Law No. 2 of 1961 on the Qatari Nationality (repealed)

Law Summary Record Type: LawNumber: 2Date: 01/01/1961 Corresponding to 14/07/1380 HijriNumber of Articles: 17Status: Canceled
Official Gazette :Issue: 2Offcial Journal Issue Publication Date: 01/01/1961 Corresponding to 14/07/1380 HijriPage from: 1905
طباعة
 



We, Ahmed Bin Ali Al-Thani, Ruler of Qatar,
Hereby promulgate the following Law:

Articles

Article 1

Qatari Nationals are those residents of Qatar who have been resident in the country since before 1930 and who have maintained regular legal residence in the country until the enforcement date of this Law. The residence of the ascendants shall be complementary to the residence of the descendants.
A person shall be deemed to have maintained their regular residence in Qatar even when in residence in a foreign country provided they had the intention of returning to Qatar.

Article 2

Any person born in Qatar or in a foreign country to a Qatari father shall be deemed to be a Qatari National.

Article 3

Any adult foreigner may acquire Qatari nationality, by decree, provided that:
  1. On the application date for Qatari nationality he and his family have been regular residents in Qatar for not less than twenty consecutive years, or fifteen consecutive years if he is an Arab thatis a native of an Arab country;
  2. He is free from impediments and has a lawful means of income;
  3. He is of good repute and has not been convicted of any offence impugning his honour;
  4. He has good knowledge of the Arabic language.  
In the application of the provisions of this Law, a person shall be deemed an adult, oncehe has reached 21 years of age.
In the application of Qatari nationality rules, priority shall be given to those applicants who have a technical adequacy for which Qatar has a need.

Article 4

In the event that an applicant for Qatari nationality dies before the issuance of a decree approving his application, and his application satisfies the required conditions, his wife and their minor children may be granted Qatari nationalityon a written request being submitted by the wife for this purpose.
Minor children shall choose theirnationality of origin during the year after they reach the age of adulthood.

Article 5

Qatari nationality may be granted to any Arab belonging to an Arab country, if he hasrendered services of great benefitto the Government of Qatar, even if the required conditions stated in Article 3 are not satisfied.

Article 6

Applications for Qatari nationality shall be submitted to the Director of the Directorate of Nationality, Immigration and Passports. Each applicant shall pay a fee of Fifty (50)Rupees and his application shall be attached with, in particular, the following documents:
1.      An official document proving his nationality at the time of submitting the application and a pledge to waive it immediately after being granted Qatari nationality;
2.      Testimony of four Qatari nationals living in the same area in which the applicant resides proving the following:
A      The date of entry intoQatar;
B      That he has madeQatarhis permanentplace of residence for him and his family;
C      The business he has practised since coming to the country;
D      The ability to make a living to cover his needs and the needs of his family;
E      Good repute and behaviour.
The witnesses shall be trustworthy persons and their signatures shall be certified by the competent authority.
3.      The official residence permit issued by the Directorate of Immigration, if the applicant has entered the country in 1378 A.H (1957 A.D) or at any pointthereafter.

Article 7

Qatari nationality may be reinstated, by decree, to Qataris who have left Qatar to seek a living in a neighbouring country and gained the nationality of this countryon an application being submitted together with the documents proving the following data:
A      The date of leaving Qatar to stay in a neighbouring country;
B      The duration of their stay in that country;
C      The nationality acquired during their stay outside Qatar;
D      The Workthatthey are practising orthat theyare ablepractise.

Article 8

Naturalized Qataris, according to the provisions of this Law, shall not standequalwith Qatari nationals in terms of the right to work in public positions or to work in general until five (5) years after the date of naturalization. Naturalized Qataris shall not be entitled to participate in elections or nominations, or be appointed in any representative body before ten years have elapsed from the date of their naturalization.
This provision shall be applied to those who already hold Qatari nationality before the enforcement of this Law.
The periods referred to in Article 7 shall be applicable from the time of publishing this Law.

Article 9

The wife of a naturalized person, according to the provisions of the Law, may be granted Qatari nationality, provided that her stay with him in Qatar extends for a period of at least one year from the date her husband acquired Qatari nationality.
The wife shall decide within one year following the date of her becoming aware that her husband has been granted Qatari nationality whether she wishes to retain her original nationality.
Minor children of such a foreign husbandshall be deemed Qataris, provided that they shall choose their original nationality during the year after they reach the age of majority.

Article 10

A foreign woman who marries a Qatari citizen may acquire Qatari nationality by stating her willingness to acquire such nationality to the Minister of Interior and has retained her marital status for a period of two years from the date ofstating such willingness.
The Ruler, on the presentation of the Minister of Interior and before the period of two years referred to in the preceding paragraph has elapsed, may issue a decision to deprive the wife of her right to acquire the Qatari nationality.

Article 11

A wife who has acquired Qatari nationality in accordance with the provisions of this Law shall not lose her nationality on any termination of the marital relationship, unless she has reverted to her original nationality, or unless she has acquired the nationality of another country.

Article 12

A Qatari woman who is married to a foreigner may acquire her husband's nationality if the Law of her husband's country permits, otherwise she may retain her Qatari nationality for one year following the date of the marriage contract.

Article 13

A Qatari woman who has lost her nationality in accordance with the provisions of Article 12 may revert to her Qatari nationality following the termination of the marital relationship if she so requests, and if her regular residence was in Qatar or if she has returned to reside in Qatar.

Article 14

Qatari nationality may be withdrawn from a naturalized Qatari, by decree, in any of the following circumstances:
1.      If nationality has been acquired by fraudulent means or false testimony;
2.      If, within the first five years of acquiring Qatari nationality, any of the following events occurred:
A      Conviction for crimes pertaining to honour;
B      Departure from the State for a period of two consecutive years without presenting supporting lawful justification for this absence;
Under any circumstances, Qatari nationality may be withdrawn from those who have acquired it by dependency.

Article 15

By decree, Qatari nationality may be stripped from a Qatari national if such person:
  1. Joins the military service of a foreign country, and persists in this enlistment despite an order issued by the Government of Qatar to desist therefrom;
  2. Acquires the nationality of a foreign country;
  3. Is employed by a foreign country with which Qatar is at war;
  4. Joins any Zionist authority or any authority whose purpose is to undermine the social and economic structure of Qatar;
  5. Is convicted of a crime which impugns his loyalty to the State of Qatar.
The removal of nationality in all aforementioned cases shall only apply to the person concerned unless it is proved that, in order to safeguard the higher interests of the State and necessary for the maintenance of public security, it is required otherwise.

Article 16

Without prejudice to any more severe penalties stipulated by any other legislation and issued by a judicial ruling, individuals attempting to present false statements or documents before competent authorities for the purpose of establishing or acquiring nationality for themselves or for others shall face a punishment of imprisonment for not more than one year and/or a fine of not more than Two Thousand (2,000) Rupees.

Article 17

All competent authorities, each within its own jurisdiction, shall implement this Law which shall come into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
The resolutions necessary for the implementation of this Law shall be issued by the Minister of Interior or the delegate thereof.