Office space, lease and Tawtheeq for a company licence in Qatar
A mainland company in Qatar needs an approved site before it can trade: the commercial permit asks for a title deed or lease, the municipality’s completion certificate and, from 250 m², a Civil Defence certificate. Get the Ministry’s initial approval before you sign. Tawtheeq is Qatar’s government login, not a lease register; leases are registered with the Ministry of Municipality.
Office and lease at a glance
- Get MOCI’s initial approval for the premises
- Before you sign
- From this size, a Civil Defence certificate
- 250 m²
- For the landlord to register a written lease
- 60 days
- Between similar businesses in a residential area
- 250 m
From the Single Window, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the lease law; see the sources at the end of the page.
What office space the licence needs
The commercial registration records the company; the commercial permit lets it trade at one approved site. If the site is not ready, the Single Window issues the CR only, and the company may not trade until the permit follows.
Civil Defence inspects the site before the permit, except for a site already licensed for the activity or an activity that needs no site.
Site documents
- Lease
- A title deed, or the Single Window’s rental agreement declaration
- Sublease
- A real estate authorisation, a power of attorney or the owners’ consent
- Building
- The municipality’s completion certificate
- Civil Defence
- A certificate from 250 m², and for some activities at any size
- Address
- A photo of the “My Address” plate
Before you sign the lease
Initial approval first
From MOCI’s Commercial Licenses Section, before the lease is signed.
Residential areas
Approvals of the authorities concerned first; similar businesses 250 m apart.
Sharing a site
Two companies with different owners share one site only with a common partner.
No staff housing
Workers may not live inside commercial premises.
In a mall
The mall’s Civil Defence certificate serves at first issue; the unit needs its own at renewal.
Display
The CR and the licence are shown inside the premises.
Tawtheeq and lease registration: two different things
| Tawtheeq | Lease registration | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Qatar’s National Authentication System, the government login | The official record of a written lease |
| Run by | The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology | The Ministry of Municipality’s lease registration office |
| Why you need it | The Single Window asks for a Tawtheeq account with a valid Qatari ID to apply | The landlord registers the lease within 60 days, or faces a fine of up to QAR 10,000 |
The name causes confusion because Abu Dhabi uses “Tawtheeq” for its lease register. In Qatar, the Single Window does not ask for a registered lease: it asks for its own rental agreement declaration. Leases of vacant land and places outside the lease law are attested by the Ministry of Justice instead, for QAR 100 for three copies.
Options without a separate office
Home licence
One activity from the home a Qatari citizen lives in; a site plan replaces the completion certificate.
E-commerce licence
Licenses a website for 194 approved activities, for QAR 500; the business still needs a CR.
QFC
A registered office in a QFC-designated location, with a registered office agreement.
Free zones and QSTP
Land and buildings are leased from the zone; QSTP offers serviced offices from 45 m².
We found no official page that says whether business centres, flexi-desks or virtual offices are accepted for a mainland licence. What decides it is whether the site meets the permit’s documents above, so check before you pay for one.
What we help with
Premises check
Whether a site suits your activity, before you sign.
Initial approval
The Ministry’s approval for the location.
Site documents
Lease declaration, completion certificate and address plate.
Civil Defence
Whether your site and activity need a certificate.
Shared sites
Subleases and the landlord’s authorisation.
Moving premises
Recording a new address within 30 days.
Related pages
Common questions about office space for a company in Qatar
Do I need an office to get a trade licence in Qatar?
For a mainland company, yes: the commercial permit links the company to an approved site, with a title deed or lease, the municipality’s completion certificate and, from 250 m², a Civil Defence certificate. Without a ready site, only the CR is issued and the company may not trade. A home licence and the e-commerce licence work differently.
Source: Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
Is a virtual office allowed in Qatar?
No official page we checked says that a virtual office is accepted for a mainland licence; the permit asks for an approved physical site and its documents. The QFC asks for a registered office in a QFC-designated location. Check what a provider offers against those documents before you pay.
What is Tawtheeq in Qatar?
Tawtheeq is Qatar’s National Authentication System, the single government login run by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The Single Window asks for a Tawtheeq account with a valid Qatari ID to apply for a company. It is not the lease register; leases are registered with the Ministry of Municipality.
Source: Ministry of Communications and IT, National Authentication Service (Tawtheeq)
Who registers a lease in Qatar?
The landlord registers a written lease with the Ministry of Municipality’s lease registration office within 60 days, or faces a fine of up to QAR 10,000. Leases of vacant land and places outside the lease law are attested by the Ministry of Justice.
Source: Amiri Diwan, Law No. 19 of 2017 amending the lease law
Can I run my company from a residential area?
Only with the approvals of the authorities concerned, obtained before signing the lease, and similar businesses in a residential area must be at least 250 m apart. The home licence is a separate route for one activity run by a Qatari citizen from their own home.
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, Start your business (establishment service)
- Single Window, Issue commercial permit
- Single Window, Issue a commercial permit (help article)
- Single Window, Commercial permit services FAQ
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Local investor services
- Ministry of Communications and IT, National Authentication Service (Tawtheeq)
- Ministry of Municipality, Lease contract registration service
- Amiri Diwan, Law No. 19 of 2017 amending the lease law
- Ministry of Justice, Attestation of a real estate lease contract
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, News: e-commerce licence, Qatar Business Map and new app services (17 Sep 2026)
- Qatar Financial Centre, Designated office premises
- Qatar Free Zones Authority, FAQ
- QSTP, Enterprise programmes and offices
Tell us your activity and the site you have in mind, before you sign.
We tell you what the permit will ask for and whether the site fits.