Qatar
Last update 04 January 2025Diplomatic missions
Risk index
Level 2: Increased cauion (Be informed on the current situation in the country beforehand)
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The State of Qatar
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the State of Qatar
Address: West Bay, Dafna Area, Zone 66, Waraqa Bin Nawfal str. # 848, P.O. Box 23812, Doha, State of Qatar
Telephone: +974 44120023
Fax: +974 44120024
Out-of-hours hotline: +97450511812
Working hours: Sun – Thu, 08:00 – 14:30
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mfa.bg/embassies/qatar
Embassy of the State of Qatar in Sofia
Address: 1504 Sofia, 4 Vasil Aprilov St.,
Telephone: +359 865 01 94; 865 02 39
Fax: +359 865 02 39
General information
Security level:
The level of crime in Qatar is extremely low.
Healthcare:
Qatar has a high-quality healthcare system.
Recommended vaccines and personal hygiene advice:
Observe strict personal hygiene.
Customs requirements:
There are no official restrictions on the import and export of currency in Qatar, except for the currency of the State of Israel, which is prohibited. Qatar prohibits the import of explosives, weapons, alcohol, pork (including in the form of sausages), printed or video material with political or pornographic content, drugs, wireless transmitters and communications equipment. The contents of videotapes, books, compact discs, and printed materials are subject to inspection. If import of prohibited materials is found, the most severe penalties, including imprisonment, apply. It is prohibited to bring alcohol on board Qatar Airways aircraft travelling to Doha, regardless of whether passengers are transiting through Qatar.
Details of customs requirements for Qatar can be downloaded from HERE
Road traffic:
The main mode of transport is private cars and taxis, services of urban and intercity bus transport are also available. Road traffic requires special attention — especially due to the high speed (100—120 km/h). The use of seat belts is mandatory. Drunk driving can lead to imprisonment and extradition!
Practical advice:
Bulgarian citizens should comply with Islamic norms of behaviour in Qatar and other countries in the region. Alcohol consumption is not allowed outside high category hotels. Clothing should be in accordance with local ideas of decency (thin-strapped T-shirts, shorts and skirts, low-cut necklines, see-through clothing, etc. are inappropriate).
Acts of intimacy with the opposite sex in public places may lead to arrest by the police. Photographs should not be taken near sites of national importance: government institutions, diplomatic missions, military bases, oil and gas fields and refineries.
Emergency phone (police, ambulance): 999.
All payments to the state — fees for the issuance of documents, are made only by cards (debit or credit). Cash payments are not accepted.
Local currency:
Qatari Riyal (QAR)
QAR 3.65 = USD 1 (fixed rate)
Climatic characteristics:
Temperate desert climate with long, hot summers and short winters with little rainfall.
Others:
Capital: Doha.
Larger cities: Al Khor, Wakrah, Mesaieed, Al Shamal, Dukhan, Ras Laffan, etc. Population: 2.05 million inhabitants, with 87% of the population residing in the capital Doha.
Official language: Arabic. English is widely spoken. Official documents are in Arabic, and only some of the forms are bilingual — with English translation.
Working hours: state institutions are open from 7:00 to 14:00. Private companies work mostly from 8:00–12:00 in the morning and 16:00–20:00 in the afternoon. Friday and Saturday are non-working days.
Religion: The official religion of the State of Qatar is Islam. In Doha, there are also prayer temples of other religions, including an Eastern Orthodox temple.
Travel papers and visas
Valid international passport and Qatar entry visa, which is obtained from the Embassy of Qatar in Sofia. For a tourist visa, applicants must submit the following documents: a passport valid for at least six months from the date of application;
- a copy of the passport;
- a bank statement for the last 3 months (with a balance of at least EUR 1,200);
- two passport size photos.
The validity of the visa is 3 months from the date of issue. The visa must not be expired when you enter the country. The holder of a tourist visa can stay in the country for up to one month.
As of 21 June 2017, the State of Qatar has decided to immediately issue tourist visas to Bulgarian citizens with a validity period of one month upon arrival at the border crossing points in the country. This will be possible under the following conditions:
— Citizens must present an international passport with remaining validity period of at least six months;
— They must have a return ticket to and from the State of Qatar;
— They must have a hotel reservation and carry a minimum of USD 1,500 or a credit card;
— They have paid a fee of 100 Qatari Riyals.
Consular service
Consular services
Bulgarian identity documents
The Consular Office of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Doha has been equipped with a biometric counter for processing and forwarding applications for Bulgarian identity documents (passport, identity card, driving licence), as well as for issuing Emergency Travel Documents.
Legalizations and Certifications
Qatar is not a party to the 1961 Hague Convention and there is no bilateral legal assistance agreement between Bulgaria and Qatar, therefore the Embassy certifies the seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar. The same applies to documents/deeds drawn up in Bulgaria, which should bear the seal of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, be certified by the consular office at the Embassy of Qatar in Sofia or the Bulgarian Embassy in Doha, and then be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar.
Civil status
Birth of a child of a Bulgarian national
When a child is born on the territory of Qatar and one or both parents are Bulgarian citizens, they must notify the Consular Office of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Qatar.
Within six months the parents of a new-born child shall be provided with a birth certificate, which shall be first certified with a signature and a stamp by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Interior of the State of Qatar and then by the Consular Office with the Embassy in Doha. It should be then provided with a translation into Bulgarian, certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, and sent to the municipality of the permanent address of the mother or of the parent who is a Bulgarian citizen.
Conclusion of marriage
Marriage can be concluded in the Bulgarian Embassy in Qatar. Marriage to a foreign national may be concluded before the consular officer if the native law of the foreign citizen so permits, and this is attested by an official document.
Every Bulgarian citizen, before planning to get married at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Qatar, must apply to the Consular Office for a date and time of the marriage ceremony by submitting the following documents: medical certificates; birth certificates; identity documents of the future spouses and witnesses; certificate of marital status issued by the municipality of residence in the Republic of Bulgaria; declarations to be completed by the persons before the marriage ceremony.
Marriages concluded in accredited embassies or in local churches registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar shall only be recognised if performed between persons of a different nationality and religion other than Quatrain, upon presentation of a duly certified and legalized certificate. The certificate should be registered in the municipality of the husband's permanent address, and if he is not a Bulgarian citizen – in the municipality of the wife's permanent address.
Death of a Bulgarian citizen
In the event of the death of a Bulgarian citizen on the territory of Qatar, the Consular Office must be notified in a timely manner.
The death certificate should be duly certified and legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Doha, provided with an officially certified translation into Bulgarian by translation companies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria. The document is sent or filed in Bulgaria to the municipality of the person's permanent address. The Consular Office with the Embassy is ready to render assistance on matters related to the death of Bulgarian citizens.