Employment contracts and HR policies in Qatar
An employment contract in Qatar is written in Arabic, attested by the Ministry of Labour and has to state the seven items Article 38 of the Labour Law lists. HR policies build on it: from the tenth worker, a company also needs work regulations and a penalties regulation, which the labour department approves before they are posted.
Contracts and policies at a glance
- The least an employment contract must state
- 7 items
- One each, and one kept by the labour department
- 3 copies
- To attest a contract online
- QR 60
- After posting, before approved regulations bind staff
- 15 days
From Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, as amended by Law No. 9 of 2026, and the Ministry of Labour’s services on Hukoomi; see the sources at the end of the page.
What an employment contract in Qatar must contain
Article 38 lists the minimum. Anything that gives the worker less than the law is void, even if both sides signed it (Article 4).
| Item | What to write | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The employer | Company name and the place of work | The name as it appears on the CR and establishment card |
| 2. The worker | Name, qualification, nationality, profession, residence and proof of identity | The profession should match the work permit |
| 3. Date of the contract | The day it is signed | Not the same as the start date |
| 4. The work | Nature and type of work, and where the contract is made | Other duties can be given only within Article 45’s limits |
| 5. Start date | The first day of work | Probation and service are counted from here |
| 6. Duration | Only for a fixed-term contract | Five years at most, renewable |
| 7. Wage | The amount, how it is paid and when | Paid by transfer through WPS |
Clauses the law limits
- Probation can be agreed once per employer, and for no more than six months.
- A non-compete clause may last up to two years, only for a job with access to clients or business secrets, and it has no effect until the labour department approves it.
- Lifelong service clauses, and promises never to work in a trade again, are void (Article 43).
What the law fills in anyway
- Hours, overtime, annual leave and notice: where the contract leaves them out, the Labour Law figures apply.
- With nothing in writing at all, a worker is free to prove the job and what was agreed by any means.
The Arabic rule
Under Article 9 of the Labour Law, the Arabic text is the contract, even when the English version was drafted first. That is why we read both side by side before anything is signed.
The Ministry of Labour’s digital contract system helps on the worker’s side: the employee can read the contract in one of several languages.
In brief
- Language
- Arabic (Labour Law, Art. 9)
- Translation
- Allowed; the Arabic prevails
- Copies
- Three: employer, worker, labour department (Art. 38)
- Where attested
- The Ministry of Labour’s Establishments Portal
Attesting a contract online
Attestation runs through the Ministry of Labour’s digital contract system, for a fee of QR 60 per contract.
- Check the company record
The first time a company uses the system, it registers with the ministry and checks the details held for it, down to the email address, the authorised signatories and the PROs.
- Create or upload the contract
Draft it in the system, or upload the version both parties have signed.
- Send it for verification
Since May 2022 the check is automatic. Specialised professions are the exception: their certificates are reviewed, through a separate attestation service.
- Pay and receive the code
After payment the contract is authenticated and carries a code.
How to check a contract online
An employee who lives in Qatar and falls under the Labour Law can get an electronic copy of their contract from the Ministry of Labour’s Portal for Printing Employment Contracts.
- Enter the details
The QID or visa number, and the mobile number.
- Type in the code
Sent by text message.
- Download the copy
There is no fee.
Fixed-term or open-ended
- Up to five years, renewable by agreement.
- Where the work simply continues past the end date and nothing new is agreed, the contract turns open-ended. Service is still counted from the first day.
- One made for a particular job ends once that job is finished.
- After probation either side may end it without giving reasons (Article 49), on written notice of one month in the first two years of service and two months after.
- A side that skips the notice pays the basic wage for that period.
The gratuity is the same on both. Someone who leaves after three full years is normally owed at least nine weeks’ basic wage.
When it is paid
Usually by the end of the next working day.
Dismissal under Article 61
The gratuity does not apply to a worker dismissed under Article 61.
Part-time and self-employed
Under Law No. 9 of 2026 the Labour Law does not cover them, so none of this applies.
