A consultancy in Qatar is licensed like most service firms, with a commercial registration, a commercial permit and an approved office, but the advice code needs care. A Lebanese partner could own a firm giving other business advice (702090) under MOCI’s foreign-ownership guide, yet not one doing management consultancy (702010). Engineering offices register with a Ministry of Municipality committee.
Which consultancy activity
Under one word, “consultancy”, the commercial register holds several activities, each with its own code. They are not treated alike. In MOCI’s foreign-ownership guide, management consultancy (702010) is not allowed, other business advice (702090) is, and security consultation (749031) is not, so a firm that plans to do a bit of everything should look up each code. The guide applies Law No. 1 of 2019, under which a share above 49% needs an application.
| Activity | Code | MOCI foreign-ownership guide |
|---|---|---|
| Management consultancy | 702010 | Not allowed |
| Other business advice | 702090 | Allowed |
| Advisory activities | 692020 | Not allowed |
| Accounting consulting and policies and procedures | 702020 | Not allowed |
| Environmental consulting | 749033 | Allowed |
| Other technical consulting | 749034 | Allowed |
| Security consultation | 749031 | Not allowed |
| Engineering consultancy | 711010 | Allowed in the guide; see engineering offices below |
Engineering consultancy offices
Engineers have their own law, No. 19 of 2005, and their own registrar: a committee at the Ministry of Municipality that registers and grades engineers and engineering consultancy offices. Nobody may practise unregistered. Offices renew every two years, engineers every three, and the fines for late renewal are steep.
Rules for a registered engineering office
The law keeps three registers (engineers, local offices, international offices), and being on one is what lets you practise. An office graded for one specialty may not take work in another, or above its grade.
| Rule | What the law says | Article |
|---|---|---|
| International office | A branch of a firm licensed abroad for at least 10 years of continuous practice, with a head-office undertaking attested by the Qatari embassy | Art. 5 |
| Late renewal | QAR 10,000 a month for an office and QAR 1,000 for an engineer, for up to three months, then removal from the register | Art. 11 |
| Other business | Owners, partners and engineers of an office may not do contracting or trade in building materials | Art. 17 |
| No licence | Up to three years in prison, a fine of up to QAR 100,000, or both | Art. 33 |
Setting up a consultancy
After that, a consultancy goes the same way as most mainland companies: a trade name that fits the activity, a memorandum in Arabic, registration on the Single Window, then the commercial permit once the office passes. Add a shop licence to the list. Under Law No. 5 of 2015 the offices of the professions count as public shops, a point that is easy to overlook.
Consultancy licence requirements and the application
The Single Window works out the approvals from the legal form, activity, capital and location. For a consultancy office, four items come up first.
| Item | What is asked |
|---|---|
| Single Window account | The applicant needs a Tawtheeq account with a valid Qatari ID, and the manager needs a valid Qatari ID. |
| Activities and fees | No activity may be carried on outside the CR, so each service you sell needs its code. The CR costs QAR 500 for one activity and QAR 300 for each extra one; the commercial permit costs QAR 500. |
| Office | Legal title to the site, a building completion certificate, no direct link to a residence, a trade-name sign and electronic payment. A Civil Defence certificate from 250 m², and for some activities at any size. |
| Renewal | At least 30 days before expiry. A late shop licence costs QAR 500 a month for up to three months, then it is treated as cancelled. |
Those are the government fees for the consultancy itself.
Advisory offices listed by the Ministry
There is also a Ministry of Commerce and Industry platform listing advisory offices and transaction-clearing companies for investors. Getting on it takes a CR and commercial licence in Qatar with administrative or legal consulting activities, three years’ experience in that field in Qatar, and a price list filed with the Ministry. A consultancy licensed in March 2026 could therefore apply from March 2029 at the earliest.
How we help
Say you are a former bank manager planning to advise small firms on their credit files. We would look up which code fits that work and what the Ministry’s guide says about owning it, then prepare the registration and premises files. Engineering offices, and any doubt about ownership, we handle together with your lawyer. The Ministry decides each application.
