Guides / Work & jobs / Salary problems & complaints
Filing a labour complaint in Qatar: unpaid salary and other disputes
What to do when your employer does not pay you, keeps your passport or breaks your contract: how to complain to the Ministry of Labour for free, what evidence to gather, how the Labour Dispute Settlement Committee works, and how you actually get paid.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Cost to you
- Free; worker claims are exempt from court fees
- Settlement at MOL
- About 7 days
- Committee decision
- Within about 3 weeks of the first hearing
- Main channels
- MOL online complaints platform, hotline 16008, SMS 92727, labour offices
If your employer in Qatar has not paid your salary, is keeping your passport, refuses your leave or end-of-service money, or makes you work in unsafe heat, you can complain to the Ministry of Labour (MOL). Filing is free, you do not need a lawyer, and it is open to private-sector and domestic workers. Every individual dispute now has to go to the Ministry first: it tries to settle the case within about a week, and if that fails it sends the case to a Labour Dispute Settlement Committee, led by a judge, which is meant to decide within about three weeks of the first hearing. This guide is for workers in the private sector and domestic workers. Follow it in order: check you have a case, try your employer in writing, gather evidence, file, go through settlement and the committee, then get paid, appeal if needed, and decide whether to stay or move on.
Before you start
- Your Qatar ID (QID) number, or your visa number if your QID is not issued yet
- A Qatar mobile number registered on your QID or visa, because the platform sends a one-time code (OTP) and updates by SMS
- Your employment contract (the one authenticated by the Ministry), plus any offer letter or salary change letters
- Bank statements showing salary deposits through the Wage Protection System (WPS), or showing the months with no deposit
- Payslips, timesheets or attendance records, especially if you are claiming overtime
- Any written messages with your employer or HR about the problem (emails, WhatsApp, letters), with dates
- Your employer's full company name, location and, if you can find it, the establishment registration number (it is on your QID record or contract papers)
- A short written timeline: start date, what is unpaid or wrong, since when, and the total amount you think you are owed
- A passport copy if you still have one, or a note of when and why your employer took your passport
Step by step
Check that you have a complaint
You can complain about any breach of the Labour Law or your contract. Common cases are unpaid or late salary (wages must be paid at least monthly, through the WPS, and within 7 days of the due date), unpaid overtime, end-of-service gratuity or leave pay not settled, annual leave refused, your passport kept against your will, unsafe accommodation, or being made to work outdoors during the summer midday ban. Domestic workers can also complain about their employer. Note that claims for money owed under the Labour Law expire one year after your contract ends, so do not wait.
Read guide: Working hours, overtime pay and weekly rest in Qatar →Raise it with your employer in writing first
Before you file, write to your manager or HR and ask for the problem to be fixed by a specific date. Keep it short and polite, list what is owed and since when, and keep a copy. Many delays are settled at this stage, and a dated message is strong evidence later if they are not. Do not stop working or walk off the job without advice; that can be used against you. If you are afraid of retaliation, you can skip this step and go straight to the Ministry.
Gather your evidence
The Ministry and the committee decide on paperwork, so collect it before you file. The most useful items are your contract, bank statements showing which salaries arrived through the WPS and which did not, payslips, attendance or overtime records, and your written messages with the employer. Make photos or scans and keep them on your phone and in an email to yourself. Write down the exact amounts you are claiming, month by month, so the inspector can check them quickly.
File on the MOL complaints platform
The main channel is the Ministry of Labour's online Unified Complaints and Whistleblowers platform, reached from mol.gov.qa. Log in with your QID or visa number and your registered mobile (you get a one-time code), or through the National Authentication System (NAS, also called Tawtheeq). Choose a new complaint, pick your employer from the list, add each request (for example unpaid salary for June to August, or gratuity) and attach your documents. Review it carefully before you submit, because a submitted complaint cannot be edited, and you cannot file a second complaint against the same employer while one is open.
Or use the hotline, SMS or a labour office
If you cannot use the website, call the MOL hotline 16008, or send an SMS to 92727 with the number 5 followed by your QID or visa number; both are reported to work in several languages. You can also go in person to a Ministry labour office, such as the one in the Industrial Area or in Al Shahaniya, usually Sunday to Thursday in the morning. Bring your QID or passport copy, your evidence, the company's full name and location, and the phone number of your manager or the company's PRO (government relations officer). Check current numbers and office hours before you go, because they change.
Report anonymously if you prefer
The same platform has a whistleblower option for reporting a violation without filing a personal claim, for example workers kept working outdoors in the midday heat, crowded or unsafe housing, or passports held by a company. If you do not tick the option allowing the Ministry to contact you, you can submit without giving your personal details. If you do not know the company's name, you can give its address or mark it on the map. A whistleblower report can trigger an inspection, but it does not recover money for you, so file a normal complaint for your own unpaid wages.
Take part in the Ministry's settlement stage
After you file, you get a complaint number by SMS or email; keep it. The Labour Relations side of the Ministry contacts both you and the employer and tries to reach an amicable settlement, usually within 7 days. Go to any meeting you are called to, bring your documents, and answer calls from unknown numbers during this time. If you agree a settlement, it is written in minutes signed by both sides and certified by the Ministry. Read it carefully before you sign, and do not accept less than you are owed just to end the case.
