Domain registration in Qatar runs through the Qatar Domains Registry at the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA). A company applies through one of CRA’s accredited registrars. A .qa name is open to all, while .com.qa is for companies and businesses registered in Qatar. Names are given first come, first served, and an unrenewed name is deleted after a month.
Which Qatar domain fits your company
The Qatar Domains Registry, run by the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA), holds the database for every name ending in .qa. It does not deal with applicants for the commercial zones itself. Accredited registrars do that, and CRA’s FAQ says they decide whether an application meets the registry’s rules.
| Domain | Who it is for | Where you apply |
|---|---|---|
| .qa | Open for all | An accredited registrar |
| .com.qa | Companies and businesses registered in Qatar | An accredited registrar |
| .net.qa | Information and communications technology businesses | An accredited registrar |
| .name.qa | Individuals who are citizens or residents of Qatar | An accredited registrar |
| قطر. | The Arabic-script domain for Qatar | An accredited registrar |
| .gov.qa, .mil.qa, .org.qa, .edu.qa, .sch.qa | Government, military, not-for-profit, education and schools | The Qatar Domains Registry directly |
For a trading company, the choice is usually between .qa and .com.qa. Some hold both and point one at the other, so a customer who types either address reaches the site.
What the registrar checks
Registration is a licence to use the name, granted under the registry’s policies. CRA’s FAQ is plain about it: domain names are leased and used, not owned. Every applicant agrees to those policies when it registers and again at each renewal.
Commercial Registration for .com.qa
The zone is for companies and businesses registered in Qatar, so have a current CR in the same legal name as the applicant.
Company contact details
The registrant, administrative and technical contacts appear in the public WHOIS record. CRA warns that a name registered with invalid details can be lost.
Rules for the name itself
A .qa name in Latin letters must meet the format rules in CRA’s FAQ. Other conditions sit in the registry’s eligibility policy.
- Letters a to z, numbers 0 to 9 and hyphens, or a mix of them
- Between 2 and 63 characters
- No spaces, and no hyphen at the start or the end
- No hyphens in both the third and fourth positions, as in xx--yy.qa
Names go to whoever applies first. That is why the trade name and the domain should be settled together. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) holds a reserved trade name for 180 days, and in that window the matching domain may already be gone.
Before you file trade name options on the Single Window, check each one on CRA’s WHOIS. A name that is free on both sides saves a rename later.
If your preferred .qa name is taken, look at the .com.qa version, a shorter form of the trade name, or the Arabic قطر. domain.
Registering, step by step
- Fix the trade name
Wait until MOCI has assigned it, so the domain, the logo and the mailboxes all follow the same name.
- Check availability
Search the name on CRA’s WHOIS or its domain check tool. If it is taken, try another and search again.
- Choose an accredited registrar
CRA publishes the list of accredited registrars. Ask each for the first-year and the renewal price in writing before you apply.
- Apply with your documents
In the company’s legal name, with the CR for .com.qa. The registrar checks the application against the registry’s rules.
- Connect hosting and email
A domain does nothing on its own. It has to be pointed at a hosted website and a mail service.
CRA’s FAQ confirms you can register a name before you have a website or hosting.
Once the registry is updated, the new record spreads across the internet’s name servers. CRA says a domain is usually reachable worldwide within a short time, though it cannot control how fast every server updates.
Renewal, expiry and moving to another registrar
A .qa name is registered for a period and must be renewed. If it is not, CRA’s FAQ says it is deleted from the registry system after one month. Some registrars allow a grace period after expiry; its length depends on the registrar and the zone.
The registry publishes separate policies for registration, expiry, renewal and deletion, for transfers, and for the domain password. A registrant agrees to conform to those policies again at each renewal, so keep the CR current for as long as you hold a .com.qa name.
The registry’s published policies
Registrant Agreement Policy; Domain Name Registration, Expiry, Renewal and Deletion Policy; Domain Name Transfer Policy; Domain Name Password Policy.
Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy and its Rules; Complaints Handling Policy; Acceptable Use Policy; WHOIS terms and conditions; Registry System and DNS Zone Files Access Policy; Definitions and Glossary.
To move a domain, you choose the new accredited registrar and it starts the transfer. A change of holder, for example after a company restructures, follows its own transfer policy, separate from a change of registrar.
When someone else holds your name
Being first matters. A name registered by someone else before you stays theirs unless it is cancelled or transferred under the registry’s policies.
Where the dispute concerns a trademark or other intellectual property, the registry’s Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy applies. CRA names the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center as the provider that hears these disputes.
How we help
Noor Digital Technology, part of Noor Group, takes care of the eligibility check and the paperwork for your .qa or .com.qa name, registers it in your company’s name and keeps the renewal dates. We help you check the name against the trade name before it goes to MOCI, and Noor Digital then sets up the hosting and business email. The registrar and the Qatar Domains Registry decide each application.
