Free Zone Company Setup in Qatar
You can set up a free zone company in Qatar in one of two systems. The Qatar Free Zones Authority runs Ras Bufontas, beside Hamad International Airport, and Umm Alhoul, beside Hamad Port. Qatar Science and Technology Park licenses technology and research companies. Both allow full foreign ownership, with tax and customs exemptions set by law.
Qatar free zones at a glance
- Qatar Free Zones (QFZ) and the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP)
- 2 systems
- Foreign ownership in both
- 100%
- QFZ tax holiday, renewable by Council of Ministers decision
- 20 years
- For a QSTP company to start its activity
- 6 months
From the two free zone laws and the authorities’ websites; see the sources at the end of the page.
Free zone company formation steps and costs
Free zone company formation in the QFZ runs online, through the Investor Portal.
- Request your login
Apply online for QFZ Investor Portal credentials.
- Define the company
Describe the company, its activities and the real estate it needs.
- Registration and licence
The company is registered and licensed fully online.
- Towards operations
Business contact, handshake, road to operations, then a certificate of completion.
| Cost | How it is set |
|---|---|
| QFZ licence application fee | Charged with the application |
| QFZ rent | Agreed while you apply, from the land, utilities and location you ask for |
| QSTP fees | Not refundable |
| Fee list and processing time | Not published by QFZ or QSTP; the figures depend on your activity and premises |
We help you collect the figures for your case before you commit.
What we help with
Choosing the zone
QFZ or QSTP, or the mainland or the QFC when your activity fits neither.
Activity fit
Matching your activity to the QFZ sectors or to QSTP’s research and technology focus.
The application
The QFZ Investor Portal steps, or QSTP pre-approval and the licence application.
Premises
What land, utilities and location you need in QFZ, or which office suits you at QSTP.
Tax and customs
What the exemptions cover, and the duty on goods sold into Qatar.
Visas
Residence and work visas, arranged through QFZ’s investor relations team.
QFZ company setup in Ras Bufontas and Umm Alhoul
QFZ company setup means a licence from the Qatar Free Zones Authority. A QFZ company may be owned by Qatari nationals, residents or anyone else, without the limits that apply to non-Qatari capital elsewhere.
QFZ in brief
- Ras Bufontas
- 400 hectares next to Hamad International Airport
- Umm Alhoul
- 3,000 hectares next to Hamad Port
- Legal forms
- LLC or branch; other forms under the zone’s regulations
- Visas
- Through QFZ’s investor relations team
QSTP company setup at Qatar Science and Technology Park
QSTP is a free zone for research and development, product development, technical training and technical advice, and for the companies that support them. QSTP company setup starts with a request for pre-approval, then a licence application to the QSTP Board.
QSTP in brief
- Company names
- End in “QSTP-LLC”, or “QSTP-B” for a branch
- Capital
- No minimum, but enough for the company’s objects
- Start
- Within six months, or the licence can be withdrawn
- Offices
- Serviced 45 m² offices, or tech buildings from 500 m²
Who can apply for free zone business setup in Qatar
Qatar free zone business setup is open to foreign owners in both systems, and at QSTP a company may be fully owned by non-Qatari individuals or companies. The deciding question is the activity: a business that fits neither zone is set up on the mainland instead.
| Free zone | Run by | Made for | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ras Bufontas and Umm Alhoul (QFZ) | Qatar Free Zones Authority | Logistics and trading, industrial and consumer goods, emerging technologies, diamonds and precious stones, maritime (Marsa Maritime) | Law No. 34 of 2005 |
| Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) | The QSTP Board | Research and development, product development, technical training and technical advice | Law No. 36 of 2005 |
Ownership, tax exemptions and customs
| Qatar Free Zones (QFZ) | QSTP | |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | 100% foreign ownership | Up to 100% non-Qatari ownership |
| Tax | Outside the Income Tax Law and other direct and indirect taxes for 20 years, renewable by Council of Ministers decision | Licensed projects and their staff are exempt for activities in the zone, subject to substantial activity rules; an annual tax return is still filed within four months |
| Customs | No duty on goods brought into the zone or exported abroad; goods sold into the local market pay duty | No duty on imports for the project or on exports made in the zone; goods leaving the zone into Qatar pay duty as imports |
Related services
Common questions about free zone companies in Qatar
Is there a free zone in Qatar?
