A transport company in Qatar needs a commercial registration with the transport activity and a licence from the Land Transport Department of the Ministry of Transport. Law No. 8 of 2019 requires the operator to be a Qatari citizen or a Qatari company. Most licences cost QAR 2,000 for two years, and every vehicle needs its own operating card.
Which transport activities need approval
Under Article 2 of Law No. 8 of 2019, no one may carry on a land transport activity without a licence from the Ministry of Transport’s Land Transport Department. The law covers carrying people, goods or shipments by road for a fee, renting out vehicles, and running transport facilities and the logistics services linked to them. Tourist transport also needs a tourism licence, and military cargo needs the written consent of the Ministry of Defence.
| Activity on the Single Window | Code | Approvals before the commercial permit |
|---|---|---|
| Private taxi (limousine) | 492121 | Ministry of Transport and traffic department |
| Renting of private cars with driver | 492240 | Ministry of Transport and traffic department |
| Renting of passenger cars without drivers | 771010 | Ministry of Transport and traffic department |
| Charters, excursions and coach services | 492111 | Ministry of Transport and traffic department |
| Land transport of goods | 492300 | Ministry of Transport |
| Heavy haulage | 492302 | Ministry of Transport and traffic department |
| Taxi intermediary via applications | 522908 | Ministry of Transport |
| Delivery services via online platforms | 532013 | Ministry of Transport |
| Storage facilities, except food | 521011 | None |
Limousine and car rental
Limousine services and car rental, with or without a driver, have their own chapter in the 2024 Executive Regulations. The office must be a Qatari commercial company, and its manager must be at least 21 years old, of good conduct, with no conviction for a crime against honour or trust. The Ministry of Transport’s form adds that a limousine business and a car rental business each need their own CR showing only that main activity; the two may not be combined, and the Ministry issues a separate licence for each.
- Minimum cars for a limousine licence
- 7
- Minimum cars for car rental
- 10
- Oldest model year allowed
- 5 years
- To restore the minimum fleet
- 30 days
From the Executive Regulations of Law No. 8 of 2019, Arts. 15 to 21, checked 21 Oct 2026.
- An office outside residential areas, except in commercial complexes, with its own parking, a lease valid for the whole licence period and the trade name and mark on the front.
- An engineering drawing of the office location approved by the competent authorities.
- No other activity alongside the licensed one.
- At first licensing, cars no more than two years from manufacture, and in service as rental or limousine cars for no more than five years from first licensing. Limousines carry limousine plates.
- Each car licensed by the traffic department, comprehensively insured, fitted with a tracker linked to the Ministry, with clear windows and a first-aid kit.
- Extra cars may be hired only from another company licensed for the same activity.
If the fleet drops below the minimum, the company has 30 days to make it up. After that the Ministry may suspend the licence for up to three months, extendable once, and then cancel it. Drivers need the right driving licence, a first-aid course and the training certificates the Ministry approves, and they wear the uniform.
Goods transport and logistics
Goods vehicles must be built to the approved standards, licensed and equipped for freight, and kept within the permitted loads, weights and dimensions. Each load travels with a bill of lading or transport document, on the routes and at the times the Ministry allows. Goods vehicles may not carry passengers, and they carry a tracker linked to the Ministry.
Land freight intermediaries
A company formed under the Commercial Companies Law with paid-up capital of at least QAR 500,000, its own licence, staff with at least five years’ experience and client contracts in a form the Ministry approves.
Hazardous materials
A separate licence under Law No. 9 of 2019, issued after coordination with other authorities. QAR 1,000 a year.
Cross-border trips
Trucks crossing the land border carry a customs passbook, and international trips are insured from start to finish.
Foreign-registered trucks
They may not carry goods inside Qatar without a permit from the Ministry.
A warehouse alone is a different case. Code 521011, storage facilities except food, lists no approval from another authority on the Single Window. If you also move the goods yourself, add the transport code and its licence.
Ministry of Transport steps
- Choose the activity
Pick the transport code on the Single Window and check the ownership rule and the approvals it lists.
- Trade name and CR
Reserve the name and register the company. The Ministry’s form asks for the name reservation certificate and the QID at this stage.
- Approvals before the permit
The CR alone does not allow transport work. The Ministry of Transport, and the traffic department where listed, approve before the commercial permit is issued.
- Transport licence
Apply on the Ministry’s e-services with the documents below. It decides within 30 days; silence counts as a refusal, and you may appeal to the Minister within 30 days.
- Operating cards
Register every vehicle for an operating card and keep the card in the vehicle.
- The applicant’s ID, or proof of who represents the company.
- Proof that you own or lease the vehicles, or an undertaking to do so before you start, with their number and type.
- The vehicles’ registrations, or an undertaking to provide them.
- The insurance policy.
- For local transport: the vehicle licences by category, proof of parking for each type of vehicle, and the schedule and routes.
- For international transport: trip insurance and proof of a licensed local agent in the country of arrival.
| Ministry of Transport fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Licence for limousine, car rental, goods, freight intermediary, delivery platform and most other activities | QAR 2,000 for two years |
| Licence for a taxi intermediary via applications | QAR 2,000 for two years, plus QAR 5 a trip |
| Licence for hazardous materials transport | QAR 1,000 for one year |
| Annual operating card, per vehicle | QAR 100 |
| Temporary operating card | QAR 50 |
The licence lasts two years. Apply to renew it at least 45 days before it expires, or it lapses unless the Ministry accepts your reason, and the renewal must meet every condition of the first licence. App-based passenger and delivery services use a separate Ministry of Transport service for electronic applications.
Vehicles, drivers and insurance
The insurance policy must come from an insurer approved in Qatar and cover the whole licence period, including the renewal window. It must cover the vehicle, passengers, drivers and third parties, pay whatever compensation a court awards, and cover civil liability for accidents inside Qatar.
Operating card
Issued per vehicle, usually for one year. Renew it within the 45 days before it expires.
Passenger vehicles
The trade name and licence number on both sides, a tracker linked to the Ministry, and no more passengers than allowed.
Drivers
A valid driving licence and suitable training, with the driver and any assistant trained in safety and first aid.
Branches
Each new branch of a transport company needs its own licence.
Penalties are heavy. Running a transport business without a licence, or a vehicle without an operating card, can bring up to a year in prison and a fine of up to QAR 150,000. The Ministry may also suspend a licence for up to three months or cancel it, for example when a warning is not acted on within 60 days.
How we help
We help you choose the transport code, register the company and prepare the Ministry of Transport and traffic department files, including the fleet, parking, insurance and route documents. We then help you apply for the operating cards and plan the renewals. The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry decide each application.
