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Hiring staff for your company in Qatar: work visa approvals, recruitment and contracts
How a small company in Qatar hires its first employees legally: getting set up with the Ministry of Labour, asking for recruitment (visa) approvals, using only licensed agencies, authenticating the contract, bringing the worker in and paying through the Wage Protection System.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Who decides
- Ministry of Labour (approvals, contracts, work permits) and Ministry of Interior (visa, residence permit, QID)
- Where
- MOL Establishments Portal (login with the company smart card), MOI services and Metrash
- Core MOL fees
- Work permit QAR 100 a year; contract authentication QAR 20 (Decision 32 of 2025)
- Golden rule
- The employer pays all recruitment and visa costs; the worker pays nothing
Once your company has its commercial registration and establishment card, the next job is hiring people, and in Qatar that runs through two ministries. The Ministry of Labour (MOL) decides how many workers you may bring in and for which jobs, and authenticates the employment contract; the Ministry of Interior (MOI) issues the work visa, the residence permit and the Qatar ID (QID). This guide is for owners and managers of small and medium mainland companies; it picks up where our start-a-business guide stops. The order is: get the company ready on the MOL system, decide whether each hire is already in Qatar or abroad, apply for recruitment approval, prepare and authenticate the contract, issue the visa, finish the medical and QID after arrival, and set up payroll through the Wage Protection System (WPS). Household staff such as maids and drivers follow a different route and are covered in our domestic worker guide.
Before you start
- A valid commercial registration (CR) and commercial licence whose activities include the jobs you want to fill
- An active establishment card (establishment registration with the MOI), sometimes called the computer card
- An authorised signatory or PRO (the staff member or agent who handles government paperwork) with a valid QID, a Tawtheeq (national login) account and the company smart card for the MOL portal
- A clear list of the jobs you need: job title, number of people, gender and preferred nationality, plus a short reason for each
- A company bank account that can run WPS payroll
- For each candidate: passport copy, photo, CV, and attested degree or trade certificates if the job title needs them
- A professional licence or ministry approval for regulated jobs (for example doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers)
- A written offer stating job title, basic salary, housing, transport and other allowances, probation and contract length
- A budget for government fees, flights, the medical, health insurance and any agency fee, all paid by the company
Step by step
Make sure the company can hire
Before you ask for any visa, check that your CR, commercial licence and establishment card are all valid and not close to expiry, because an expired document blocks every hiring transaction. The job you want to fill must fit the activities written on your CR: a consulting company will struggle to get approval for drivers or cooks. Qatar Living notes that a new company generally cannot recruit from abroad with only its CR; it also needs the establishment card and a Ministry of Labour account. If anything is missing, finish the company set-up first.
Read guide: Starting a business in Qatar as an expat: commercial registration step by step →Set up your Ministry of Labour access
All employer services run on the MOL Establishments Portal at mol.gov.qa. Your authorised representative logs in through the National Authentication System (Tawtheeq) and confirms their identity with the company smart card, the electronic card issued to the people authorised to act for the company. Check that the authorised signatory and establishment details on the portal are correct before you start, because requests submitted by someone who is no longer authorised get stuck. Many small companies use an experienced PRO or a business services office for this, but the company stays responsible for everything submitted in its name.
Read guide: Tawtheeq (National Authentication System): signing up and logging in →Decide where each hire comes from
There are three main routes. If the person already works in Qatar for another company, they move to you through the MOL change-of-employer request, without needing an NOC. If they live in Qatar on a husband's, wife's or parent's sponsorship, you apply for a work permit for them through the MOL 'join the labour market' service, and they keep or convert their residence as the rules allow. If they are abroad, you need a recruitment approval and a new work visa, which is the longest route. Hiring locally is usually faster and cheaper, so look in Qatar first.
Read guide: Changing jobs in Qatar without an NOC →Apply for recruitment (visa) approval
To bring someone from abroad, submit a labour recruitment approval request on the Establishments Portal. You state how many workers you need, their profession and gender, and why the business needs them; a new company bases this on its plans, an existing one on its activity, size and normal growth. MOL staff review the request and may look at your activity, current workforce and compliance record, so approval is not automatic. Once the number, profession and gender are approved, you choose nationalities in the nationality selection step and the approval is passed electronically to the MOI. MOL has offered a fast-track service since 2022 that can approve complete requests from law-abiding companies within minutes.
