Commercial Registration and Trade Licence in Qatar
A mainland business in Qatar needs two documents. The commercial registration (CR), issued through the Single Window, records the company and its activities. The commercial permit, usually called the trade licence, links those activities to an approved location. You may not start the activity on a CR alone; the permit must be issued first.
CR and trade licence at a glance
- Commercial registration and commercial permit
- 2 documents
- Renewal term for the CR and the permit
- 1 to 5 years
- Before expiry, renew both
- 30 days
- From this size, the premises need a Civil Defence certificate
- 250 m²
From the Single Window and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI); see the sources at the end of the page.
CR and trade licence: the difference
The commercial registration is your entry in Qatar’s commercial register. Once the commercial permit is issued, you can start business and hire staff.
The Single Window can issue both in one establishment request, or you can apply for the permit later, once the premises are ready.
In brief
- Commercial registration
- Records the company and its activities
- Commercial permit
- Links those activities to an approved location
- CR only
- The activity is not permitted until the permit is issued
- At the premises
- Display both, and update them on any change
From trade name to trade licence
- Trade name
Reserved on the Single Window, free inside the establishment request.
- Commercial registration
Records the company and its activities.
- Premises
An identified location with its documents. Get the Ministry’s initial approval before the lease.
- Commercial permit
Issued for that location. Then you can start business and hire staff.
What we help with
Activities
Choosing activities that fit your ownership and the approvals they need.
Premises check
The documents your premises need, before you sign the lease.
Documents
Passports, attested company papers and the trade name, ready to upload.
Single Window steps
Trade name, CR and commercial permit, in one request or in stages.
Government fees
The fee lines that apply to your activities, capital and premises.
Renewals
Renewing the CR and permit on time, for one to five years.
Choosing your activities
On the CR
No commercial activity may be carried out unless it is recorded on the CR and the trade licence.
Ownership
Each activity has to fit the nationality of the company’s capital; the Single Window shows the rule for each one.
Regulated activities
They also need an approval from the authority concerned.
Selling online
Even an Instagram shop needs the Ministry’s e-commerce licence, on top of the CR.
Premises and municipality approval
Get the Ministry’s initial approval from the Commercial Licenses Section before you sign a lease, and for activities in residential areas, get the approvals of the authorities concerned before signing.
If the premises are not ready yet, the Single Window issues the CR only, and the permit follows once the location is approved.
Premises documents
- Ownership or lease
- Title deed or rental agreement declaration, or an accepted substitute
- Building
- Completion certificate issued by the municipality
- Civil Defence
- Certificate if the site is 250 m² or more
- Address
- A photo of the “My Address” plate
Trade license application documents
For a trade license application, documents issued outside Qatar must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Qatar embassy in the country that issued them.
Who applies
- An applicant with a Tawtheeq (national authentication) account and a valid Qatari ID
- A manager who holds a valid Qatari ID
- The beneficial owner, declared in the application
What to prepare
- Passport copies of the partners
- Foreign shareholders’ documents, attested
- Above 49% non-Qatari ownership: the investment licence application and a CV for each partner
- A trade name that follows the rules; one based on a registered trademark needs a franchise, usufruct or licence document
Fees and timeline
- Commercial registration, one activity
- QAR 500
- Each extra activity on the CR
- + QAR 300
- Qatar Chamber fee, by capital
- QAR 500 to 5,000
- Establishment ID (Ministry of Interior)
- QAR 200
From the Single Window fee table.
| Other lines | Fee or time |
|---|---|
| Trade name reserved on its own | QAR 1,000; free inside the establishment service |
| LLC articles | QAR 500 to attest and QAR 500 to notarise |
| Home permit | QAR 300 |
| Commercial permit | Shown on the portal for your case; two Single Window pages give it differently |
| Establishment | About two to three days |
CR and licence renewal
30 days before expiry
The Ministry asks you to renew the CR and licences ahead of time.
1 to 5 years
The CR and the permit can be renewed for one to five years.
Permit within the CR
The permit cannot run longer than the CR.
With all branches
The CR is renewed for the whole organisation and its branches.
The renewal fee on the Single Window is QAR 500 for one activity, QAR 300 for each extra activity and QAR 100 for each branch CR, and the renewal takes about a day.
Related services
Common questions about the CR and trade licence
What is a trade license in Qatar?
In Qatar, “trade license” usually means the commercial permit issued through the Single Window. It allows your business to carry out the activities on its commercial registration at one approved location. You apply after reserving a trade name, getting the CR and finding suitable premises, and you can start trading once it is issued.
How do you get a trade license in Qatar?
Reserve a trade name and get the commercial registration (CR) through the Single Window. Then prepare the premises documents: the title deed or lease declaration, the building completion certificate and, from 250 m², a Civil Defence certificate. The commercial permit is issued for that location, in the same establishment request or later.
What does CR mean in Qatar?
It stands for commercial registration: the entry for your business in the register that Law No. 25 of 2005 sets up. It records the company and its activities. Trading still waits for the commercial permit for your premises.
Source: Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
How much does it cost to get a trade license in Qatar?
The Single Window fee table lists QAR 500 for a CR with one activity, plus QAR 300 for each extra activity. Other charges include the Qatar Chamber fee, which depends on capital, contract attestation, the establishment ID and the commercial permit fee, which the portal shows for your case.
Source: Single Window, Start your business (establishment service)
How do you renew a trade license in Qatar?
You renew the CR and the commercial permit through the Single Window renewal service, 30 days before they expire. Terms run from one to five years, though the permit can never outlast the CR. A regulated activity also has to hold a valid approval from its regulator at that point.
How many types of business license are there in Qatar?
It depends on the business. A mainland company holds two documents: the commercial registration and the commercial permit, which is the usual trade license. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry also issues a home license for some activities run from home and an e-commerce license for selling online, and regulated activities need a license from their own authority.
Is there a small business or home license in Qatar?
For some activities, yes. It is called the home licence, it comes through the Single Window and the permit part costs QAR 300; a site layout plan replaces the usual building completion certificate, and the owner of the building has to sign up to the conditions.
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 19 Oct 2026.
Tell us your activity, whether you already hold a CR and whether your premises are leased.
We tell you what the Single Window will ask for and the order to do it in.