Where to start for those who are moving now

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Visa. The visa issue is the first obstacle that an entrepreneur faces when expanding his business to new geographies: how to localize himself, move employees and their families.

For many years, investing in real estate has been the most obvious way to acquire residency. However, such investments may be beyond the means of a startup: an investment of $200,000 provides the opportunity to obtain a temporary residence permit for a year with the possibility of extension. To obtain a "golden visa" for 5 years, the asset must be worth at least $1,000,000.

A new immigration policy introduced in February 2024 aimed at attracting specialists to Qatar has simplified the situation for startups. This program for independent foreigners, i.e. those who did not come at the invitation of a company, is called Mustaqel Visa and includes two types: a talent visa and an entrepreneurial visa. It is issued for 5 years with the possibility of extension.

In the latter case, the entrepreneur will be required belarus phone number lead to undertake obligations to implement a business project in the country worth at least $68,500, spending it on acquiring premises, intellectual property, purchasing equipment, etc.

The second condition is to obtain approval from one of the accredited incubators in Qatar :
Choice of jurisdiction: mainland or free zone. In terms of the number of free economic zones, Qatar lags behind its Gulf neighbors: the UAE has more than 40, Saudi Arabia has 4 economic cities and a number of industrial cities similar to classic free zones with experimental legal regimes. In Qatar, you have to choose between two free zones: Ras Bufontas and Umm Alhoul.

Unlike the mainland, starting a business in Qatar's free zones is easier, faster and cheaper. The legal system of the free zones is based on English common law: 100% foreign ownership is permitted, there is no requirement for a minimum authorized capital, and the option of redomiciliation from the free economic zone to the mainland is always preserved. For comparison: until 2015, the minimum authorized capital for an LLC was 200,000 Qatari riyals, which is equal to $50,000.

The tax policy of the SEZ deserves a special mention. There is no income tax for individuals, businesses are granted a 20-year tax holiday, i.e. complete exemption from corporate tax, and customs duties on imported goods are also zero.

Company registration. It may be difficult for a startup to get an idea of ​​the pipeline for registering a legal entity in Qatar from open sources, so we highly recommend contacting specialists with regional expertise.

Let us briefly talk about some of the nuances that can slow down the registration process :

At the time of filing an application for registration of a legal entity with the registration authority, a lease agreement must already be concluded . Moreover, it is necessary to rent a physical office, not a virtual one.
In a company of the organizational form LLC, there must be one manager and one shareholder. These positions can be combined by one person or by two different people. However, the manager must resolve the issue of residency within three months of the appointment.
For some types of activities, the registration authority requires the submission of a business plan.
The resolution and the charter of the company must be signed by the manager and the shareholder in the presence of a representative of the free zone or certified by a notary and legalized at the Qatari consulate.
Free zone representatives claim that opening a company takes from 3 to 6 weeks. However, if we discuss a realistic scenario, take into account visa issues, choosing an office, opening a bank account, collecting documents for registration, hiring and registering employees, then a full-fledged soft landing can take up to six months. And this is not the issue where you should rush.