Qatar: New law eliminates an employer’s ability to prevent a foreign national employee from exiting the country

Law No. 13 of 2018 amends certain provisions of Law No. 21 of 2015, Regulating the Entry, Exit, and Residency of Foreign Nationals. This new law replaces Article 7 of Law No. 21 of 2015 pertaining to an employer’s ability to prevent a foreign national employee from exiting the country. The new article removes the requirement for employees to obtain a no objection certificate (NOC) from their employer in order to exit the country.  Pursuant to the new article, employers of foreign nationals may only request the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs to require employees to obtain such NOC in limited circumstance, including the requirement to limit the number of employees. Such restriction will apply to 5% of the employer’s workforce and an obligation on the employer to submit a formal request to apply such restriction.