QFC Company Setup and Licence in Qatar
A QFC licence in Qatar is issued by the Qatar Financial Centre Authority to firms setting up in the Qatar Financial Centre, Doha’s common-law business centre. Foreign owners can hold all the shares, and the corporate tax rate is 10%. Financial services need one more step: authorisation from the QFC Regulatory Authority.
The QFC licence in Qatar at a glance
- Foreign ownership allowed
- 100%
- Corporate tax; no personal income tax
- 10%
- Standard licence application fee
- USD 500
- Annual licence fee for one activity
- USD 5,000
From qfc.qa; see the sources at the end of the page.
Qatar Financial Centre company registration and licence
Registration with the Qatar Financial Centre and the licence come out of one application, in three steps. Tax registration follows the licence.
- Express your interest
Tell the QFC about the business you plan.
- Submit the application
With the documents listed below.
- Incorporation and licensing
The QFC incorporates and licenses the company, and you set up.
- Register for tax
With the QFC Tax Department, once the licence is issued.
What the QFC asks for
- Business details: name, activities and operations
- Governance: directors, company secretary and Senior Executive Function holder
- Financial information: share capital, shareholders and projections
Also needed
- Articles of Association
- Ultimate beneficial ownership information
- A registered office in QFC-approved premises
Our help with Qatar Financial Centre company setup
Most of a Qatar Financial Centre company setup is paperwork the QFC reviews. These are the parts we help you prepare.
Activity check
Whether your activity is non-regulated, or needs authorisation from the QFC Regulatory Authority.
Legal structure
An LLC, holding company, branch or another QFC structure.
Application pack
The business details, the people, the numbers, the Articles and who owns what.
Registered office
An office in one of the QFC’s designated locations in Doha.
Key people
Directors, the company secretary and the Senior Executive Function holder.
Tax registration
Registering with the QFC Tax Department once the licence is issued.
What the QFC is
The QFC runs its own legal, judicial and regulatory system on common-law lines. That makes it a separate route, both from a mainland company registered with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) and from the Qatar Free Zones and QSTP.
The QFC in brief
- Law
- Law No. 7 of 2005, in effect since 1 May 2005
- Legal system
- Common law, with its own bodies and tax rules
- Ownership
- Up to 100% foreign; profits can be repatriated
- Licensing
- QFC Authority; financial services also need the QFC Regulatory Authority
Permitted activities
Non-regulated activities need a licence from the QFC Authority, grouped in six clusters. Financial services also need QFC Regulatory Authority authorisation.
- Professional services
- Corporate headquarters and management offices
- Shipping services
- Classification and rating services
- Trust and company services
- Corporate support services
QFC company formation and legal forms
In QFC company formation, the most common choice is a limited liability company, which needs no minimum capital for non-regulated activities. The registered office must be in one of the QFC’s designated locations across Doha’s main business districts.
Other QFC structures
- Companies
- Holding company, special purpose company, company limited by guarantee
- Branches
- Of a non-QFC company or a non-QFC limited liability partnership
- Partnerships
- Limited liability, limited and general partnerships
- Other
- Investment club, single family office, foundation, trust
QFC company registration fees and timeline
- Standard application fee
- USD 500
- Application for designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBP)
- USD 2,000
- Annual licence fee, one activity
- USD 5,000
- Each extra activity
- USD 50
We found these QFC company registration fees on a QFC sector page, not a general fee schedule, so we confirm them for your case. The first annual fee, pro-rated, is due within 21 days of the licence, later fees by 1 January. Office rent is separate. The QFC does not publish a processing time and may ask for more documents.
QFC tax
10% corporate tax
No personal income tax, wealth tax or zakat; profits can be repatriated.
0% concessionary rate
Investment managers, reinsurers, captive insurers and businesses at least 90% Qatari-owned.
Possible exemptions
Some funds, holding structures and special purpose companies, under conditions.
Tax registration
With the QFC Tax Department once licensed. No start-up tax holiday is listed.
Related services
Common questions about QFC companies
What does QFC stand for in Qatar?
The Qatar Financial Centre. Created by Law No. 7 of 2005, it is a business and financial centre in Doha with its own common-law rules, its own authorities and its own tax regime, apart from the mainland system. A company licensed there can be wholly foreign-owned and pays 10% corporate tax.
Source: Qatar Financial Centre
How much are the QFC license fees?
A QFC sector page lists USD 500 to apply, then USD 5,000 a year for one licensed activity and USD 50 for each activity you add. Firms authorised by the QFC Regulatory Authority for financial services pay different fees. Rent for the office and other setup costs come on top.
Source: Qatar Financial Centre, Digital, AI and technology (setup and fees)
What are the requirements for QFC registration and a QFC license?
The QFC wants to know what the business is, who runs it and how it is funded: name and activities, directors, company secretary and Senior Executive Function holder, share capital, shareholders and projections. With that go the Articles of Association and beneficial ownership details. The office has to be in QFC-approved premises in Doha.
Source: Qatar Financial Centre, Set up
Can I look up a QFC company online?
Yes. The QFC keeps a public register on its e-services site, listing each firm by its QFC number with its status and permitted activities. A quick search there shows whether a company you are dealing with is licensed by the QFC, and what it is allowed to do.
Which law and rules govern QFC companies?
Two layers. The base is Law No. 7 of 2005, as amended, in force since 1 May 2005. On top sit the QFC Regulations and Rules, all published online, and a firm in regulated financial services also follows the QFC Regulatory Authority’s rules.
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.
- Qatar Financial Centre
- Qatar Financial Centre, Laws and regulations
- Qatar Financial Centre, Set up
- Qatar Financial Centre, Non-regulated activities
- Qatar Financial Centre, Legal structures and solutions
- Qatar Financial Centre, Designated office premises
- Qatar Financial Centre, Digital, AI and technology (setup and fees)
- Qatar Financial Centre, Tax overview
- Qatar Financial Centre, Public register
Is the work regulated finance, or something else? Tell us that, the activity and the owners.
We will suggest a QFC structure and list what the application needs.