How to register a company in Qatar
To register a company in Qatar, you reserve a trade name, sign an Arabic memorandum before a notary, and apply for the commercial registration through the Single Window. The Ministry decides within 15 days of a complete file. The commercial permit then licenses an approved location, and the establishment card, bank account and tax card follow.
New company registration at a glance
- How long a reserved trade name is held
- 180 days
- For the registration decision on a complete file
- 15 days
- Single Window time for its establishment service
- 2 to 3 days
- Government fees for a full setup
- QAR 1,700 to 2,200
From the Single Window, the company law and Invest Qatar; see the sources at the end of the page.
Before you register a business
To register a business in Qatar on the mainland, have these four things ready first.
A Tawtheeq account
The national login, with a valid Qatari ID, for the applicant or a representative.
The activity
Allowed for your ownership plan, with any approval it needs.
Above 49% foreign
The ownership application to the Ministry first.
Attested documents
Papers from abroad attested and translated into Arabic.
How to register a company, step by step
- Trade name
Three to five options; the Ministry assigns one and holds it for 180 days.
- Memorandum
In Arabic and notarised, signed on the portal or at an appointment.
- Fees and file
Pay on the Single Window and complete the establishment request.
- Commercial registration
Decided within 15 days of a complete file.
- Commercial permit
Issued for an approved site; Civil Defence may inspect it first.
- Cards and accounts
Establishment card, bank account and tax card.
The trade name
The trade name must differ clearly from names already registered, be true and not mislead. It can be in Arabic, or in Latin letters written in Arabic too; only the activity words may be translated, not the name itself.
Names the Ministry refuses
- Religious and sectarian names
- Including the names of God
- States and official bodies
- Country names, government bodies and emblems
- Famous marks
- Even for a different activity
- Names already taken
- For the same or a similar activity
- Reserved words
- “Qatar” and “national” only for government companies
The commercial permit and premises
The commercial registration records the company; the commercial permit lets it trade at one approved location. Get the Ministry’s initial approval before you sign the lease. If the premises are not ready, the Single Window issues the CR only, and the company may not trade until the permit follows.
A home business licence is a separate route. It is open to Qatari citizens, costs QAR 300 a year and is issued without a CR; the home licence guide has the details.
What we help with
Trade name check
Options that meet the naming rules, before you apply.
The memorandum
Partners, shares and managers, in Arabic.
The file
Every document the Single Window asks for, in order.
Premises
The site documents the permit needs.
Establishment card
The Ministry of Interior file after the licence.
Dates
Tax card, first renewal and yearly return.
Related pages
Common questions about company registration in Qatar
How do I register a company in Qatar?
Through the Single Window, in a set order. You reserve a trade name, fill in the establishment request, sign the Arabic memorandum before a notary and pay. Once the file is complete, the Ministry has 15 days to decide on the commercial registration. Trading starts after the commercial permit licenses your approved premises.
Source: Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
How long does company registration take in Qatar?
The company law gives the Ministry 15 days to decide once the file is complete, and the Single Window gives about two to three days for its establishment service. Attesting documents from abroad, finding premises and any activity approval usually take longer than the registration itself.
Source: Commercial Companies Law No. 11 of 2015, as amended (Al Meezan)
Is online company registration possible in Qatar?
Yes. Online company registration for the mainland is done on the Single Window: the trade name, the establishment request and the memorandum, which partners can sign digitally. You log in through Tawtheeq, and that needs a valid Qatari ID. If you have none, a representative in Qatar can file for you. Papers from abroad are attested and translated before upload.
Source: Invest Qatar, Setting up your business in Qatar (guide hosted by MOCI)
What is the Qatar commercial register?
It is the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s record of traders, companies, branches of foreign companies and representation offices, kept under Law No. 25 of 2005. No one may trade or open commercial premises before entering it. Each business’s trade name and CR number then go in Arabic on the shopfront and papers, and changes are recorded within 30 days.
Source: Commercial Register Law No. 25 of 2005, as amended (Al Meezan)
What is the difference between a CR and a trade licence?
They are two documents with different jobs. The CR puts the company and its activities on the commercial register. The commercial permit (most people say trade licence) attaches them to one approved site. A café with its CR in hand but no permit still has to keep its doors shut.
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, Start your business (establishment service)
- Single Window, Reserving a trade name
- Single Window, Reserving a trade name: terms and regulations
- Single Window, Issue commercial permit
- Single Window, Issue a commercial permit (help article)
- Commercial Companies Law No. 11 of 2015, as amended (Al Meezan)
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Investment steps for foreign investors
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Local investor services
- Invest Qatar, Setting up your business in Qatar (guide hosted by MOCI)
- Single Window, Establishing companies FAQ
- Commercial Register Law No. 25 of 2005, as amended (Al Meezan)
- Ministry of Communications and IT, National Authentication Service (Tawtheeq)
- Ministry of Interior, Department services (visas, residence permits, establishment and PRO cards)
- General Tax Authority, Income Tax Law and its Executive Regulations, 2024 edition (PDF)
Tell us your activity, your legal form and whether you have premises.
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