Licences and government approvals for companies in Qatar
Every business in Qatar trades under a licence, and most need more than one. The commercial registration and the commercial permit (the trade licence) are the base. Regulated activities add an approval from their own authority. A trademark protects the brand. Below, each service in this group, and the renewals that keep the set valid.
Licences at a glance
- Commercial registration and commercial permit
- 2 documents
- Before expiry, renew the CR and licences
- 30 days
- From this size, premises need a Civil Defence certificate
- 250 m²
- Protection of a registered trademark, renewable
- 10 years
From the Single Window and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; see the sources at the end of the page.
Licence and approval services
Commercial registration and trade licenceThe CR, the commercial permit and the premises it needs.
CR and trade licence
Activity approvals and special licencesIndustrial, health, education and other regulated activities.
Activity approvals
Trademark registrationProtecting your brand name and logo in Qatar.
Trademark registration
CR renewal and amendmentsRenewing on time and recording changes within 30 days.
CR renewal and amendments
Which licence service fits
| Your situation | Service | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Starting to trade from your own premises | Commercial registration and trade licence | After the company is registered: the commercial permit needs an approved site |
| A regulated activity, such as health, education, industry or food | Activity approvals and special licences | Before the commercial permit: the authority concerned approves first |
| A brand name or logo to protect | Trademark registration | Before you launch the brand; protection lasts 10 years and can be renewed |
| A licence nearing expiry, or a change of partners or activities | CR renewal and amendments | 30 days before expiry for a renewal; within 30 days for a change |
Types of business licence in Qatar
Picture a café in Al Wakra that also sells its coffee beans on Instagram. It holds a CR, a commercial permit for the café premises and an e-commerce licence for the Instagram page, plus the health approvals a café needs. A citizen tailoring men’s clothes at home would usually need just the home licence.
| Licence | Who issues it | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial registration (CR) | Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Single Window | Every mainland company; it records the company and its activities |
| Commercial permit (trade licence) | Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Single Window | Every mainland company, for each approved location |
| Home licence | Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Single Window | A Qatari citizen running one listed activity from home, with no CR |
| E-commerce licence | Ministry of Commerce and Industry | A business with a CR that sells online, one licence per website or page |
| Activity licence or approval | The regulator, such as the Ministry of Public Health or the Ministry of Education | Regulated activities, before the commercial permit |
| Registered trademark | Ministry of Commerce and Industry | Optional; protects a brand name or logo for 10 years |
The Single Window fee table lists QAR 500 for a CR with one activity; the home licence costs QAR 300 a year and the e-commerce licence QAR 500.
How to check a licence in Qatar
Before you sign with a supplier or a landlord, you can look the company up yourself on the Single Window’s Certificates service.
| Document | Fee | Login |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial permit extract | Free | Not needed |
| CR extract | QAR 50 | Not needed |
| Status certificate | QAR 50 | Tawtheeq login |
In what order
- Check the activity
On the Single Window, with the approvals it needs.
- Commercial registration
Records the company and its activities.
- Activity approval
From the authority concerned, where the activity is regulated.
- Commercial permit
For an approved site; then you may trade.
Services in this group
Common questions about business licences in Qatar
Which licences does a business need in Qatar?
A commercial registration and a commercial permit for the premises, in every mainland case. After that it depends on what you do: a clinic, say, also needs the Ministry of Public Health. Trademark registration is optional. To see the rule for your own activity, search its code on the Single Window.
Source: Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
Can I start trading with only a CR?
No. Think of the CR as the company’s entry in the register; the commercial permit is what lets the doors open, and it is tied to an approved location. If the premises are still being fitted out, the Single Window can issue the CR now and the permit later.
Source: Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
How often do licences in Qatar need renewing?
Every one to five years for the CR and permit, depending on the term you pick, and the Ministry wants the request in 30 days ahead of expiry. Trademarks are on a separate ten-year cycle.
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.
- Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
- Single Window, Comprehensive renewal
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Local investor services
- Single Window, Trademarks FAQ
- Single Window, Intellectual property protection procedure
- Ministry of Public Health, Circular DHP/2024/12 to private healthcare facilities
- Single Window, Certificates services (CR and commercial permit extracts)
- Single Window, Home license issuance
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, News: e-commerce licence, Qatar Business Map and new app services (17 Sep 2026)
Tell us what the business will do and whether a CR exists already.
You will get the list of licences and approvals, in the order to apply for them.