Internships in Qatar: where to find one and getting the right permit

Where students and new graduates in Qatar find internships, what they pay, and the permit or approval you need before your first day.

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026

When to apply: 2 to 4 months ahead; QCRI's 2026 summer programme took applications 26 March to 10 April
Pay: Varies; QF's Mehnaty pays QAR 50 an hour, many academic placements are unpaid
Hours (QF programmes): Up to 20 a week in term, up to 40 a week in breaks
Permit: Arranged by the employer or university before day one; never on a visit visa

An internship is a short period of supervised work, paid or unpaid, that gives you experience and often counts towards your degree. In Qatar most internships are found through university career centres, Qatar Foundation's student programmes, research institutes, government bodies and private companies. Finding one is only half the job: because Qatar ties the right to work to your residence, the employer or your university must sort out approval before you start, even for some unpaid placements. This guide is for university students, recent graduates and parents of students living in Qatar. It covers where to look, how to apply, what to get in writing and which permit applies; the detailed permit steps for family-sponsored residents and the student work rules for university-sponsored students are in their own guides.

Before you start

A valid QID (Qatar ID) and passport, and a note of who your residence sponsor is (parent, spouse, university or employer)
A one-page CV saved as a PDF (for example Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf), without your QID number on it
A short cover message of about 100 to 200 words you can adapt for each application
Proof of enrolment and a transcript; some programmes ask for a minimum GPA (Mehnaty asks for 2.5)
A referral or field-training letter from your university if your degree requires an internship
If you have a scholarship, written confirmation that it allows paid work
A mobile number in your own name and a NAS (Tawtheeq) login, needed if the Ministry of Labour registers a contract for you
A simple tracker (spreadsheet or notes) of where you applied, deadlines and contacts

Step by step

Decide what kind of internship you need
Internships in Qatar come in a few types. A required placement (often called field training or co-op) is part of your degree and is arranged with your university. A paid work-study role gives you a few hours of work a week during term. A summer research internship runs for about eight weeks with a research institute. Graduate or trainee schemes at big employers are for final-year students and new graduates. Knowing which one you want tells you where to look and when to apply.
Read guide: University in Qatar for resident expats: options, admissions and fees →
Check what your residence allows
Your right to work in Qatar depends on your residence, so check this before you apply. If you live here on a parent's or spouse's sponsorship, family residence alone does not let you work: the employer must get Ministry of Labour (MOL) approval, usually a special work permit, before you start. If your university sponsors your residence, ask its international or immigration office whether the placement is allowed and through which route. Qatari students can also use national schemes. If you are outside Qatar or only on a visit visa, see the step on visas below.
Read guide: Working in Qatar on your spouse's or parent's sponsorship →
Start with your university's career centre
Your university is the best first stop. Qatar University's Career Development Center, UDST Career Services and the career offices of the Education City campuses post internships, run career fairs and know which employers take their students. If your degree requires field training, your department's internship coordinator often has partner companies and gives you the referral letter employers ask for. Ask early in the semester before you need the internship, because places with good employers fill up.
Use Qatar Foundation's Mehnaty and Al Meydan if you are eligible
Qatar Foundation (QF) runs two programmes for eligible students at its universities, on one site, internships.qf.org.qa. Mehnaty is paid work-study at a flat QAR 50 an hour, up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week in breaks; you need a GPA of 2.5 or more, and scholarship students must make sure their scholarship allows work. Al Meydan is an unpaid internship with QF entities and partner organisations, and the Qatar Living guide says it favours sophomores and juniors. You upload your CV on the site, apply to listed roles and may be called for an interview. At the end you get a certificate of completion.
Apply early for summer research programmes
Research institutes recruit months ahead. Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University runs an eight-week Summer Internship Program for undergraduate and graduate students in areas such as Arabic language technologies, cybersecurity, data analytics, social computing and software engineering. In 2026 applications were open from 26 March to 10 April, with one cohort for Education City and other students from 10 May and one for Qatar University students from 31 May, working 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Other HBKU institutes run similar summer schemes, so watch their news pages from February.
Look at government and large-employer schemes
Ashghal (the Public Works Authority) runs a field training programme: you fill in its application form and email it with a copy of your ID to internship@ashghal.gov.qa, and undergraduates who need field training to graduate are prioritised. Large employers such as QatarEnergy, banks and Qatar Airways publish student and graduate programmes, but many are limited to Qataris or to students they sponsor, so read the eligibility line first. Qatari secondary and university students can also register for the MOL's Maharat summer training programme on the ministry website. Apply only through the employer's official careers page or email.
Apply to private companies with targeted applications
Many internships at private firms are never advertised, so combine job boards with direct approaches. Use LinkedIn, Qatar Living Jobs and other established job sites, and send short, tailored messages to companies in your field. About ten well-researched applications usually do better than fifty generic ones. Keep your CV to one page (two for research or technical roles), save it as a PDF and leave off your QID number. After an interview, send a brief thank-you message and note the follow-up date in your tracker.
Read guide: Finding a job in Qatar: where to look and how hiring works →
Get the terms in writing
Before you accept, ask for an offer letter or email that sets out the start and end dates, working hours, duties, your supervisor, pay or stipend and when it is paid, and any transport, meal or insurance support. If the internship is for university credit, check that the host will complete your university's evaluation forms. Ask in writing which permit or approval the employer will use, who applies and who pays. Clear written terms protect you if hours grow or pay is late.
Make sure approval is in place before day one
Do not start, even for a trial week, until the approval is done. For a family-sponsored resident, the employer applies to the MOL for the special work permit, completes the contract steps and pays the fee (QAR 100 a year under the 2025 fee decision); you then check and approve the contract on the MOL Individuals Portal with your NAS login. For a university-sponsored student, follow your international office's route. For an unpaid academic placement, get written confirmation from both your university and the host that the placement is allowed. Starting without approval can cause problems for you and the employer when residence is renewed.
Read guide: Working in Qatar on your spouse's or parent's sponsorship →
Watch out for fake offers and fees
A genuine employer does not charge you a recruitment, visa-processing, training or interview fee. Do not send your QID copy, passport or bank details to a personal email address or a WhatsApp number you cannot verify against the company's website. Be wary of long unpaid roles with little training or supervision, and of offers that ask you to start before any permit is issued. If something feels wrong, ask your career centre to check the company.
Read guide: Common scams in Qatar: fake fine messages, delivery texts, job and rental fraud →
Finish well and turn it into a job
Near the end, ask your supervisor for a certificate or letter confirming your dates and duties, and for a reference you can use later. Connect with colleagues on LinkedIn and ask whether graduate roles are coming up. If you are an expat graduate of a Qatar university, Jusour's Sahem programme and the MOL's Ouqoul platform are aimed at helping you find work after graduation. When a job offer comes, the employer arranges your work permit or residence change.
Read guide: Studying in Qatar from abroad: student residence permits and student life →

