Know Qatar Law: Up to QR10,000 fine for failure to report lost or damaged passports, residence permits

Expatriates who fail to report the loss or damage of their passport, travel document or residence permit can face a fine of up to QR10,000 under Qatar’s law regulating the entry, exit and residence of expatriates.

Article 15 of Law No. 21 of 2015 requires expatriates to notify the competent authority immediately upon discovering that any of these documents has been lost or damaged, and to obtain a replacement.

The reporting requirement covers both loss and damage. The article requires notification immediately upon discovery, rather than setting a grace period measured in days.

The penalty concerns failure to comply with the legal obligations; losing or damaging a document does not, by itself, constitute the violation described.

What is the penalty?

Article 40(2) expressly includes violations of Article 15 among offences punishable by a fine not exceeding QR10,000, without prejudice to any more severe penalty prescribed by another law.

QR10,000 is the statutory maximum, rather than a fixed fine automatically imposed in every case.

Other document obligations

Article 15 also requires expatriates, during their stay in Qatar, to present their passport, travel document or residence permit to the competent authority when requested. They must also provide the information requested within the period specified by that authority.

The same article therefore covers presenting documents when required, reporting their loss or damage immediately upon discovery, and obtaining replacements.

Under Article 1 of the law, the competent authority means the relevant administrative unit within the Ministry of Interior

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