Transferring a family member's sponsorship in Qatar

How to move a spouse or child from one sponsor to another in Qatar: from father to husband after marriage, from father to mother, when children turn 18 or 25, and between family and work residence.

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026

Who applies: The new sponsor (a job switch goes through the Ministry of Labour)
Approval needed: A no-objection certificate (NOC) from the current sponsor or employer
Time: Often 1 to 3 weeks after a complete application (reported)
Age limits: Sons up to 25; daughters while unmarried

Everyone in Qatar who is not working for an employer lives under a sponsor, usually a husband or father. When life changes, that sponsorship often has to move: a daughter marries and moves from her father to her husband, a mother takes over her children's sponsorship, a son reaches the age limit, or a wife starts or stops working. This guide covers those transfers for people already living in Qatar. The pattern is almost always the same: the new sponsor checks they qualify, the current sponsor (or employer) gives approval, the new sponsor applies in the Metrash app, and a new Qatar ID (QID) is issued once the fee is paid. Moving into a job is the exception: it goes through the Ministry of Labour instead.

Before you start

The family member's valid passport and current QID, with at least a few months left on both if possible
Proof of relationship: an attested marriage certificate for a spouse, an attested birth certificate for a child (a Qatari birth certificate needs no attestation)
The new sponsor's QID and Metrash account on a phone number registered in their own name
The new sponsor's employment contract showing salary and job title, plus a recent salary certificate
Three to six months of bank statements showing salary credits; many banks print a salary-credit statement for Metrash on request
The current sponsor's agreement to give a no-objection certificate (NOC) in Metrash, or a court custody order if a parent refuses
For a divorced or widowed parent: the attested divorce decree, custody ruling or death certificate, translated into Arabic or English
All files scanned as clear JPG images, small enough for Metrash (residents report under about 500 KB each)

