Indian and Pakistani residents in Qatar can now apply for family resident visas through the Ministry of Interior's Metrash2 mobile app.

While there has been no official announcement in this regard from the ministry, the Metrash2 app lists both the countries as drop-down options under "Nationality" in the section to apply for family resident visas. To apply, head to the ‘Visa’ page on Metrash2, then to ‘Family Visit’ and select ‘Family Resident Application’. Then, click ‘New Application’ and follow the instructions.

Many expatriates were eagerly waiting for the service to start after it was stopped after the spread of the Covid1-9 pandemic and entry restrictions were put in place. Many people were seen urging the authorities to restart the service through social media. 

At present, Pakistani and Indian citizens with valid resident permits are only allowed entry to Qatar. Such residents who had their families back home previously had the option to bring them to Qatar on temporary visit visas or settle them up in the country by applying for family resident visas.

Both the options were suspended in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak but the resident visa processing for Indians and Pakistanis have since been restored.