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Converting a Foreign Driving Licence in Qatar
Document Checklist
QID
Qatar ID (QID)
Required: Original presented; copy retained
Cost: Free (issued separately)
A residence permit still in processing is not sufficient — the QID card must be in hand before any exchange step opens.
Original foreign driving licence
Required: Original valid (not expired)
Cost: Free
Physical card only. The original is presented at the counter; a copy is retained for the file.
Certified Arabic translation of the foreign licence
Where to get: Certified translator in Doha or accredited driving school
Required: Original certified translation
Cost: Operator-set; range varies
Not required where the licence is already in Arabic or English. Preparing the translation in advance avoids being turned back at the counter.
Passport with residence-permit visa page
Required: Original plus copies (passport bio page + RP visa page)
Cost: Free
Passport-size photographs
Required: Three to four colour photos, recent
Cost: QR 15-30 at a photo studio
Reporting varies between three and four; the safe number is four.
Eye-test certificate
Where to get: Approved optician, driving school in Qatar, or a Qatar Visa Centre in your home country
Required: Original certificate
Cost: QR 25-50
The home-country Qatar Visa Centre option lets arriving workers compress preparation by completing the eye test before arrival.
NOC
No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from sponsor
Issued by: Sponsor via the Metrash2 mobile app (Traffic → License Service → License NOC)
Required: Original digital NOC linked to your QID
Cost: Free
The sponsor enters your QID, selects New Issue and the licence category. The Ministry of Interior is migrating to a renamed Metrash application; confirm which app to use at the point of request. Not required for Qatari males; required for Qatari females (issued by a guardian).
Sponsor commercial registration and identification copies
Required: Copy of trade licence + copy of sponsor ID
Cost: Free
Provided by the sponsor alongside the NOC. Skip this item if you are a GCC national applying outside Qatari sponsorship.
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