Step by step

Work out which transfer you need
Most family transfers are one of five cases: a daughter who marries moves from her father to her husband; children move from their father to their mother; a child reaches an age limit; a dependant starts a job; or a working spouse stops working and moves to the family sponsor. In every case except starting a job, the person who will become the new sponsor applies through the Ministry of Interior (MOI), and the current sponsor gives approval. Starting a job goes through the Ministry of Labour (MOL) instead, covered in a later step. Each person is transferred separately, so a mother and three children are four applications.
Check that the new sponsor qualifies
The new sponsor has to meet the same rules as someone bringing family from abroad. Since December 2023, a private-sector sponsor needs a non-labour (technical or specialised) job title plus a contract salary of at least QAR 10,000 a month, or at least QAR 6,000 with family housing written into the contract; government and semi-government staff need family housing or QAR 10,000. Salary is read from the electronic employment contract and bank credits, so allowances paid in cash do not help. Children aged 6 to 18 must be in school. Meeting the rules does not guarantee approval, and a rejection for low salary will not change if you simply reapply.
Read guide: Bring your family to Qatar →
If a mother will sponsor the children
The residency law does not restrict family sponsorship to men, and working mothers do sponsor their children, but the MOI decides each case. In practice approval is most likely for women in professional jobs such as doctors, nurses, teachers and engineers who meet the salary rule. Where both parents work in Qatar, residents report the MOI may look at the household salary together, and it will usually want the father's consent. A divorced mother normally needs the father's NOC or a court ruling giving her custody, attested and translated if issued abroad; a widowed mother needs the death certificate. Confirm what is needed for your situation before you collect documents.
Get the documents ready
Attestation is the slowest part, so start early. A marriage that took place abroad needs the certificate attested in the issuing country and then by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Doha; a marriage registered at a Qatari court already has a local document. Ask the new sponsor's bank for a salary-credit statement and HR for a salary certificate. Scan each document as one clear JPG, merging two-sided pages into one image, and keep them in one folder on the phone that will be used for Metrash.
Read guide: Attesting marriage and birth certificates for Qatar →
Current sponsor issues the approval (NOC)
The transfer cannot start without the current sponsor's approval. If that is a parent or spouse, they open Metrash, go to Residency, then Change Employer, choose Issue Sponsor Approval, enter the family member's QID and choose the NOC type 'Change to New Employer'. The NOC is generated in the app straight away. If the current sponsor is an employer, its PRO (the staff member who handles government paperwork) issues the approval from the company side. If a parent refuses, the transfer usually cannot go ahead without a court order, so talk it through first.
Read guide: Metrash: registering and using Qatar's Ministry of Interior app →
New sponsor applies in Metrash
The new sponsor logs in to their own Metrash and opens the Change Employer service in the Residency section, choosing the personal or family-relationship option rather than a company transfer. Enter the family member's QID, check the details that appear, and upload the marriage or birth certificate, salary certificate, bank statement and any other papers asked for. Submit and note the application number. Residents report that if the option does not appear, the sponsor's labour contract is not yet linked to their record; ask your employer to fix that first.
Track the application and answer quickly
Follow the application in Metrash; the status moves through stages such as Under Process and Under Review. Residents commonly report a decision within one to two weeks, though some take longer. If the MOI asks for a clearer or extra document, upload it as soon as you can, because unanswered requests can lead to rejection. If nothing moves after a couple of weeks, go to the Passports department or an MOI service centre with originals, or call the MOI.
Pay the fee and collect the new QID
When the transfer is approved, the new sponsor gets a message and pays the fee shown in Metrash by card; the amount is not published clearly, so check it on screen. A new QID showing the new sponsor is then issued. You can have it delivered by Qatar Post for a small extra fee or collect it from an MOI service centre. Check the new card and Metrash: the sponsor's name, the expiry date and the spelling of the name should all be correct.
Read guide: Get your Qatar ID (residence permit) →
When a child turns 18 or 25
Turning 18 does not end a child's family residence, but several things change. Adult children are now asked for a police clearance certificate on new applications, they need a phone line in their own name to use Metrash themselves, and they can apply to work. Sons can stay on a parent's sponsorship up to age 25 and daughters as long as they are unmarried; the law lets the minister waive the age limit, but do not count on it. Start planning a few months before a son's 25th birthday: the usual options are a job (which moves him to work residence), a student residence through a university that sponsors students, or leaving Qatar before his permit lapses.
Read guide: Police clearance certificate (good conduct) in Qatar →
Moving from family to work residence
A spouse or adult child who finds a job switches from family to work residence through the MOL, without leaving Qatar. Either the employer adds them as a worker on the MOL online platform, or they apply themselves through the 'Join the Labour Market' service and enter the employer's details. They need a valid QID, a National Address registration, a National Authentication System (NAS) login and a phone number in their own name. If the MOL approves, the contract is attested, the employer pays the fees and the change is sent to the MOI automatically. The details of working while staying on family sponsorship are in a separate guide.
Read guide: Working in Qatar on your spouse's or parent's sponsorship →
Moving from work to family residence
If a wife or adult child stops working and wants to move under a family sponsor, do not let the employer simply cancel the work permit first; a cancelled permit starts a short countdown to leave Qatar. Instead, agree a last working day, get the employer to issue its approval for the transfer and close the contract with the MOL, then let the family sponsor apply for the change as above. The family sponsor must meet the salary rules, and the move only happens once the MOI approves it. Settle end-of-service pay and leave before the contract closes.
Read guide: Cancelling a residence permit in Qatar: dependants, employer and the 14-day rule →
Tidy up after the transfer
A transfer does not move anyone else automatically. If a wife moves from her father to her husband and she already has children on her sponsorship, or children move from father to mother, check each person's sponsor in Metrash and transfer the rest separately. Renewals from now on are done by the new sponsor. Update your bank, school and health insurance records with the new QID, and if the new sponsor manages things for the family, set up delegation in Metrash so adult dependants can use services on their own phones.
Read guide: Renew your Qatar ID →

What it costs

Transfer of sponsorship fee	Shown in Metrash before payment (not published)
Qatar Post QID delivery (optional)	QAR 20 (reported)
Overstay after a permit expires or is cancelled	QAR 10 per day
Attestation, translation, police clearance	Varies by country and document

Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.

