Red Light Green Light: Getting My Driver's License in Qatar

This past December I took a major step towards settling into Qatar by acquiring the proper authority to get behind the wheel. It was pretty much the last major outstanding item in adopting Qatar as home.

So today’s post is dedicated to assisting those with a valid U.S. Driver’s License in obtaining one in Qatar. No matter the fact that I’ve been driving more than half my life, it was not as easy as converting from one to the other, so I will share my steps with you. *Note that requirements will vary depending on the nation in which you hold a valid license in, if any. **Also note that my husband held both a valid Saudi Arabian and U.S. license yet also had to complete the same steps as I outline below.

Step One: Metrash2

If you’ve been in Qatar any amount of time, you’ve likely already created a Metrash2 account. Setting up a Metrash2 account is pretty simple. The caveat is that it requires you to have a phone number tied to your national ID (QID). James, my husband, had to remove my phone number from his account, so I could setup my own phone account under my QID. From there, I downloaded the application, registered with Metrash2 and could move onto the next step. So if you don’t already have your own phone number (tied to your National QID) then that will actually be step one, followed by downloading and registering yourself on the Metrash2 App.

Step Two: Eye Test

This step can be completed one of two ways. The first is the way I chose, which is to walk into any eye/lens center and have a standard exam. They scan your QID (national identification) card and you’ll receive a text message confirming your results. (Part of the reason why you need your QID tied to your phone number.) It took all of five minutes and costs the same as doing it at the driving school, which is option two.

The reason I chose to walk into an eye center is because my husband had a less than ideal experience, waiting at the driving school for hours to complete his processes. I figured (even though I chose a different driving school) that I’d save myself even the slightest amount of time by taking care of the eye exam in advance.

I highly recommend this method for taking care of the exam with less hassle. For reference, I went to Qatar Optics, inside Hyatt Plaza at Aspire Park and paid 30 riyal.
Even though the school I chose (Karwa) seemed to have zero wait for their eye exam, it was nice to have already ticked that box when I did show up to the school, as there are multiple other steps just to get registered for your theory exam. That’s the next step.

Step Three: Register for Theory

Next I needed to register for my written driving test. Holding a valid U.S. Driver’s License, the major step I’m able to skip is having to go to driving school. However, I did still need to take a written exam. Qatar, though they do also drive on the right side of the road, has their own unique road signage as well as a large amount of round-a-bouts, for which you must understand the rules. If you aren’t already familiar with driving them then driving in Qatar will be an adjustment.

For the registration, you go to a handful of stations - each asking you to fork over a few hundred riyal, for exactly what I’m not sure. You provide a copy of your valid license, your QID and eventually schedule your date for taking the exam. The wait for both James and I (James took and received his DL before I even began the process) was six weeks. That seems to be pretty standard, at least at the current time.

The last stop as part of getting registered is to the testing room. Though I wouldn’t be taking the exam that day, there was a gentleman waiting to instruct visitors on how to download and utilize the driving course app. The app allows you to watch the training videos and take practice exams, prior to taking the formal exam in-house.

Step Four: Take Theory Exam

Six weeks out, I was finally able to take my theory exam. I showed up ahead of time, assuming the 7am start time actually meant something. A laughable notion to anyone residing anywhere in The Middle East. Not only did we start late, but Karwa was so understaffed that it took 2.5 HOURS for the ONE traffic cop to finish his obligation at parking school before he could come proctor the theory exam. I was not alone in my next-level frustration. Women were pacing, calling anyone they knew. We all had places to be and things to do. As a breastfeeding mom to a baby just months old, I could not spare much time nor could I go hours without food. This felt like extreme disrespect for our time and had me resenting my choice in Karwa as my driving school, as easy as my registration was. I will note that I have been told by many others that this occurrence was highly rare and unlikely to happen again. Karwa was the most highly rated of car schools on forums, particularly for women. But be forewarned by my unfortunate experience.

James picked up some coffee and breakfast, and dropped it off at the school for me, which I managed to scarf down well before our exam started. At least once it did start it was about a 5 minute process to pass the exam. Thanks largely to the well-preparedness of taking the application practice exams. The questions on the exam come directly from the application.

Step Five: Register For and Take Street Test

I could not bite my tongue when, after the saga of taking the theory exam, I (and all the other test takers) was told there were no street test slots available for 2021. It was mid-October and this school was telling us it would be 2022 before we could take our driving exam to finish the process of obtaining our licenses. Our only option was to go back to the Metrash2 app and look (daily) for an opening in the schedule, across the multiple driving schools in Qatar. Knowing that I was traveling back to the USA for the month of November, it wasn’t too inconvenient to wait for an opening in December, at another school, but it still irks me that Karwa took on all these driving applicants without the staff to follow through with the driving exams.

Three days before Christmas, I got behind the wheel and passed my driver’s test. I felt quite proud that the captain could tell from my driving that I’d already had a license. I cannot say it was so obvious for all driver’s in the car with me. Two of the three of us passed. *They won’t actually tell you in the car if you passed or not. For that I had to wait around in a room of anxious drivers to receive a text with my result. It was quite nerve-wracking, as some people who drove after me started to receive texts before me. I found myself second-guessing the confidence I had previously displayed. Finally, I received my passing result and moved on to another room to get my license printed.

Even as a confident, highly experienced driver, it still isn’t easy to get behind the wheel in a foreign country and be judged for it. While it’s perfectly understandable to feel nervous in this situation, what I recommend above all is to take a breath and drive with authority. You know what you’re doing and confidence behind the wheel, especially as a woman, will get you far. And just be prepared that it could take you three months, as it did me, to complete the process.

Happy Driving!