E-commerce licence in Qatar
To sell online in Qatar you need a commercial registration and an e-commerce licence from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, under Decision No. 25 of 2026. The licence costs QAR 500, covers one website and includes social media pages such as Instagram. The Theqa trust mark is voluntary. The consumer and e-commerce laws then set what your site must show.
Selling online at a glance
- The e-commerce licence fee
- QAR 500
- Per licence; social media pages count as websites
- 1 website
- Activities approved for the licence
- 194
- Decision No. 25 of 2026 in force
- 16 Mar 2026
From Decision No. 25 of 2026 and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; see the sources at the end of the page.
Who needs an online business licence
No one may trade online without this online business licence and its fee. The decision defines a website to include social media platforms, so a shop that sells through Instagram needs it too. Selling a few personal items, not in commercial quantities, is exempt.
The four conditions
- Commercial register
- The applicant holds a CR
- The activity
- Named, and on the approved list
- Approvals
- Any approval the activity itself needs
- The website
- Named in the application; one licence per site
How to start an online business in Qatar
Say you want to sell clothes through your own website and an Instagram page. That is two sites, so two licences, and the commercial registration comes before either of them. The order is the same for any online shop.
- Commercial registration
The licence is only issued to a business entered in the commercial register, so the company or CR comes first.
- The activity
Pick it from MOCI’s list of 194 activities approved for the licence, and record it on the CR.
- Its approvals
If the activity needs another authority’s approval, hold it before you apply.
- The application
Apply to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry online, naming the website or page, and pay the QAR 500 fee.
- The site itself
Show your CR and licence numbers, contact details and returns policy, and take electronic payment.
The Ministry’s announcement gives no processing time or validity period for the licence, so ask about both when you apply.
Which activities qualify
MOCI published the activity list on 16 September 2026, sorted into four groups: pure digital businesses, businesses selling both online and in stores, marketplaces that connect buyers and sellers, and digital support services. A shop that sells only online uses the code for retail sale via the internet.
Pure digital
Businesses that trade only online.
Online and in store
Shops that add a website to their premises.
Marketplaces
Platforms that connect buyers and sellers.
Digital support
Services that help others sell online.
What your website must show
Who you are
Your CR and licence numbers and how to contact you.
What you sell
Product details and prices, in Qatari riyals.
Returns
Your returns and exchange policy, and how to complain.
Electronic payment
Customers must be able to pay electronically.
Order confirmation
A way to correct mistakes, and a confirmation of each order.
Arabic
Labels, prices and invoices in Arabic; other languages may be added.
Consumer rules for online shops
| Rule | What it means for your shop | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelling | A consumer may cancel within three days, unless agreed otherwise, if the order is not yet carried out and the goods are unused | Decree-Law No. 16 of 2010 |
| Late delivery | More than 30 days late: the consumer may end the contract and get a refund | Decree-Law No. 16 of 2010 |
| Defective goods | Refund, replacement or repair at no charge | Law No. 8 of 2008 |
| Repairs over 15 days | Lend a substitute product free of charge | Decision No. 68 of 2012 |
| Invoices | Dated, in Arabic, with the price in riyals | Law No. 8 of 2008 and Decision No. 68 of 2012 |
| Marketing messages | Only with the consumer’s express consent; personal data protected | Decree-Law No. 16 of 2010 |
Payment gateways and the trust mark
Licensed payments
Anyone offering payment services in or from Qatar, online gateways included, needs a Qatar Central Bank licence.
QPAY
Qatar Central Bank’s national e-commerce gateway, run with the banks and listed members.
Theqa trust mark
A voluntary government programme; no official text makes it compulsory.
What we help with
The CR first
Setting up the company the licence needs.
The activity
Matching what you sell to the approved list.
The application
The website, approvals and details MOCI asks for.
Site details
What your pages must show about you and your terms.
Returns policy
A policy that follows the consumer rules.
Payments
Choosing a licensed way to take card payments.
Related pages
Common questions about the e-commerce licence in Qatar
Do I need a licence to sell online in Qatar?
Yes, unless you are only clearing out a few personal things. Since 16 March 2026, Decision No. 25 has barred online trading without the Ministry’s e-commerce licence. To get one you need a commercial registration, an approved activity with its approvals, and the name of the website you will sell on.
Source: Minister of Commerce and Industry Decision No. 25 of 2026 on the e-commerce licence (Al Meezan)
Is there an Instagram business licence in Qatar?
Not a separate one. Decision No. 25 of 2026 counts social media platforms as websites, so a business that sells through Instagram needs the same e-commerce licence as any online shop. Each licence covers one website or page, so a shop that also runs its own site needs a second licence.
Source: Minister of Commerce and Industry Decision No. 25 of 2026 on the e-commerce licence (Al Meezan)
How do I apply for an e-trade licence in Qatar?
Online, to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, after your commercial registration is in place. In the request you name the activity (it has to be on MOCI’s approved list), attach any approval that activity calls for, and name the website or social media page. Each licence is QAR 500.
Source: Minister of Commerce and Industry Decision No. 25 of 2026 on the e-commerce licence (Al Meezan)
How much does the e-commerce licence cost in Qatar?
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced a fee of QAR 500 for the licence, which covers 194 approved activities. You also need a commercial registration, which has its own fees on the Single Window.
Is the Theqa trust mark mandatory?
No. It is a voluntary government programme, and nothing official we read makes it a must. What the law does insist on is the e-commerce licence itself, along with riyal prices, Arabic invoices, a returns policy and contact details.
Source: Minister of Commerce and Industry Decision No. 25 of 2026 on the e-commerce licence (Al Meezan)
What has to appear on an online shop’s website in Qatar?
Start with the CR and licence numbers and a way to reach you. Then product details with prices, the returns and exchange policy, and the complaints route. Checkout must take electronic payment, let buyers fix input errors and confirm every order; labels, prices and invoices go in Arabic.
Source: Decree-Law No. 16 of 2010 on electronic commerce and transactions (Al Meezan)
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.
- 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)
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Business activities for the electronic licence (PDF)
- Decree-Law No. 16 of 2010 on electronic commerce and transactions (Al Meezan)
- Law No. 8 of 2008 on consumer protection (Al Meezan)
- Ministerial Decision No. 68 of 2012, consumer protection executive regulations (Al Meezan)
- Qatar Central Bank, Payment Services Regulation (PDF)
- Qatar Central Bank, Retail payment systems (QPAY)
- Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
- Single Window, Home license issuance
Tell us what you sell and where you sell it online.
We tell you what the licence needs and the order to do it in.