Guides / Money & banking / Starting a business
Adding your spouse to your Qatar company: partner, manager or employee
How to make your wife or husband a shareholder, manager, signatory or employee of your Qatar company, and why ownership, residence and the right to work are three separate steps.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Who handles it
- MOCI Single Window (ownership), Ministry of Labour (work), Ministry of Interior (residence), your bank
- Typical MOCI fees
- About QAR 300 per CR amendment, plus QAR 100 if the commercial permit changes
- Time
- A simple CR amendment can be quick once papers are complete; work permits and bank updates add days to weeks
- Key rule
- Shares, signing power and the right to work are separate. Each needs its own step
Many expat couples in Qatar want to run their business together: one spouse owns the company, and the other wants a share, a say in running it, or a paid job in it. In Qatar these are three different things. Owning shares is recorded with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI); the right to work is decided by the Ministry of Labour (MOL); and residence is handled by the Ministry of Interior (MOI). Adding your spouse as a partner does not let them work, does not change their QID and does not give them power to sign cheques. This guide takes you through each part in order: decide the role, check the company and your spouse's papers, change the ownership on the Single Window, appoint them as manager or signatory if you want, sort out their work permission, then update the beneficial-owner record, the bank and the tax account. Setting up the company itself is in our start-a-business guide.
Before you start
- Your spouse's valid QID and passport, with at least a few months left on the residence
- Your spouse's own Tawtheeq (national authentication) login, needed for the Single Window and MOL portals
- The company's current CR, commercial permit (licence), establishment card and articles of association
- Your Tawtheeq login as owner or manager, with access to the company in the Single Window
- A written agreement between you on the share percentage, price or capital paid in, and profit share
- Any approval your activity needs from another body (for example health, education or engineering regulators)
- Your attested marriage certificate, in case the bank, MOL or a PRO asks for proof of the relationship
- Details of every person who will own 20% or more, or control the company, for the beneficial-owner record
Step by step
Decide what role your spouse will have
Start by being clear about what you want, because each role has its own procedure. A shareholder (partner) owns part of the company and shares its profits, but need not work in it. A manager runs the company and represents it, and an authorised signatory can sign contracts or bank payments; neither has to own shares. An employee works for a salary under a contract approved by the Ministry of Labour. Your spouse can hold one, two or all of these roles, but every role you choose must be set up on its own.
Check your spouse's residence and logins
Make sure your spouse's QID is valid and their residence will not expire during the process, because MOCI, MOL and the bank all check it. Their National Address should be registered and the mobile number linked to their QID should be in their own name, as MOL services match these details automatically. Set up their Tawtheeq login now, as they may need to approve the change or their contract online. Your spouse can stay on your family residence while becoming a partner; ownership does not change their residence at all.
Read guide: Tawtheeq (National Authentication System): signing up and logging in →Check the company can take your spouse as a partner
Look at your company's legal form and articles. A single-person LLC that adds a second owner becomes an LLC with more than one partner, so the articles need rewriting rather than a small edit. Check your activity's foreign-ownership rules: Law No. 1 of 2019 allows up to 100% non-Qatari ownership in most sectors with MOCI approval, but some activities are restricted, and a split between two expat partners still needs the approved foreign-ownership percentage. If your spouse is Qatari or a GCC national, the ownership picture and the tax position both change, so check before you agree percentages. Regulated activities may need the regulator's approval before MOCI will accept a new partner.
Read guide: Starting a business in Qatar as an expat: commercial registration step by step →Agree the deal and put it in writing
Decide how your spouse gets the shares: you transfer or sell part of your shares, the company issues new shares for new capital, or an existing partner sells to them. If there are other partners, read the articles for their rights, such as a right to buy first or a need for their consent, and get their written approval. Record the percentage, any price paid, profit share and what happens if one of you leaves the company or Qatar. A family promise is not legal ownership: only the amended articles and the CR make your spouse a partner.
