Banking for Expats in Qatar

As an expat you may have left the land you formerly called home, but that doesn't mean you have to leave all the comforts of home behind too. Before your move you may have found banking to be an absolute cinch and that doesn't have to change after you move to Qatar: there are a number of excellent local-global banks that offer specialised expat products that mean you can organise a bank loan, home loan and account as easily as you could in your home country.

Before you do anything you are going to need a Qatarian bank account, but opening one of these couldn't be simpler. If you need the money quickly you are probably better off banking with a global bank rather than a Qatarian or Arab bank, but shop around the different deals to ensure you aren't shortchanging yourself before committing to opening your account. Once you've decided on a bank, as an expat it's likely all you will need is a copy of your passport, but be prepared to supply supporting documents such as proof of employment or the contract for your living accommodation to prove residency. This is much more common with Arab banks.

After your account is open you will have access to other products offered by the bank, including bank loans or mortgages. Some banks will allow you to borrow up to 50,000 JOD at low interest rates for up to 10 years with enough proof of income, so be prepared to provide this if you want to get the best rates possible. Some banks will even offer a loan buy-out facility: this means your new bank in Qatar will buy-out the cost of any loans you had back home allowing you to do all your banking with your bank in Qatar .

Banking for expats in Qatar is as simple as anywhere else in the world and with a bit of pre-planning you can make it even easier.