Yes. Under Law No. 34 of 2005 the Qatar Free Zones Authority looks after two of them, Ras Bufontas (400 hectares, by Hamad International Airport) and Umm Alhoul (3,000 hectares, by Hamad Port). Research and technology companies have a third option in Qatar Science and Technology Park, a free zone with its own law.
Source: Qatar Free Zones Authority, FAQ
What is a free zone company?
It means the licence comes from a zone authority, not from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Here that is either the Qatar Free Zones Authority, under Law No. 34 of 2005, or the QSTP Board, under Law No. 36 of 2005. A foreigner may own all the shares in both, and each law sets out tax and customs exemptions.
Source: Law No. 34 of 2005 on Free Zones, as amended (Qatar Free Zones Authority)
How do you open a free zone company in Qatar?
For the Qatar Free Zones, you apply online through the QFZ Investor Portal. You receive login details, define your company, activities and premises, then register and license the company online. QSTP works differently: you first ask for pre-approval, then apply to the QSTP Board for a licence.
What does a free zone business license cover in Qatar?
Only the business written on it. For the Qatar Free Zones, Law No. 34 of 2005 goes further and says no other licence, approval, permit or registration from the State is needed for that business. A QSTP licence, issued by the QSTP Board for research and technology work, can be withdrawn if work has not begun within six months.
Source: Law No. 34 of 2005 on Free Zones, as amended (Qatar Free Zones Authority)
Do QSTP companies pay tax?
Not for their work inside the zone. Law No. 36 of 2005 exempts licensed QSTP projects and their staff from taxes, income tax included, for activities there, as long as the substantial activity rules are met. A return is still due, though: every QSTP entity files one each year, within four months of its year end.
What law covers a company in a Qatar free zone?
That depends on where the company sits. In Ras Bufontas or Umm Alhoul it is Law No. 34 of 2005 on Free Zones, as amended, read with the QFZ regulations; at QSTP it is Law No. 36 of 2005 with the QSTP Companies and Licensing Regulations of 2024. Each authority licenses its own companies.
Source: Law No. 34 of 2005 on Free Zones, as amended (Qatar Free Zones Authority)
Who should set up in a Qatar free zone or QSTP?
One whose activity fits a zone. A logistics or trading firm, an industrial or emerging-technology company, a diamond and precious stone trader or a maritime business fits the Qatar Free Zones; research, product development, technical training and technical advice fit QSTP. Full foreign ownership is allowed in both. Selling mainly inside Qatar, or fitting neither, points to the mainland.
Source: Qatar Free Zones Authority, FAQ
How much does a Qatar free zone company cost?
QFZ charges a licence application fee, and rent depends on the land, utilities and location you need, agreed during the application. QFZ and QSTP do not publish fixed price lists online, so the total depends on your activity and premises. We help you collect the figures for your case before you commit.
Source: Qatar Free Zones Authority, FAQ
What is a QSTP-LLC?
A QSTP-LLC is a limited liability company licensed in the Qatar Science and Technology Park free zone. Its name must end with “QSTP-LLC”, and a branch of a foreign company ends with “QSTP-B”. There is no minimum share capital, but the company must show enough capital for its objects.
Source: QSTP Companies Regulations 2024
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 19 Oct 2026.
- Qatar Free Zones Authority, FAQ
- Law No. 34 of 2005 on Free Zones, as amended (Qatar Free Zones Authority)
- Qatar Free Zones Authority
- Qatar Free Zones Authority, Set up a new company
- Law No. 36 of 2005 establishing the QSTP free zone (QSTP)
- QSTP Companies Regulations 2024
- QSTP Licensing Regulations 2024
- QSTP Free Zone Tax Guidelines (Dec 2021)
- QSTP, Enterprise programmes and offices
What will the company do, and does it need an office, a warehouse or land?
Answer that and we will say whether QFZ or QSTP fits, and what the application needs.