Check job titles and qualifications
Use the same job title everywhere: on the approval, the contract, the visa and later the residence permit. A mismatch is one of the most common reasons a visa or residence permit is refused. Professional and specialist titles usually need attested degrees, and regulated jobs such as healthcare, engineering and teaching need approval or a licence from the body that regulates them. Since Law No. 9 of 2026 some occupations also need training certificates or a professional exam, so check the requirement for your job titles before you make an offer.
Read guide: Attesting your degree for Qatar: the full chain →Use only a licensed recruitment agency
If you use an agency to find workers, it must be licensed by the Ministry of Labour. In September 2026 the Ministry published a list of 221 registered recruitment companies on its website, with a QR code in its awareness campaign, and told employers to check an agency on that list before paying anything. Ask for the agency's MOL licence, get the fee and refund terms in writing, and be wary of agencies that only use WhatsApp or ask for money before a contract exists. Agencies may not charge workers any recruitment fee; the employer carries that cost.
Read guide: Common scams in Qatar: fake fine messages, delivery texts, job and rental fraud →Prepare and authenticate the contract
Every worker needs a written contract in Arabic, authenticated by the Ministry of Labour; you can attach an English or other translation, but the Arabic text prevails. It must state the job, workplace, start date, duration, salary, pay date and allowances. The basic salary must be at least QAR 1,000 a month, plus at least QAR 500 for housing and QAR 300 for food unless you provide them. Authentication is done on the Establishments Portal and costs QAR 20; since April 2026 contracts for certain specialised jobs can be authenticated and printed instantly once approved. Workers from Qatar Visa Centre countries sign the contract at the QVC before travelling.
Read guide: Qatar's minimum wage: QAR 1,000 plus food and housing allowances →Issue the work visa and book the QVC
With an approval in place, the company applies to the MOI for the work entry visa in the worker's name, using the passport details exactly as printed. If the worker is from a country with a Qatar Visa Centre, such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka or the Philippines, they book an appointment with the visa reference number and complete the medical, fingerprints and contract signing there before travelling. Check the visa's expiry date and make sure the worker enters Qatar before it. Never bring someone in on a tourist or visit visa to start working informally.
Read guide: Switching from a visit visa to a work visa in Qatar →Finish the medical, fingerprints and QID
After arrival, the worker must pass the residence medical exam, normally within 30 days of entry if it was not finished at a QVC, and then give fingerprints at an MOI centre. The company then issues the residence permit and the QID. Until the QID arrives, the worker cannot open a bank account or get a phone line in their own name, so plan their first weeks. The company must also provide health insurance, as the mandatory health insurance law requires employers to cover expat employees.
Read guide: Residence medical exam and fingerprints in Qatar →Set up WPS payroll before the first payday
Private-sector salaries must be paid by bank transfer through the Wage Protection System, which lets MOL check every payment against the authenticated contract. Under Ministerial Decision No. 50 of 2026, monthly wages fall due on the 1st and must reach the worker's account within 7 days. Ask your bank to set up WPS for the company, make sure each worker has a salary account or salary card, and keep the payroll figures identical to the contract. Paying late, in cash or less than the contract can lead to fines and a suspension of new work permits.
Read guide: Late or unpaid salary: the Wage Protection System and what to do →If a request is refused, find the reason
Read the remark on the rejected request in the MOL portal, MOI visa services or Metrash. Common causes are a profession that does not fit your CR, no unused approval matching the worker's nationality, gender or job, an inactive or restricted establishment, passport details that do not match exactly, missing attested certificates or unfinished QVC steps. There is no published general appeal route for an ordinary visa refusal; in most cases you fix the problem and submit a new or amended request. If the refusal says the establishment is blocked, contact the Ministry of Labour to find out which violation must be cleared.
Keep each worker's papers up to date
Work permits are renewed yearly (QAR 100 under Decision 32 of 2025) and residence permits must be renewed before they expire. Probation can be up to 6 months and can only be used once with the same employer. Keep a simple list of every worker's QID, passport and contract dates and renew in good time. When someone leaves, settle their final dues and cancel or transfer their residence properly; after a residence is cancelled the worker has only 14 days to transfer or leave Qatar.
