Attention QR New Joiners with Children

[Airmann]

As per new Qatari law, all children, enrolling in Year 2 or above in QR (approx 6-7 year olds) will need to prove an attested copy of all school records from the last 2 years of schooling + will require an equivelance certificate.

New attestation requirements for Qatar schoolchildren frustate parents - Doha News (http://dohanews.co/new-attestation-requirements-qatar-school-children-frustate-parents/)

This is process is much easier when done before you arrive in Qatar. I know of some parents who had to take day trips back to their home countries in order to get these certificates/attestations, making the already difficult processes of moving to Qatar even more difficult. If there is a Qatari Embassy in your country you should try and contact them in order to find out the procedures specific to your country.

[ManaAdaSistem]

Good tip.
I don't know if the requirements are the same for all ME countries, but in my experience, getting all the required documents to get your kids into the schools can be a royal pain.
Most likely you will have to apply to several schools, and they will charge you a processing fee (2-400 USD) even if your kid doesn't join. If they join, you are faced with an enrollment fee big enough to buy you a small car. For each kid.
If you are lucky, your company will cover some or all of this.
If not...

[DCS99]

Excellent comments.

"Next requirement will be an attested 100m certificate notarised by Usain Bolt before they are allowed to play sports."

As long as you've got loads of expensive stamps on the papers, your kids could have a Certificate of Rabies in German and the ME jobsworths would be happy.

[320goat]

Supreme my ass!!!!

[Old King Coal]

Ran in to the same problem here in Dubai... son was out of UK school for a tadge longer than the period allowed by the UAE's KHDA (http://www.khda.gov.ae/en/home.aspx)... so what to do?

First call was to try and get his prior UK school to 'bend the dates' of his leaving certificate, but being a bunch of Government employed, bureaucratic, academia based, non-real world, brain addled wankers, they refused to help; and thus, being between a rock & hard place, needs must!
So one fired up the ole' computer and thence proceeded to reproduce a very passable version of the young sprogs UK paperwork (albeit with changed the dates) and Bob's yer' aunty, it worked like a charm! ;)

[NGFellow]

Attestation/authentication is big in this part of the world. The following may require the process:

1. Birth certificates of children.
2. Marriage certificate.
3. Educational credentials of spouse (if planning to work).
4. Kids leaving/school certificates.

Process varies depending on your country of origin. It's best done before you come, otherwise you spend a lot of money getting it done. Your embassy website should have further details. For U.S. documents, I was charged $250 per document by an agent. I could have done it for probably $50 if I was home.