Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FCO?
FCO is the Foreign & Commonwealth Office which promotes the United Kingdom’s interests overseas, supporting the UK citizens and businesses around the globe. It is also known as the British Foreign Ministry. All documents without exception must be legalised from the FCO before it can be legalised by the Qatar embassy.
What is The Hague Convention?
A country that has not signed the Hague Convention requires foreign legal documents to be certified for use in that country.
Countries that are part of the Hague Convention do not require legalisation of documents before they are recognised in the other country. The Qatar is not part of the Hague Convention. Therefore, it requires legal documents to be certified by the Qatar embassy in London, UK before it can be recognised in the Qatar.
What if I already have my document legalised from a solicitor?
No problem. GulfVisa offers a ‘FCO + Qatar Embassy document legalisation service’ where we can finish the process for you.
What if I already have had my documents legalised from a solicitor and the FCO?
No problem. GulfVisa offers a ‘Qatar Embassy only document legalisation service’ where we can finish the process on your behalf.
Do I need to send my passport to get my documents legalised?
Not at all. We do not require your passport to legalise your documents. All we need is your original personal document and a completed GulfVisa document legalisation form (see above).
What educational certificates can be legalised by the Qatar embassy?
Degrees, Masters, PhD, B-Tech, A-Levels, GCSEs, CSE, O-Levels, Transcripts, School Letters and Confirmation of Study
What teaching qualifications/certificates can be legalised by the Qatar embassy?
Teaching Degrees, QTS (Qualified Teacher Status), PGCE, TESOL, TEFL, TESL, Other Language Studies. All educational documents are more or less accepted but they must be UK educational certificates. If you are unsure please feel free to contact us.
How can I make a service order?
Please follow our three step process above to getting your documents legalised. The first is regarding the process and requirements. The second step is regarding payment. You should choose a service depending on the level of service you require. You can check if your document is exempt from solicitor stamping or not by looking at the information in step 1. You can also choose between a fast or standard service depending on how urgently you require your Qatar personal document legalisation service.
When will GulfVisa send back my legalised documents?
As soon as we have received your documents (before 9am) we will begin the process. If you have picked a fast service then we will have completed your personal document legalisation within 1-2 working days. Therefore, 1-2 working days after receiving your documents we will send it back to you or it will be ready for collection from our GulfVisa office. If you have picked a standard service then we will have completed your personal document legalisation in 7 working days. Therefore, 7 working days after receiving your documents we will send it back to you or it will be ready for collection from our GulfVisa office.
Can my documents be rejected?
No, it is extremely rare. However, please ensure your documents are issued from the UK. We will check if your documents are acceptable for Qatar embassy document legalisation. However, the ultimate decision is always down to the embassy. If there are any doubts, we will contact you or/and show the embassy before submission to confirm.
Have GulfVisa begun the document legalisation process for my documents?
We begin document legalisation as soon as we have received your documents on any working day - as long as they arrive before 9am. If they arrive after 9am, we will begin the Qatar document legalisation process the next working day
How can I pay?
You can pay using a variety of payment methods through our website. This includes debit/credit card payments, UK cheques and bank transfers. All our card payments are securely processed by Payzone.