Read guide: Probation period in Qatar: the rules for workers and employers →
What it costs
| Work permit, issue or renewal (MOL Decision 32 of 2025) | QAR 100 per year |
| Authentication of an employment contract by MOL | QAR 20 |
| Work visa on company sponsorship (MOI fee as reported by Qatar Living, 2026; confirm in Metrash) | QAR 300 |
| Residence permit for a company-sponsored worker (as reported by Qatar Living, 2026) | QAR 1,000 per year |
| QID card (as reported by Qatar Living, 2026) | QAR 100 |
| Residence medical exam (if not done at a QVC) | QAR 100 |
| Recruitment fees charged to the worker | QAR 0 (not allowed) |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Letting someone start work on a visit visa, or on another company's visa, while the paperwork is 'in progress'; both sides can be fined and the worker deported
- Using different job titles on the approval, contract and visa, which leads to refusals at the visa or residence stage
- Paying an unlicensed agency or a social-media 'visa agent', or paying before checking the agency on the MOL list
- Deducting visa, ticket or agency costs from the worker's salary; recruitment costs are the employer's
- Paying salaries in cash or outside WPS, or paying different figures from the authenticated contract
- Letting the CR, licence or establishment card expire, which blocks every new hiring transaction
- Keeping workers' passports; the passport belongs to the worker
- Booking flights and promising start dates before the recruitment approval and visa are actually issued
Questions people ask
Can my new hire start working while the visa is being processed?
No. A visit, tourist or Hayya visa never allows work, and the worker must not start until they are on your work visa and their residence process is under way. Working without the right permit can lead to fines for the company and deportation for the worker. If they are already in Qatar on a visit, see our visit-to-work-visa guide for how the switch is done.
How long does recruitment approval take?
MOL does not publish a standard processing time. Its fast-track service, launched in 2022, can approve complete requests from companies that comply with the Labour Law within minutes, while other requests go to staff for review. New companies and requests that look large compared with the business can take longer or be cut down, so ask only for what you can justify.
My work visa request was rejected. Can I appeal?
There is no published general appeal procedure for an ordinary work visa refusal. Read the rejection remark, fix the cause (for example a passport detail, a missing attested certificate or a profession that does not match your approval) and submit again. If the reason is a ban or violation on your establishment, contact the Ministry of Labour to find out what must be cleared first.
Can I hire someone who is in Qatar on her husband's sponsorship?
Yes. Apply through the MOL service for joining the labour market (changing from family residency to work residency). The phone number in the request must match the one linked to her QID, she needs a National Address and a Tawtheeq account, and your establishment card must be active. If approved, you authenticate the contract and pay the fees online, and MOL passes the change to the MOI.
Can I choose the nationality of the workers I bring in?
Partly. MOL first approves the number, profession and gender, and you then pick nationalities in a separate selection step, where some choices may not be available. Once a visa is issued against an approval, the worker's nationality, gender and job must match it, so plan before you spend an approval.
Who pays the visa, medical and ticket, and can I take it from their salary?
The employer pays the recruitment and visa costs, the residence permit and the work permit, and it is illegal for an employer or agency to charge the worker recruitment fees. You also cannot recover these costs through deductions that are not allowed by law. Put any other benefits, such as annual tickets, clearly in the contract.
Do I have to hire Qataris?
Qatar has a law on localising jobs in the private sector (Qatarisation), and the Ministry of Labour sets the targets and programmes under it. In practice the requirements bite hardest in certain sectors and larger companies, so ask MOL or your business adviser whether any target applies to your activity before planning your headcount.
Should I use a recruitment agency or hire directly?
You can do either. Hiring someone already in Qatar, or a person you found yourself, needs no agency. If you use an agency, it must be licensed by MOL and on the Ministry's published list, and its fee is paid by you, not the worker.
Official sources
- Qatar Living: Hiring your first employee in Qatar, legal steps ↗
- The Peninsula: Labour Minister sets fees for work permits and recruitment (Decision 32 of 2025) ↗
- The Peninsula: MOL issues list of 221 registered recruitment agencies (September 2026) ↗
- Qatar Tribune: MOL e-services for work permits and recruitment approvals ↗
- Qatar Living: Work visa rejection, reasons and what to do ↗
- Gulf Times: Services at Qatar Visa Centres ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.