The major HR policies and procedures in Qatar
The Labour Law names some HR documents outright; anything beyond those is up to you. The table lists the named ones, article by article.
| Document | Who needs it | What it must contain | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work regulations | 10 or more workers | How work is organised. Sent to the labour department, approved if it does not reply within a month, posted, and binding 15 days after posting | 46 |
| Penalties regulation | 10 or more workers | Each offence, its penalty and the procedure, using only the penalties Article 59 allows; no more than five days’ wage deducted per offence or per month | 58 to 60 |
| Disciplinary procedure | Any employer that imposes penalties | Written notice and investigation, no charge for an offence known for over 15 days, one penalty per offence, and the worker’s seven days to complain | 62 to 64 |
| Hours and rest-day schedule | Every employer | Rest day, working hours and breaks, posted at the main entrances, with a copy to the department | 77 |
| Leave rules | Every employer | At least three weeks a year, four from five years’ service; split in no more than two parts with consent; up to half carried over on written request | 79 to 81 |
| Safety instructions | Every employer | The risks of each job explained when the worker starts, and detailed instructions posted | 99 |
| Worker files and registers | Every employer | A file per worker kept a year after they leave, and five registers: workers, wages, penalties, injuries and end of service | 47, 48 |
How we help
Contracts
Arabic and English versions, checked against Article 38 and against each work permit.
The two regulations
Work regulations and a penalties regulation ready to send to the labour department.
Posted notices
The hours schedule and safety instructions your premises must display.
Reviews
A fresh look when the law changes, when you pass ten workers, or before a contract renews.
Related services
Common questions about contracts and HR policies in Qatar
How to check an employment agreement online in Qatar?
Use the Ministry of Labour’s Portal for Printing Employment Contracts. Enter your QID or visa number and mobile number, then the code sent to your phone, and download an e-copy of the contract. It is free, and it works only after the contract has been authenticated by the ministry.
What are the rules for contract employees in Qatar?
Article 40 caps a fixed term at five years, renewable. Take a two-year contract ending on 31 December 2027: if the worker is still coming in during January 2028 and nothing new has been signed, it has become open-ended, with service counted from the first day of the old contract. A contract made for one particular job, a fit-out say, ends when the job is done (Article 41).
Does an employment contract in Qatar have to be in Arabic?
Yes, under Article 9 of the Labour Law. A translation can be attached, but if the English says one thing and the Arabic another, the Arabic prevails. Through the ministry’s digital contract system the worker can also read the contract in one of several languages.
How much does it cost to attest an employment contract?
QR 60 per contract online, through the Establishments Portal, with the worker’s visa or residence valid and the establishment ID active. The ministry’s page for attestation in person shows two different fees, so we do not quote one.
Source: Hukoomi, Attestation of work contracts inside Qatar (Ministry of Labour)
What are the five most important HR policies in the workplace?
Five documents, for a company in Qatar with ten or more workers. Take a contractor with twelve: work regulations and a penalties regulation (Articles 46 and 58), a posted schedule of hours, rest day and breaks (Article 77), safety instructions for each job (Article 99), and a file per worker with five registers (Articles 47 and 48).
What are the rules and regulations for employees in Qatar?
Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 sets the minimums, and no contract may go below them (Article 4). For someone hired on 1 March 2027 that means a 48-hour week, 36 in Ramadan (Article 73), probation of six months at most (Article 39), and three weeks’ annual leave a year, four after five years (Article 79). Part-time and self-employed workers are outside the law since Law No. 9 of 2026.
What does the Qatar Labour Law say about end of service?
Three things are owed when a contract ends. A worker with a full year or more gets a gratuity of at least three weeks’ wage for each year of service, worked out on the last basic wage (Article 54). Unused annual leave is paid in cash. And all dues are paid by the end of the next working day (Article 67).
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 24 Oct 2026.
- Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (Al Meezan)
- Law No. 9 of 2026 amending the Labour Law (Al Meezan)
- Hukoomi, Attestation of work contracts inside Qatar (Ministry of Labour)
- Hukoomi, Digital authentication of employment contracts (Ministry of Labour)
- Hukoomi, News: MOL upgrades the employment contract authentication e-service (11 May 2022)
- Hukoomi, Attestation of specialised employment contracts inside Qatar (Ministry of Labour)
- Hukoomi, Portal for printing employment contracts: e-copy of an authenticated contract (Ministry of Labour)
Send one signed contract and your headcount.
We will mark the clauses that need changing and list the documents the Labour Law expects at your size that you do not have yet.