RC Qatar

Hi all,

Great to get into this forum linked from qatarliving.com.

Just got a job offer in doha, and still considering lot's of things, including my hobby :) and then I saw this post regarding importing stuffs from Hong Kong (which I usually do in my current country). There are some questions regarding this importing issues in qatar:

1. How long does it usually takes for the goods to arrive in Doha?
2. Do I need to rent a PO BOX?
3. Any custom import tax?
4. Do I need a QSC membership to import a heli?

Thank you very much for the information, it really a big deal for me :)

Trying to answer your questions.

1) How long ?  Depends on the supplier.  One week to one month.  Average 10 to 12 days.

2) Need to rent a PO Box ?  You may not need to rent personally, if your place of work offers a PO box, it should work in most cases (unless your company has a policy against it).

3) Custom Import Tax ?  Technically, yes.  It is 5% of the value (especially if the item is of high value).  But many times, they ignore items for personal use and charge nothing.

4) QSC membership ?  Legally, yes.  If you are asked to pay customs duty, you will need to get a letter from QSC, which requires a valid membership there.

I too am coming to Qatar. Great information. I will be bringing all my RC gear over.

I do have 100cc Edge 540 that I will try to bring too.  Any body think I will have trouble?

See you all soon, Spencer

Ok well should be arriving in mid July, going to have a container coming over with 3 helis in it, will customs hold them untill I get a lic?

Hopefully, the container will come after you arrive, so you will need only a few days to get the card from QSC.  They may even let you go if you tell them that you are in the process of getting a license. 

To answer your question directly; YES, typically they will hold items till you can produce documentation, and for small items, it is free of charge (AFAIK).  They will not hold items indefinitely, as you would guess !