Common mistakes

Letting a dependant's QID or the sponsor's own permit get close to expiry before starting; a transfer needs a valid permit, and an expired one brings daily fines
Applying when the new sponsor's salary is below the threshold and hoping it will pass; a salary rejection will not change on reapplication
Asking an employer to cancel a working wife's permit before the family transfer, which starts the clock to leave Qatar
Assuming children follow their mother automatically when her sponsorship moves; each person is a separate transfer
Leaving a son's sponsorship until after his 25th birthday instead of arranging work or study residence in advance
Uploading PDFs, blurry photos or the wrong person's salary papers in Metrash, which leads to requests for more documents or rejection
Using a phone line registered to someone else, so the dependant cannot register for Metrash or the MOL platform

Questions people ask

I just got married. Do I need my father's NOC to move to my husband's sponsorship?

Yes. The current sponsor's approval is required, and your father issues it from his own Metrash under Residency > Change Employer > Issue Sponsor Approval. Your husband then applies with your attested marriage certificate and his salary papers. If your father is not in Qatar or will not cooperate, ask the MOI what it will accept before applying.

My husband earns less than QAR 10,000. Can he still take my sponsorship?

Under the rules in force since December 2023, a private-sector sponsor needs at least QAR 10,000, or at least QAR 6,000 with family housing written into his contract, and a non-labour job title. Below that, a transfer is likely to be rejected, and reapplying with the same salary will not help. You can stay on your current sponsorship until his salary or contract changes.

Can a mother sponsor her children in Qatar?

Yes, in many cases, but the MOI decides each one. Working mothers in professional jobs who meet the salary rule are commonly approved, usually with the father's consent. If the father lives abroad or the parents are divorced, expect to need his attested NOC or a custody ruling.

I am divorced and my children are on my ex-husband's sponsorship. How do I move them to me?

You apply as the new sponsor, but you need either his approval in Metrash or a court decision on custody. You must also meet the salary and job rules on your own. If he refuses and there is no custody order, talk to the Family Court or a lawyer before applying.

My son turns 25 next year. Can he stay on my sponsorship?

Not normally. Sons can be sponsored up to 25, and only the minister can waive the age limit. Before his birthday he should move to a work visa through an employer, or a student residence if his university sponsors students, or plan to leave before his permit lapses.

My wife found a job. Does she have to leave Qatar to switch to a work visa?

No. Since October 2023 the Ministry of Labour has an online service to change from family to work residence inside Qatar. The employer starts it, or she does through 'Join the Labour Market', and the MOI updates her residence automatically once it is approved.

If I move my wife to my sponsorship, do the children move too?

No. Each person's sponsorship is separate, so check every family member in Metrash and apply for each one you want to move. Make sure you meet the rules for sponsoring all of them.

How long does a family sponsorship transfer take and what does it cost?

Residents usually report one to two weeks after a complete application, sometimes longer. The transfer fee is shown in Metrash before you pay, and QID delivery by Qatar Post is extra. Attestation of certificates often takes longer than the transfer itself.

Official sources

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

Transferring a family member's sponsorship in Qatar

Before you start

Step by step

Work out which transfer you need

Check that the new sponsor qualifies

If a mother will sponsor the children

Get the documents ready

Current sponsor issues the approval (NOC)

New sponsor applies in Metrash

Track the application and answer quickly

Pay the fee and collect the new QID

When a child turns 18 or 25

Moving from family to work residence

Moving from work to family residence

Tidy up after the transfer

What it costs

Common mistakes

Questions people ask

Official sources

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