Business licences by activity in Qatar
Every business in Qatar starts with a commercial registration that names its activity. Many then need a second authority before the commercial permit is issued. A clinic waits on the Ministry of Public Health, a training centre on the Ministry of Education, and a limousine firm on the Ministry of Transport and the traffic department. The Single Window shows the rule for each activity code.
Business licences by activity at a glance
- Commercial permit fee per location type for the activities checked
- QAR 500
- Home business permit, where the activity allows it
- QAR 300
- Each activity has its own code, approvals and fees
- 1 code
- Before expiry, renew the shop licence
- 30 days
From the Single Window activity pages and Law No. 5 of 2015 on shops; see the sources at the end of the page.
Common business types and what they need
| Business | Approval beyond the CR | Points to know |
|---|---|---|
| Trading and import | None for non-specialised wholesale (code 490000) | There is no activity called “general trading”; importing also needs an Al Nadeeb customs account (QAR 100 a year) |
| Contracting | None for the main building codes | Government tenders need a Ministry of Finance classification certificate (QAR 1,000) |
| Cleaning | None for building cleaning codes | Supplying workers to others is a separate, labour-licensed activity |
| Limousine and car rental | Ministry of Transport and the traffic department, before the permit and at renewal | Each activity needs its own CR |
| IT and software | None for software and website design | Web hosting needs the Communications Regulatory Authority’s approval |
| Beauty salons and barbershops | Ministry of Municipality health requirements | Women-only staff in women’s salons, men-only in barbershops |
| Clinics | Ministry of Public Health licence to practise | A doctor needs five years’ experience to open a clinic (three for dentists) |
| Consultancy | Engineering offices register with the Ministry of Municipality | MOCI’s guide marks management consultancy as not open to foreign ownership |
| Restaurants and cafés | Shop licence and Ministry of Municipality health requirements | Cafés need a glass front and separate seating, preparation and storage areas |
| Training centres | Ministry of Education licence | QAR 5,000 to issue and a QAR 100,000 bank guarantee |
| Online shops | MOCI e-commerce licence, QAR 500, on top of the CR | One licence per website; social media pages count as websites |
Shops, restaurants, clinics and offices
Law No. 5 of 2015 treats restaurants, cafés, clinics and the offices of the professions as public shops. They need the shop licence and every approval their activity requires before they open, and the licence is renewed 30 days before it expires, with a late fine of QAR 500 a month for up to three months.
Every shop needs
- Site
- A suitable site you have the right to occupy
- Building
- A completion certificate
- Safety
- Civil Defence conditions
- Separation
- No direct link to a residence
- Payments
- Electronic payment for customers
Health and staff rules
Health certificates
Salon staff need a valid health certificate and health training from accredited bodies.
Yearly checks
Restaurant, barbershop, laundry and health club workers have yearly health checks.
Clinic licences
Every doctor and nurse practises under a licence, renewed each year.
Training staff
A training centre manager needs five years’ experience, trainers three.
Foreign ownership by activity
Law No. 1 of 2019 lets non-Qatari investors own up to 100% in every economic sector, on the terms its regulations set, with banking, insurance, commercial agencies and any field the Cabinet names left out. MOCI’s guide tags each activity as allowed, not allowed or allowed on condition. On the Single Window, each activity code lists the nationalities it accepts. Some lines in these sources differ, so a lawyer confirms the rule for your activity.
What we help with
The activity code
Finding the code that matches what you will do.
Approvals
Which authority approves it, and in what order.
Premises
What the shop or office must meet before you sign.
Staff papers
Health certificates and professional licences.
Ownership
What your partners’ nationalities allow.
Renewals
The licence and every approval, on time.
Guides by business type
- How to open a beauty salonHealth rules, staff and premises
- How to start a cleaning companyActivities, staff and approvals
- Consultancy licence in QatarManagement and engineering consultancy
- Home business licenceWorking from home
- E-commerce licenceSelling online
- Activity approvals and special licencesHow we help with approvals
Common questions about business licences in Qatar
Is there a general trading licence in Qatar?
Not under that name. The Single Window activity list has no activity called “general trading”; the nearest is non-specialised wholesale trade (code 490000), which needs no extra approval. A company that imports also needs the import activity on its CR and an Al Nadeeb customs account, which costs QAR 100 a year.
Source: Single Window, Business activities search (activity details, approvals and fees)
What licence does a contracting company need in Qatar?
A commercial registration with a construction activity, such as the main building codes, which need no other authority’s approval on the Single Window. To bid for government projects, a contractor also needs a classification certificate from the Ministry of Finance, which costs QAR 1,000.
Source: Hukoomi, Classification certificate from the Ministry of Finance
What licence does a limousine company need in Qatar?
The limousine activity (code 492121) needs approvals from the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Interior traffic department, before the commercial permit and again at renewal. The Ministry of Transport’s form says limousine and car rental each need their own commercial registration.
Source: Single Window, Activity 492121 (private taxi / limousine)
Can a foreigner open a consultancy firm in Qatar?
It depends on the kind. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s guide marks management consultancy as not open to foreign ownership, while other business advice is listed as allowed. Engineering consultancy offices register with a Ministry of Municipality committee under Law No. 19 of 2005. A lawyer confirms the rule for your activity.
Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Permitted activities guide for foreign ownership (PDF)
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, Business activities search (activity details, approvals and fees)
- Hukoomi, Search for business activities
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Permitted activities guide for foreign ownership (PDF)
- Law No. 1 of 2019 on investment of non-Qatari capital (Al Meezan)
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Local investor services
- Law No. 5 of 2015 on commercial, industrial and similar public shops (Al Meezan)
- Minister of Commerce Decision No. 161 of 2017 on shop requirements (Al Meezan)
- Ministry of Municipality Decision No. 38 of 2025 on public health requirements for shops (Al Meezan)
- Law No. 2 of 1983 on practising medicine and dentistry (Al Meezan)
- Ministerial Resolution No. 9 of 1987 on private clinics (Al Meezan)
- Ministry of Public Health, Circular DHP/2024/12 to private healthcare facilities
- Law No. 19 of 2005 on practising engineering professions (Al Meezan)
- Law No. 18 of 2015 regulating educational services (Al Meezan)
- Ministerial Decision No. 10 of 2017 on educational services centres (Al Meezan)
- Hukoomi, Customs clearance single window (Al Nadeeb)
- Single Window, Import requirements and stages
- Hukoomi, Classification certificate from the Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Transport, Preliminary approval for limousine and car rental activities (PDF)
- Single Window, Activity 492121 (private taxi / limousine)
- Single Window, Activity 631100 (web hosting)
- Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (Al Meezan)
- 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)
Tell us your activity and where you will run it.
We tell you the activity code, the approvals it needs and the order to get them.