Months Before Departure

To confirm your job offer and make arrangements for your arrival, the school needs the following:

Your contract, signed at the back and initialled on each page.
A copy of the main details page (the one with the passport number, your name etc) of the passport you will be travelling on. These details are used for your entry visa, so if your passport is about to expire or you are changing your name it is essential it is the new passport details you supply.

On receipt, the school will proceed with visa, flight and accommodation arrangements.

Weeks Before Departure

The exact details of your flight should be given to you several weeks before departure - if concerned, contact us.

You should receive from us:

Airline tickets - these are normally sent PTA (ie we book and pay in Doha, but the ticket is physically issued at your point of departure and sent to you). If time is short for some reason, you may be asked to collect your ticket at the airport on the day of departure.
Copy of your visa - we normally arrange the work visa from here and lodge the original with passport control in Doha. You need to show your copy at check-in as proof of a valid visa waiting for you here in Doha, so be sure to have it with you when you fly.

You also need to consider what you will be bringing with you, and how you will get it here. The standard allowance for luggage when you fly is 20 kilos (the airlines normally use their discretion to allow passengers to exceed this by a few kilos). Do not feel obliged to bring more than this - you really can buy most things in Doha! If you choose to bring extra, your options are:

Excess baggage: You can pay at check-in to exceed your luggage allowance, but this is an expensive option for all but the smallest of quantities.
Baggage in advance: Once you have your airline ticket you can arrange to check-in your excess baggage in advance of departure. This is normally cheaper - contact the airline for details.
Freight: Air freight is also an option. The school uses International Freight Services as their shipping agent in Doha, and they have prepared an information sheet (*.pdf format) for new staff considering sending belongings by freight from London to Doha.

The Flight

Bring with you:

a copy of your visa
some cash (or credit card) for spending money
copy of teaching qualifications
bed linen (most of the matresses are 2m x 2m)

On arrival at Doha, proceed straight to passport control and on into the baggage hall. Porters will attempt to collect your bags for you - we suggest you decline their offers as trolleys are supplied free of charge and the airport is only small.

You will be met immediately the other side of customs by senior staff from the school. They will arrange:

transport to your accommodation
a QR2,000 advance of salary (approx GBP340)
your itinerary over the first few days

Note you will be asked for your passport at this stage, to process your residence permit.

The First Weeks

For the vast majority of staff, who arrive for the start of the academic year in September, a typical itinerary for the first week or two would include:

a brief tour of Doha
a trip to the shops to stock-up on household essentials
some form of reception
a trip to the medical centre (required to begin residency procedures)
five days in school with all other staff (but no students) preparing for the new academic year
clearing any personal belongings you sent by freight

The first week of the academic year there are no students in school. This allows time to prepare the school for the new term and prepare display boards.

The First Months

Establishing yourself in a new country takes time and effort, so you will find the first few months very busy ones! The school and other staff will assist where they can in helping you to:

open a bank account
obtain a driving licence
join social/sporting clubs
buy/rent a car (if required)
adjust to the local culture and environment

All this, coupled with work commitments, makes the first term a very busy one for new staff. However, once you are established you will find Doha an easy place to live in.

Important note:

It is not possible to leave Qatar while your residence permit is being processed. This can take up to 6 weeks.