Qatar is a country little known as a destination for living abroad, but it is at the top of the list of the world’s richest countries, highly developed, and does not charge taxes to its citizens. We took our time to research and conducted some interviews so as to provide you with the right information about this wonderful country.
Getting to know Qatar
Qatar is a Middle Eastern country that borders Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. As such, it tops Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s richest countries due to its vast oil reserves.
The Arab country has 2.9 million inhabitants, 80% of whom are foreigners. The official language is Arabic, but almost the entire population speaks English, which is considered a second language.
Qatar is also considered the safest country in the world, with the lowest risk of natural disasters, due to its privileged location on the Persian Gulf. Furthermore, there is no robbery there, and Qatar is the host of the 2022 World Cup.
What is it like to live in Qatar?
Below is the full interview with marketing professional Isabela Zimmermann Schweder and airplane pilot Guilherme Zimmermann Schweder. They have lived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, for 5 years.
1) How did the opportunity to live in Qatar arise?
My husband Guilherme is a pilot. He always dreamed of flying all over the world, and in 2016 he applied to work in the Middle East.
2) Did you know anything about the country before moving to Qatar?
Guilherme got to know the country during the company’s selection process; he had little time to go sightseeing, but he visited key areas of the city to get an idea of what to expect. We had already visited the United Arab Emirates, we have many friends in Dubai, and we had the idea that Doha would be a slightly smaller Dubai —that’s how people always referred to the city.
I only knew the city from photos. I only really got to know it a month and a half later, when I came to visit while Guilherme was already on a course at the new company. So, I finally went there permanently three months later.
3) What was the visa process like for living in Qatar? Was it difficult?
The visa process to live in Qatar was very easy. Guilherme came with an employment contract, so all his paperwork was taken care of by the company.
As his wife, it’s a very simple process. The company is his sponsor (visa sponsor) in the country, and he is my sponsor. However, while still in our origin country, we had the documents translated into English by a certified translator.
Upon Guilherme’s arrival in Qatar, he had to translate all the documents back into Arabic, so when I arrived it was a matter of presenting the documents to the government at an immigration department exclusively for the company, meaning no queue, and within days I was duly registered as a resident of Qatar.
There are requirements to become a resident; they conduct medical exams, and you need to be free of certain diseases to be approved, including tuberculosis and HIV.
Interesting fact: To get a driver’s license, you need your husband’s authorization. (This is a matter of sponsorship, as he is the legal guardian, just as the company becomes Guilherme’s legal guardian; therefore, it has nothing to do with religion or prejudice. Similarly, he needs the company’s authorization for loans, financing, opening bank accounts, etc.)
4) How was the adaptation to the country and to such a different culture?
I think the hardest part wasn’t the culture. When you have an open mind, understand and accept what is different, it’s easier. Especially because our contact with the place and the culture ends up being limited; they live their lives without interfering with ours, and vice versa.
The hardest part was finding a place to live. We left a house in a gated community with a yard for the pets and moved into company accommodation, an apartment without a balcony. As is common at the beginning, we requested to leave, and after 10 months we managed to move to what we consider the best place in the city, The Pearl.
Condominium
Life here ends up being different from some places in the city. For example, because it’s considered a “condominium,” a kind of private area, we can go to the beach in normal clothes since wearing a bikini is prohibited on public beaches.
In our building, we can have a barbecue with beer by the pool without any problems, among other differences that end up making life easier for those who live in this area.
Some people ask about the dress code, and of course it’s a little different from what we’re used to, but it’s not as radical as many imagine.
In common areas such as shopping malls, government buildings, etc., men cannot wear shorts that show their knees, and women cannot wear short skirts or very tight clothing, and must wear clothes that cover their shoulders.
Honestly, because it’s the Middle East, many people already have preconceived notions, but once you get used to it and follow a few rules, life becomes much easier.
Just like in the United States, there are many rules and laws that seem bizarre, such as drinking alcohol in the street, for example, or in New York where wearing tight clothing in the street is a crime—details that many are unaware of.
5) What is it like to live in the richest country in the world and not have to pay taxes? Are the salaries good? Is it possible to have a comfortable life?
Yes, it is possible to have a comfortable life. However, skilled jobs, which require specific courses or university degrees, are usually well-paid. Unfortunately, though, most people don’t come to Qatar looking for those kinds of jobs.
There is a workforce in industries and construction, for example, where people end up abandoning their countries in search of a better life and work solely to send money back to support their families in their hometown.
But don’t think this is exclusive to Qatar; it happens in Dubai, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and practically all over the world, in Europe, the United States, etc…
However, the difference is that here there’s a rule that you need to receive a minimum wage (I don’t know the amount) so that you can bring your family to live with you, and many of these workers earn below that amount.
Labor law and responsibilities
There is also a labor law in Qatar that states that if you are the sponsor, meaning you hire someone to be your employee, whether in a company or as a domestic worker, you have certain legal obligations in addition to the salary.
You are responsible for providing housing, transportation to work, and a trip to your home country once a year, among other expenses. For example, in our case, we live in an apartment paid for by the company. Therefore, high salaries also imply a very high cost of living; without these guarantees, it certainly wouldn’t be worth working here.
Because it is a country that is practically a desert, most products are imported, therefore they arrive in Qatar at a high price, which makes supermarket and restaurant expenses quite high.
In the electronics sector, for example, due to its tax exemption, Qatar has repeatedly been named the country with the cheapest iPhone in the world, cheaper than in the United States, for instance.
6) Were you able to make friends and create bonds along the way?
Yes. In the airline where my husband works alone, there are more than 300 nationals as us.
I believe that when we are expatriates, we often end up creating even stronger bonds with our friends; they end up becoming our family.
7) Do you intend to continue living there for many years?
The idea was never short-term, especially because in my profession, the decision to leave our country meant that the chance of returning was practically minimal.
8) How do you communicate with the native speakers? Does everyone speak English?
We speak English. However, practically everyone speaks English in Qatar. Over 80% of the population is made up of expatriates. Even Arabs have to speak English in most establishments, as speaking Arabic is not a prerequisite in some places.
9) Have you ever experienced prejudice for being a foreigner?
I think it was only when I went to take the exam to get my identity card and driver’s license.
However, when it came to my ID, the clerk was very rude and impatient with expatriates, and for my driver’s license, I arrived at 6:30 am and all the Arab women who arrived after me were served first. I was only served at 10:00 am.
At other times I feel that some Arabs simply ignore us, but I don’t mind. They’re a minority.
10) How many pets did you bring to live in Qatar? What was the bureaucratic process like?
We brought 6 pets. Two dogs and 4 cats. We adopted another cat here.
The process was more laborious due to the number of pets. Therefore, I had to take all the animals to the airport on two separate trips just to have their microchips read and the paperwork done.
11) What advice can you give to someone who wants to live in the Middle East?
Speak English to live in Qatar. However, be prepared to learn and adapt to several new accents.
Respect the culture, have an open mind, and accept differences.
The heat is also a matter of personal choice; in the summer, temperatures exceed 50ºC, and despite having air conditioning everywhere and being a country prepared to face the heat, some people end up quite uncomfortable.
Read Also: Dubai Travel & Living Guide – Culture, Tourism, Visa & Expat Life (2026)
However, contrary to what many believe, the temperature is pleasant for most of the year, reaching lows of 5ºC during the winter.
Therefore, I would say that we have 3 seasons in the year: summer, winter, and hell (this one usually lasting 2 months, July and August).
