RP? If that was the case, most people would never travel, given that in normal employment circumstances some peoples RP's are normally about to come to an end and probably need renewing when they return from annual vaccation if they get annual leave...
and some people don't come back after there leave as their visa was going to expire anyway...
OK, that makes no sense! It's your passport that has to have 6 months on it to travel to/from Qatar! Did these guys not know the difference?
Mandi
I dont understand..
how cld they have stopped u from boarding after the immigrations folks cleared u?..
And moreover, the Visa can be renewed by hukoomi only 4 months before expiry or else the mandoob wld hav to go to the immigration Dept..
I m confused!!..
And was the issue period of validity of your visa or "eligibility of Visa on arrival" in Muscat?
Thanks for the info.
Does this apply for family visa as well? I am travelling in 2nd week of September for 2 weeks and my visa is valid till Jan 2011.