Understanding consequences of baby passports in Qatar without marriage

According to embassy officials, giving birth to illegitimate child results in a jail sentence on average and is illegal under Qatari law. The majority of unmarried women are stuck in a situation. Some leave the country to avoid prosecution, but some choose to stay in the hope of not getting into trouble with the government. Some are unable to leave because their sponsors won’t issue them exit permits.

Although giving birth outside a wedlock is no longer a punishable offense in the UAE; the same cant be true for Qatar and other GCC countries.

How do they authorize the baby passports in Qatar?

The parents of the newborn can start by making an application to their respective embassy. Additionally, they would also need to provide the following:

• Fee of 20 QAR.
• Passport-size photos of the baby,
• the residence permit of the parents and
• copies of the parent’s passports. 

What after-effects of unmarried women being pregnant out of wedlock?

As per Qatar law, the baby will be considered illegal if an unmarried woman will give birth without marriage. Also, these women may get deported. Besides this, there is also an issue with the registration of birth certificates and passports. Without a marriage certificate, both of the documents can’t be authorised for the baby. 

Recommendations for giving the best piece of advice for couples:

Although giving birth to a child out of wedlock is unacceptable according to Qatar laws. Most expat women settled there due to their jobs, and are in the situation of having an unexpected pregnancy before marriage.

Couples who are prepared to start a family with the added member in their life can consider getting married in one of the many easy wedding destinations such as UAE (at the Abu Dhabi court), Georgia, Seychelles or even online(if travel is an issue). 

Let’s plan your wedding ceremony without any hassle, consult us today!