Prepare the amendment documents
Typical papers are a partners' resolution approving the new partner, the amended articles of association showing the new ownership, a share transfer or sale agreement, your spouse's QID and passport, and the beneficial-owner details. Documents signed abroad, or a power of attorney from a partner outside Qatar, must be notarised, legalised and attested before MOCI will accept them. Some changes to the articles need review and certification, and complex cases may still need signing before a notary. If you use a PRO (a paid agent who handles government paperwork), ask for a written list of government fees and their own fees first.
Read guide: Notarising and translating documents in Qatar: MOJ authentication and certified translators →Submit the change on the Single Window
Sign in to the MOCI Single Window (sw.gov.qa) with Tawtheeq and open the Comprehensive Update service. One request can change partners and ownership, managers, authorised signatories and the articles together, so put all your changes in the same request. The system lists the documents, approvals and fees it needs for the changes you pick. Check the summary carefully: your spouse's name, QID number and percentage must match the articles exactly. Pay online; once approved, download the updated CR and keep a PDF copy.
Read guide: Renewing your commercial registration, licence and establishment card in Qatar →Update the commercial permit if needed
The commercial permit (the trade licence for your premises) only needs amending if the change affects the details it shows, such as the manager or the trade name. The Single Window tells you when this applies and adds the fee. Sector licences from other bodies, for example a clinic or training-centre licence, may also have to be updated with the new partner or manager. Make the change within 30 days of the event: the Commercial Register Law requires changes to be reported in that time.
Appoint your spouse as manager or signatory
Shares do not give signing power. If you want your spouse to manage the company or sign for it, record the appointment in the articles or a partners' resolution and add them as manager or authorised signatory in the same Single Window update. Say clearly what they can sign, alone or jointly, and up to what amount. A manager or signatory who lives abroad usually has to act through a notarised and attested power of attorney. Being named manager is a legal role; if your spouse will actually run the business day to day, they also need permission to work (next step).
Read guide: Making a power of attorney in Qatar →Sort out your spouse's right to work
Family residence lets your spouse live in Qatar, not work, and being a partner does not change that. If your spouse will work in the company, even unpaid or part-time, the company must first get MOL approval. There are two routes: a special work permit, where your spouse stays on your family residence and works for your company only, or moving them to work residence under your company through the MOL 'join the labour market' service. The special permit is simpler; work residence makes your spouse independent of your sponsorship, which matters if your own job or residence could change. Both routes, their conditions and fees are explained in our guide on working on family sponsorship.
Read guide: Working in Qatar on your spouse's or parent's sponsorship →Record your spouse as a beneficial owner
Qatar companies must keep a register of beneficial owners: the real people who own 20% or more of the company or control it. MOCI has required this register since 2021 and checks the disclosure with every registration, renewal or amendment, so an application can be refused without it. Add your spouse if they will own 20% or more or will control the company, with their date and place of birth, nationality, ID number and how they hold control. Changes must be reported within 30 days of getting the supporting documents, and failing to keep the register carries heavy penalties.
Update the bank, tax and Chamber records
Send the updated CR, amended articles, partners' resolution and your spouse's QID to your bank, and ask it to update the ownership and, if needed, the signing mandate. The bank will run its own know-your-customer checks on your spouse and will not let them sign until the mandate is changed. Update the company's details with the General Tax Authority on Dhareeba, because the 10% corporate tax is worked out from the share owned by people who are not Qatari or resident GCC nationals. Update your Qatar Chamber record too if you are a member.
Read guide: Opening a company bank account in Qatar →Plan for life changes
Think now about what happens to the shares and the business if you divorce, if one of you dies, or if the family sponsor leaves Qatar. A spouse on family residence loses that residence if yours is cancelled, even while they still own shares. Put a simple partners' agreement in place covering buy-outs and decision-making, and make sure your wills reflect the company shares. Talk to a Qatar-licensed lawyer if the company is valuable or other partners are involved.
