In short
This Qatar business setup glossary explains the words founders meet again and again. The CR and commercial permit come from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the establishment card and residence permits from the Ministry of Interior. Tawtheeq is the login, the Single Window is the portal, and Dhareeba is where the tax card and returns are handled. Where an official page gives the Arabic, so do we.
Company and registration terms
| Term | Arabic | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial registration (CR) | السجل التجاري | The entry of a trader or company in the commercial register. Companies, individual traders, foreign branches and representative offices must register, and no one may trade before registration. |
| Trade name | الاسم التجاري | The name the business trades under: the owner’s name, an invented name, or both. It must differ clearly from registered names and must not mislead. |
| Memorandum of association | عقد التأسيس | The company contract. It and every amendment must be in Arabic and notarised, or they are void. On the Single Window it is signed digitally or at a booked appointment. |
| Limited liability company (LLC) | الشركة ذات المسؤولية المحدودة | A company of one to 50 partners, none liable beyond their share. MOCI calls it the most common form for foreign investors. |
| L.L.C | ذ.م.م | The words the Single Window adds to an LLC’s trade name, in English and Arabic. |
| W.L.L. | – | A label some people use for the same Arabic form. It appears on no official page we read; the official English suffix is L.L.C. |
| Sole proprietorship | المؤسسة الفردية | A CR held by one person. The Single Window allows it only for Qatari and GCC nationals aged 18 or over, one per person. |
| Branch of a foreign company | فرع شركة أجنبية | A foreign company’s branch entered in the commercial register. Registration does not give the branch a legal personality separate from the company. |
| Commercial representation office | مكتب التمثيل التجاري | A foreign company’s office in Qatar, registered in the commercial register as its own category of registrant. |
| Beneficial owner | المستفيد الحقيقي | The Single Window requires the beneficial owner to be declared before the company set-up is completed, and MOCI asks foreign investors for a Real Beneficiary Declaration. |
| Business activity and activity code | – | Each activity has a code, for example 461032 for import activities. No activity may be carried out that is not recorded in the CR and licence. |
| Foreign ownership above 49% | – | Under Law No. 1 of 2019, a foreign stake above 49% needs an application to MOCI, which decides within 15 days of a complete file. |
Licences and approvals
| Term | Arabic | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial permit (trade licence) | الرخصة التجارية | The licence for the premises and activity, issued after the CR once the location is ready. Without it the activity may not start. |
| Specific licences | الرخص النوعية | Licences or approvals from the authority that regulates an activity, such as health or education. The Single Window can request them in the same application. |
| Initial approval | – | MOCI’s Commercial Licenses Section approves the premises before you sign the lease. |
| Civil Defence licences | تراخيص الدفاع المدني | The Civil Defence approval for the location, which asks for a fire and alarm maintenance contract. With a building completion certificate, it is needed before the commercial permit is issued, and again at renewal. |
| Home licence | الرخصة المنزلية | A licence for Qatari citizens to run some activities from home. It is renewed without a CR renewal. |
| E-commerce licence | – | MOCI’s licence for selling through websites and social media, under Decision No. 25 of 2026. |
| Comprehensive renewal | التجديد الشامل | The Single Window service that renews the CR and commercial permits for one to five years. A separate Comprehensive Update service handles changes such as new activities, partners or managers. |
Government portals and customs
| Term | Arabic | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Single Window | النافذة الواحدة | MOCI’s investor portal. One application can cover the trade name, CR, memorandum, commercial permit, establishment ID, tax card, labour approvals and activity licences. |
| Tawtheeq | نظام التوثيق الوطني "توثيق" | Qatar’s National Authentication System, run by the Ministry of Communications and IT: one username and password for e-government. It is a login, not a lease registration. |
| Hukoomi | حكومي | The government portal that lists public services, with their steps and fees. |
| Metrash | مطراش | The Ministry of Interior’s app. Business owners renew the establishment ID on it; residence permits are renewed on Metrash2. |
| Dhareeba | بوابة ضريبة الإلكترونية | The General Tax Authority’s portal for tax registration, returns and payments. |
| Al-Nadeeb | النديب | The customs clearance system of the General Authority of Customs, used for importer accounts, declarations, tariffs and fees. |
| Customs declaration | البيان الجمركي | The statement made for every good that enters or leaves Qatar, on the approved forms. |
| Customs broker | المخلص الجمركي | A licensed person who declares goods for others. Owners may also declare their own goods if they meet the conditions Customs sets. |
Visas, residence and staff
| Term | Arabic | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Establishment card (establishment ID) | قيد المنشأة | The Ministry of Interior’s registration of a company that employs staff. It is asked for in staff residence and PRO card files and renewed on Metrash. |
| QID | بطاقة شخصية قطرية | The Qatari ID card. The Single Window applicant and the company manager need a valid one. |
| Residence permit (RP) | رخصة الإقامة | The permit every expatriate resident needs. It lasts one to five years and is renewed within 90 days from its expiry. |
| Recruiter (sponsor) | المستقدم | The employer or person who brings an expatriate to Qatar and carries out the residence permit and its renewal. |
| Labour approvals | الموافقات العمالية | The labour ministry’s approvals to employ non-Qatari workers, part of the Single Window set-up. |
| Work visa | – | The Ministry of Interior’s visa for a worker on company sponsorship, issued on an attested employment contract. |
| PRO card | – | The Ministry of Interior card for the company’s public relations officer, issued on the establishment card. |
| Attestation | – | Documents issued outside Qatar must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Qatar embassy in the issuing country. |
| WPS | نظام حماية الأجور | The Wage Protection System. Monthly wages fall due on the first of the month and are paid through WPS within seven days. |
Tax and finance
| Term | Arabic | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| General Tax Authority (GTA) | الهيئة العامة للضرائب | The authority for income tax, tax cards and returns. |
| Tax card | البطاقة الضريبية | One card per taxpayer, showing the tax number, CR or licence number and branches. Apply within 60 days of starting activity, CR entry or first income. |
| Tax return | – | Filed on Dhareeba within four months of the end of the tax year, also by exempt and Qatari-owned companies. |
| Income tax | – | Ten per cent of taxable income. Companies wholly owned by Qatari or GCC nationals are exempt, and in a mixed company only the foreign partner’s share is taxed. |
| Withholding tax | – | Five per cent of royalties, interest, commissions and service fees paid to non-residents without a permanent establishment in Qatar. |
| ICV (In-Country Value) | القيمة المحلية | QatarEnergy’s Tawteen measure of value kept in Qatar through local purchases, training, supplier development and investment. It counts in energy-sector tenders. |
Free zones and the QFC
| Term | Arabic | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| QFC | مركز قطر للمال | The Qatar Financial Centre: its own common-law jurisdiction, with 100% foreign ownership, a 10% tax rate and offices in designated premises. |
| QFZ | المناطق الحرة قطر | Qatar Free Zones, near Hamad International Airport and Hamad Port. Companies there may be wholly foreign-owned and are licensed under Law No. 34 of 2005. |
| QSTP | واحة قطر للعلوم والتكنولوجيا | Qatar Science and Technology Park, a free zone under Law No. 36 of 2005 for research, product development, technical training and advice. |
Beyond this Qatar business setup glossary
Most terms in this Qatar business setup glossary have a full page on this site, and the links below lead to the main ones. Found a word on a government form that is missing here? Send it to us together with the form it came from. We help you work out what each authority is asking for and prepare the papers, while the ministries decide every application.
