A beauty salon in Qatar needs a commercial registration with a salon activity, a commercial permit for approved premises and a shop licence under Law No. 5 of 2015. It must also meet the Ministry of Municipality’s health requirements in Decision No. 38 of 2025. Women’s salons are staffed by women only and barbershops by men only, and every worker needs a valid health certificate.
The licences a beauty salon needs
Three papers, in this order. The commercial registration, carrying the code for a women’s salon, a men’s barbershop or a related service; the commercial permit, which ties that code to approved premises; and a shop licence, needed because Law No. 5 of 2015 counts a salon as a public shop. Any other approval the activity requires comes before opening day too.
After opening, the date to watch is the shop licence renewal, due 30 days before it expires. Late, the salon pays QAR 500 a month, for up to three months.
Choosing the salon activity code
The activity code goes on the commercial registration. MOCI’s October 2025 guide for foreign ownership lists five codes for salons and related services, and marks all five as allowed.
| Code | Activity |
|---|---|
| 960210 | Beauty salons for women |
| 960220 | Barber shops for men |
| 960230 | Beauty salons for children |
| 960290 | Other beauty treatment |
| 960920 | Massage salons |
Record every service you plan to sell. MOCI does not allow any activity that is not recorded in the CR and trade licence.
Staff rules
The Ministry of Municipality’s health requirements set who may work where. A women’s salon is staffed by women only; men may work in women’s salons only inside hotels. A barbershop is staffed by men only. A children’s salon may serve children aged seven and under and can employ both men and women.
Premises and layout
MOCI’s shop rules apply to every salon: a suitable site you have the right to use, a building completion certificate, Civil Defence conditions, no direct link to a residence and electronic payment for customers. The health requirements then add space for the services and a waiting area, with chairs at least 1.5 metres apart. Extra services, such as massage or a Moroccan bath, each need their own area.
| Women’s salon | Barbershop |
|---|---|
| A “for women only” sign at the entrance | Men-only staff |
| A screen or one-way glass so the inside cannot be seen | Chairs at least 1.5 m apart |
| Women-only staff, except in hotels | Health certificates for all workers |
A salon may not offer cosmetic medical services. Treatments that count as medical fall under the Ministry of Public Health and its own licensing.
Hygiene and equipment rules
| Item | What the requirements say |
|---|---|
| Building | Built to Qatari standards, with a floor area in proportion to the number of chairs, and close to the sewer network |
| Walls and ceilings | To Qatari specifications, with no asbestos |
| Floors | Ceramic and non-slip |
| Chairs (barbershops) | A UV sterilising unit for each chair |
| Insect control | Electric insect killers, one 60 cm unit for every 50 m² of floor |
| Staff register | Each worker’s name and profession, practice licence number and validity, health licence and health certificate with their validity, and good-conduct certificate |
The annexes also list what a salon may offer. The core services are hair cutting and styling, simple facial care, nails and wigs. Non-therapeutic massage, hair dye, henna in women’s salons, a Moroccan bath, a steam bath, a jacuzzi, pools and the sale of accessories and cosmetics are allowed as well, each only where it has a separate area of adequate size.
Settle the full menu of services before the fit-out starts, too. Adding an activity later, or changing or moving the shop, needs the competent department’s approval under Law No. 5 of 2015.
How to open a beauty salon in Qatar, step by step
Decide early whether you are opening a women’s salon, a barbershop or a children’s salon. That choice sets the activity code and who may work for you. Find premises and get the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s initial approval before you sign the lease. Then register the company and the activity on the Single Window, fit out the salon to the health requirements, and apply for the commercial permit and shop licence. Staff health certificates and training must be in place before you open.
How we help
Send us the unit you are looking at before you sign for it. We check it against the shop and health rules, help you pick the activity code, prepare the Single Window file and plan the fit-out with the annexes in hand. Approvals stay with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Municipality.
