Business ideas in Qatar and the licence each needs
Business ideas in Qatar sort themselves by the licence they need. Some can start from home on a QAR 300 home licence; online shops need a CR and the QAR 500 e-commerce licence; cafés, salons and shops need premises and health approvals; clinics, training centres and limousines need a second authority. Choose the route before you choose the idea.
Starting costs by licence route
- A year for a home business licence
- QAR 300
- For the e-commerce licence, on top of a CR
- QAR 500
- Government fees for a full company setup
- QAR 1,700 to 2,200
- To license a training centre, plus a bank guarantee
- QAR 5,000
Official government fees only, from the Single Window, Decision No. 60 of 2024, MOCI and Law No. 18 of 2015. Rent, equipment, staff and stock come on top.
Ideas you can start from home
MOCI lists 63 activities a Qatari citizen can run from the home they live in, each for QAR 300 a year. Software design and website design are among the activities the Single Window allows on a home permit. The home licence does not allow retail selling from the home, foreign staff or anything that draws crowds.
The home route
- Who
- Qatari citizens aged 18 or over
- Fee
- QAR 300 a year
- Activities
- One, from MOCI’s list of 63
- No CR
- The licence is issued without one
Online businesses
An online shop, a marketplace or a digital service needs a commercial registration and MOCI’s e-commerce licence, which covers one website and includes social media pages such as Instagram. MOCI lists 194 activities for the licence, from shops that sell only online to digital support services.
Shops, cafés and services
Cafés and restaurants- Licence
- CR, commercial permit and shop licence
- Also
- Ministry of Municipality health requirements; cafés need a glass front
Beauty salons and barbershops- Licence
- CR, permit and shop licence
- Also
- Health requirements; staff with health certificates
Cleaning services- Licence
- CR and permit for a cleaning activity
- Also
- No other approval for building cleaning codes
Consultancy- Licence
- CR and permit for the advice activity
- Also
- Engineering offices register with the Ministry of Municipality
IT and software- Licence
- CR and permit; no other approval for software codes
- Also
- Web hosting needs the Communications Regulatory Authority
Trading and import- Licence
- CR with wholesale and import activities
- Also
- An Al Nadeeb customs account, QAR 100 a year
Ideas that need a second authority
Clinics
A Ministry of Public Health licence to practise; the doctor needs five years’ experience.
Training centres
A Ministry of Education licence, QAR 5,000, and a QAR 100,000 bank guarantee.
Limousine and car rental
Ministry of Transport and traffic department approvals; a separate CR for each.
Engineering consultancy
Registration and grading by a Ministry of Municipality committee.
Funding for a new idea
A technology startup launching in Qatar can apply to the Startup Qatar Investment Program, provided by Qatar Development Bank, for as much as US$1.1 million. QDB’s own direct financing is another door, but it asks for a feasibility study and Qatari ownership. No programme guarantees funding, and each decides on its own applications.
What we help with
Your idea’s route
Home, online, shop or regulated activity.
The activity code
The code and the approvals it carries.
Official fees
The government fee lines for your route.
Feasibility
Testing the idea before you commit money.
Premises
What a shop or office must meet.
Registration
The Single Window steps, in order.
Related pages
Common questions about business ideas in Qatar
Which business ideas in Qatar need a low investment?
Home activities need the lowest investment in official fees, on the home licence: QAR 300 a year for one of 63 activities, open to Qatari citizens. Others usually start with a company, where government fees for a full setup come to about QAR 1,700 to 2,200, plus rent and staff. Selling online means a CR plus the QAR 500 e-commerce licence.
Source: Minister of Commerce and Industry Decision No. 60 of 2024 on fees, Schedule 2 (Al Meezan)
Which business is best to start in Qatar?
That depends on you, so we do not rank ideas. Your skills, budget and customers settle it. What we can tell you is what each idea needs. Home activities need the least; an online shop needs a CR and the e-commerce licence; a clinic, a training centre or a limousine firm needs a second authority’s approval.
Source: Single Window, Business activities search (activity details, approvals and fees)
Can I start a small business in Qatar as a foreigner?
The home licence is for Qatari citizens, so a foreigner usually starts with a company. Law No. 1 of 2019 allows foreign ownership up to 100% with approval above 49%, but some activities are marked not allowed in MOCI’s guide, so check the activity first.
What business opportunities are there for startups in Qatar?
Technology startups can look at the Startup Qatar Investment Program: up to US$1.1 million for a startup launching in Qatar, and up to US$5.5 million for an established one expanding there, released against milestones. QDB adds incubators and financing of its own.
Did not find your question? Ask an adviser. We reply with what applies to your case.
Sources
Official sources for the facts on this page, last checked 21 Oct 2026.
- Single Window, Home license issuance
- Minister of Commerce and Industry Decision No. 60 of 2024 on fees, Schedule 2 (Al Meezan)
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, News: 48 home business activities added (12 Aug 2024)
- Minister of Commerce and Industry Decision No. 25 of 2026 on the e-commerce licence (Al Meezan)
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, News: e-commerce licence, Qatar Business Map and new app services (17 Sep 2026)
- Single Window, Business activities search (activity details, approvals and fees)
- Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
- Law No. 5 of 2015 on commercial, industrial and similar public shops (Al Meezan)
- Minister of Commerce Decision No. 161 of 2017 on shop requirements (Al Meezan)
- Ministry of Municipality Decision No. 38 of 2025 on public health requirements for shops (Al Meezan)
- Law No. 18 of 2015 regulating educational services (Al Meezan)
- Ministry of Transport, Preliminary approval for limousine and car rental activities (PDF)
- Qatar Development Bank, Direct financing
- Startup Qatar, Investment Program
Send the idea to us, with a budget range and the place it would run.
Our reply names the licence route and what that route asks for.