What it costs

QF Mehnaty work-study pay rate	QAR 50 per hour
QF Al Meydan internship	Unpaid
MOL special work permit for someone sponsored by a spouse or relative (per year, paid by the employer)	QAR 100
Application, recruitment or interview fee charged to an intern	QAR 0 (a genuine employer does not charge this)

Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.

Common mistakes

Starting an internship before the employer or university has the approval in place, even if it is unpaid or 'just a trial'
Thinking a visit visa or Hayya allows you to do an internship; it does not allow work
Applying a few weeks before the summer, when research and graduate programmes closed months earlier
Accepting without written dates, hours, duties and pay
Paying an 'agency' or 'processing' fee for an internship
Sending your QID or passport copy to an unverified personal email or WhatsApp number
Taking paid work on a scholarship that does not allow it, or working over the hours your programme or permit allows
Ignoring the eligibility line: many energy, bank and government schemes are only for Qataris or sponsored students

Questions people ask

Can I do an internship in Qatar on a visit visa?

No. A visit or Hayya visa lets you visit, attend interviews and network, but not work, and Qatar has no general internship visa. If an organisation offers you an internship from abroad, ask in writing which visa or permit it will get for you and who pays. Do not travel on a visit visa planning to work.

I live in Qatar on my father's sponsorship. Can I do an internship?

Yes, but the employer must get Ministry of Labour approval first, normally a special work permit that lets you keep your family residence and work for that one employer. The employer applies and pays the fee, and you approve the contract online. The full process is in the guide on working on family sponsorship.

Are internships in Qatar paid?

Some are and many are not. QF's Mehnaty pays a flat QAR 50 an hour, while Al Meydan and many academic placements are unpaid. There is no official national stipend rate for interns, so pay depends on the employer. Ask for the amount and payment date in writing.

Does an unpaid internship still need a permit?

Unpaid placements can still count as work, and the rules depend on your residence and the type of placement. Placements arranged as part of your degree are usually organised with your university, but you should still get written confirmation from the university and the host that it is allowed. For anything outside a formal university placement, ask the employer which approval it will use.

I study abroad. Can I do a summer internship in Qatar?

Some programmes take students from outside Qatar, but you will need the host to arrange the right visa or permit, and many Qatar schemes are designed for students already living here. QCRI's 2026 summer programme, for example, had cohorts for Education City and Qatar University students. Ask the host early, in writing, how it handles visas, housing and pay.

How many hours can a student intern work?

It depends on your programme and residence. QF's Mehnaty allows up to 20 hours a week in term and 40 a week in breaks. University-sponsored students have their own limits under their university's rules, set out in the international students guide. Do not go over the hours your programme or permit allows.

My child is in high school. Can they do a summer internship?

Qatari secondary students can register for the MOL's Maharat summer training programme. For other teenagers, formal internships are rare; Qatar's Labour Law does not allow anyone under 16 to be employed and sets extra conditions for workers under 18, so check with the employer what approval it needs. Volunteering and school-organised work experience are often easier first steps.

Can an internship lead to a job and a work visa?

It often helps, because employers like to hire people they already know. If you are offered a job, the employer arranges your work permit or moves your residence to work residence through the MOL. Expat graduates of Qatar universities can also use Jusour's Sahem programme and the MOL's Ouqoul platform when looking for work after graduation.

Official sources

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

Internships in Qatar: where to find one and getting the right permit

Before you start

Step by step

Decide what kind of internship you need

Check what your residence allows

Start with your university's career centre

Use Qatar Foundation's Mehnaty and Al Meydan if you are eligible

Apply early for summer research programmes

Look at government and large-employer schemes

Apply to private companies with targeted applications

Get the terms in writing

Make sure approval is in place before day one

Watch out for fake offers and fees

Finish well and turn it into a job

What it costs

Common mistakes

Questions people ask

Official sources

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