Read guide: Wills and inheritance in Qatar for expats →
What it costs
| CR amendment on the Single Window, charged once per request (as listed by Qatar Living, 2026; confirm the amount on screen) | QAR 300 |
| Commercial permit amendment, only if the change affects the permit (Qatar Living, 2026) | QAR 100 |
| Review and certification of amendments to company documents, many non-joint-stock companies (Qatar Living, 2026) | About QAR 200 |
| Each additional business activity, if you add one at the same time (MOCI fee table) | QAR 300 |
| Special work permit for a worker sponsored by a spouse or relative, per year (Labour Decision No. 32 of 2025) | QAR 100 |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Letting your spouse start working in the company on a family QID before the Ministry of Labour approves a permit
- Assuming that adding your spouse as a partner gives them a work permit, a new QID or their own residence
- Assuming a partner can sign cheques or contracts, when signing power must be granted and recorded separately
- Changing the CR but not the articles of association (or the other way round), so the records do not match
- Forgetting the beneficial-owner register, which can block your next renewal or amendment
- Not telling the bank, so payments stall when your spouse tries to sign or the bank's records go out of date
- Agreeing a 50/50 split without checking the activity's foreign-ownership limits or the other partners' rights
- Missing the 30-day window to report the change to MOCI
Questions people ask
Can my wife be a partner in my company while she is on my family visa?
Yes, a spouse on family residence can usually become a shareholder, subject to your activity's ownership rules and MOCI approval. Ownership does not change her residence. But if she will do any work in the business, the company needs Ministry of Labour approval first, usually a special work permit.
If I make my husband a partner, does his QID change or does he get his own residence?
No. Being a partner is recorded with MOCI and has no effect on residence. He stays on your family residence unless the company moves him to work residence through the Ministry of Labour, which is a separate application.
Can my spouse sign cheques or be the manager without owning shares?
Yes. A manager or authorised signatory does not need to be a shareholder. Appoint them through the articles or a partners' resolution, record it on the Single Window, and update the bank mandate. If the role means actually running the business, they also need permission to work.
Should my company sponsor my spouse, or should they stay on my family sponsorship?
Staying on family residence with a special work permit is simpler and cheaper, but your spouse's stay depends on yours. Moving to work residence under your company makes them independent, which helps if your job, residence or the marriage may change. The trade-offs are covered in our working on family sponsorship guide.
How much does it cost to add my spouse as a partner?
MOCI fees are low: Qatar Living lists about QAR 300 for the CR amendment, QAR 100 if the commercial permit changes and around QAR 200 for certifying amended company documents. The real costs are usually legal drafting, attestation of any foreign documents, PRO fees and the work permit. Confirm the exact fees on the Single Window before you pay.
Can we split the company 50/50 as two expats?
Often, but do not assume it. The split must match the foreign-ownership percentage approved for your activity; most activities allow up to 100% non-Qatari ownership with MOCI approval, but some are restricted. Check on the Single Window or with MOCI before you sign anything.
My spouse is Qatari. Does adding them change anything?
It can. The share owned by Qatari or resident GCC nationals is generally exempt from the 10% corporate tax, so the tax due may fall, and restricted activities may become open to you. A Qatari spouse does not need a work permit to work. Update the tax record on Dhareeba and take advice on how the change affects ownership limits.
What happens to my spouse's shares if we divorce or I leave Qatar?
The shares stay theirs until they are transferred through another MOCI amendment, even if the marriage ends. If you leave Qatar and cancel your residence, a spouse on your family residence must change status or leave, though they still own their shares. Agree buy-out terms in a partners' agreement now to avoid disputes later.
Official sources
- Qatar Living (July 2026): sponsoring your spouse as a business partner in Qatar ↗
- Qatar Living (2026): CR renewal and amendments through the Single Window ↗
- Crowell: MOCI requires beneficial ownership disclosure ↗
- Invest Qatar: foreign ownership rules (Law No. 1 of 2019) ↗
- The Peninsula (September 2025): Ministry of Labour revised work permit fees ↗
- Gulf Times: the Commercial Companies Law and single-person LLCs ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.