How to start a business in Qatar, step by step
To start a business in Qatar, you choose your activity and route, reserve a trade name, sign an Arabic memorandum, get the commercial registration, then the commercial permit for approved premises. After that come the establishment card, a bank account and the tax card within 60 days. Most mainland steps run online through the Single Window.
Starting a business at a glance
- Mainland, a free zone or the Qatar Financial Centre
- 3 routes
- Government fees for a full Single Window setup
- QAR 1,700 to 2,200
- For the registration decision, once the file is complete
- 15 days
- To register for tax after registration
- 60 days
From the Single Window, Invest Qatar, the company law and the General Tax Authority; see the sources at the end of the page.
Step 1: choose your activity and route
Start from the activity. It decides the route, the approvals and often the premises.
Mainland- Licensed by
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, on the Single Window
- Suits
- Customers across Qatar
Qatar Free Zones or QSTP- Licensed by
- QFZ Authority or the QSTP Board
- Suits
- Logistics, industry and technology
Qatar Financial Centre- Licensed by
- QFC Authority
- Suits
- Financial and professional services
Step 2: choose the legal form and partners
For most new businesses the form is a limited liability company (LLC, also written WLL): one to 50 partners, each liable up to their share, with capital the partners set and pay in full. A foreign company can instead open a branch for a government contract, or a representation office that promotes but does not sell.
Foreign ownership
- Law No. 1 of 2019
- Up to 100% foreign ownership, by application above 49%
- Closed sectors
- Banks and insurance, commercial agencies, fields the Cabinet names
- Ministry decision
- Within 15 days of a complete file
- Check first
- One official Ministry page still shows 51%; a lawyer confirms your case
Steps 3 to 6: register on the Single Window
- Reserve the trade name
Three to five options; held for 180 days.
- Sign the memorandum
Written in Arabic, notarised, and signed on the portal or in person.
- Commercial registration
Decided within 15 days of a complete file. No business before it.
- Premises and permit
Initial approval of the site comes first, then the lease and the commercial permit.
The portal works through Tawtheeq, Qatar’s national login, so whoever applies must hold a valid Qatari ID. Founders without one can let a representative in Qatar file for them. Anything issued abroad is attested and put into Arabic before upload.
Step 7: after the licence
Establishment card
From the Ministry of Interior; staff residence permits ask for it.
Bank account
The bank checks the company, its signatories and its real owners.
Tax card
On Dhareeba, within 60 days of registration, approval or first income.
First staff
Wages into each worker’s account through WPS, by the 7th of the month.
Renewals
The CR and licences, renewed 30 days before they expire.
Yearly return
Within four months of the year end, even if exempt.
What we help with
Route and activity
Matching your activity to the right route and authority.
Ownership check
What your partners’ nationalities allow for your activity.
Documents
Attestation, Arabic translation and the memorandum.
Single Window steps
Trade name, CR and commercial permit, in order.
Premises
What your site needs before you sign the lease.
The first year
Establishment card, bank, tax card, WPS and renewals.
Related pages
Common questions about starting a business in Qatar
How do I start a business in Qatar?
Pick the activity first, then the route (mainland, free zone or QFC) and the legal form, which for most people is an LLC. On the mainland the Single Window takes you through the trade name, the Arabic memorandum, the commercial registration and the commercial permit for approved premises. The establishment card, bank account and tax card follow.
Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Investment steps for foreign investors
Can a foreigner start a business in Qatar?
Yes. Full foreign ownership is allowed in the Qatar Free Zones and the QFC. For the mainland, Law No. 1 of 2019 permits up to 100%, with Ministry approval once the foreign share passes 49%, except in closed sectors such as banking, insurance and commercial agencies. One official Ministry page still says 51%, so have a lawyer confirm your case.
Source: Law No. 1 of 2019 on investment of non-Qatari capital (Al Meezan)
How long does starting a company in Qatar take?
When you start a company in Qatar, the company law gives the Ministry 15 days to decide on a complete registration file, and the Single Window describes its establishment service as taking about two to three days. Attesting documents from abroad, finding premises and any activity approval usually take longer than the registration itself.
Source: Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
How much does it cost to start a business in Qatar?
Mainly the government fees, which the Single Window service page puts at about QAR 1,700 and Invest Qatar’s guide at about QAR 2,200 for a full setup. One activity on the CR costs QAR 500; each added one, QAR 300. Rent, attestation, translation and visas are paid on top, and our cost guide lists them line by line.
Source: Invest Qatar, Setting up your business in Qatar (guide hosted by MOCI)
What business can I start quickly in Qatar?
Activities with no outside approval. On the Single Window, website design, software design, building cleaning and general trading each say “No Approvals Needed”, which leaves only the CR and the commercial permit. Compare a clinic: it also needs a Ministry of Public Health licence, and a training centre needs one from the Ministry of Education.
Source: Single Window, Business activities search (activity details, approvals and fees)
Can I start a business in Qatar online?
Mostly. The mainland application, the trade name and the memorandum can be handled on the Single Window, which needs a Tawtheeq account and a valid Qatari ID. Documents issued abroad still have to be attested and translated into Arabic first, and the premises must be approved before the permit.
Source: Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
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.
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Investment steps for foreign investors
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Local investor services
- Invest Qatar, Setting up your business in Qatar (guide hosted by MOCI)
- Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
- Single Window, Reserving a trade name
- Single Window, Reserving a trade name: terms and regulations
- Single Window, Business activities search (activity details, approvals and fees)
- Law No. 1 of 2019 on investment of non-Qatari capital (Al Meezan)
- Commercial Companies Law No. 11 of 2015, as amended (Al Meezan)
- Law No. 20 of 2019 on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (Al Meezan)
- General Tax Authority, Income Tax Law and its Executive Regulations, 2024 edition (PDF)
- Minister of Labour Decision No. 50 of 2026 on the Wage Protection System (Al Meezan)
- Qatar Free Zones Authority, Set up a new company
- Qatar Financial Centre, Set up
Tell us your activity, your partners’ nationalities and where you want to operate.
We reply with the route, the steps and what each one needs.