Go to the Labour Dispute Settlement Committee
If there is no settlement, the Ministry sends your case to a Labour Dispute Settlement Committee. Under Law No. 9 of 2026, the Ministry must refer it within three working days, and time limits for your claim stop running while settlement is pending. Each committee is chaired by a judge, and it is meant to set a hearing, notify both sides and decide within about three weeks of the first hearing. Attend every hearing (some can now be held electronically), because the committee can decide without you or dismiss the case if you do not come.
Get paid: the decision and the Workers' Fund
Committee decisions are enforceable, and the employer is expected to pay within the time given. If the employer still does not pay, for example because the company has collapsed, the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund can pay amounts the committee has awarded and then recover them from the employer. Around 130,000 workers had been helped by the Fund by early 2025. Ask the Ministry about the Fund if your employer does not comply; you do not apply to it before you have a decision.
Appeal if you disagree
Either side can appeal a committee decision to the Court of Appeal within 15 days of the decision. Worker claims under the Labour Law are exempt from court fees, but an appeal is a formal court case, so consider getting legal advice. Free or low-cost help is sometimes available through your embassy's labour attaché or the National Human Rights Committee. Keep paying attention to deadlines: a missed 15-day window is hard to fix.
Decide whether to stay, move jobs or leave
You can keep working while your complaint runs, and your employer must not punish you for complaining. If wages are unpaid, you can ask the Ministry about changing employer: you do not need your employer's permission (NOC), and the Labour Law allows a worker to leave without notice and keep end-of-service rights when the employer has broken the contract or the law. Law No. 9 of 2026 also lets workers hit by wage violations ask to transfer or end their contract, with the defaulting employer paying the ticket home. Talk to the Ministry before you act, so it is clear your move is lawful.
Read guide: Changing jobs in Qatar without an NOC →Protect yourself from false absconding reports
Some employers react to a complaint by reporting the worker as 'absconding' (having run away). The government has stated that once a worker has filed a complaint with the Ministry or the courts, the employer cannot file absconding charges; this is one more reason to file early and keep your complaint number. Check your status in the Metrash app from time to time. If you see an absconding report you did not expect, contact the Ministry immediately with your complaint number.
Read guide: Metrash: registering and using Qatar's Ministry of Interior app →
What it costs
| Filing a complaint with the Ministry of Labour | QAR 0 (free) |
| Labour Dispute Settlement Committee and worker court claims under the Labour Law | QAR 0 (exempt from court fees) |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Waiting months before complaining; claims can expire one year after your contract ends, and evidence gets harder to collect
- Walking off the job or leaving Qatar without telling the Ministry, which can weaken your case or lead to an absconding report
- Signing a 'full and final settlement' or resignation letter for less than you are owed, or a document in a language you cannot read
- Filing with no evidence; bank statements showing the missing WPS deposits are the strongest proof of unpaid salary
- Missing a Ministry meeting or committee hearing, so the case is dismissed or decided without you
- Using a mobile number that is not registered on your own QID, so you cannot log in or receive updates
- Paying an agent or 'fixer' to file for you; filing is free and you can do it yourself
Questions people ask
My salary is two months late. When can I complain?
Salary must be paid through the WPS within 7 days of the due date, so you can complain as soon as it is more than a week late. It is sensible to send your employer a written reminder first, but you do not have to wait months. Late payment also shows up in the WPS, and the Ministry can block a company's transactions over unpaid wages.
Will my employer find out that I complained?
Yes, for a personal claim: the Ministry has to contact your employer to settle it. The platform lets you choose whether the employer is notified at first, but the employer must eventually respond. Retaliation is not allowed, and if you only want to report a violation without a personal claim, use the anonymous whistleblower option.
Can I change jobs while my complaint is going on?
Yes. You do not need an NOC to change employers, and you can ask the Ministry for help moving if your wages are not being paid. If your employer has broken the law or your contract, you may be able to leave without serving notice and still keep your end-of-service gratuity. Confirm this with the Ministry before you stop working.
My employer is keeping my passport. What can I do?
Employers may hold your passport only for official procedures such as renewing your residence, or if you agree in writing for safekeeping. Keeping it against your will is illegal and can lead to a fine of up to QAR 25,000 per passport. Ask for it back in writing, then report it through the Ministry's complaints platform or hotline.
How long does the whole process take?
The Ministry aims to settle within about a week, and the committee is meant to decide within about three weeks of the first hearing. In practice, many cases take longer, especially if the employer delays or there is an appeal. The ILO has noted long waits at the committee stage, so file early and keep following up.
What if the company has closed or says it has no money?
File anyway and get a committee decision. If the employer does not pay what the committee awarded, the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund can pay you and then recover the money from the company. Ask the Ministry about this once you have the decision.
I am a domestic worker. Can I complain too?
Yes. Domestic workers can file through the same Ministry platform, hotline or offices, and their disputes also go to the Labour Dispute Settlement Committee. If you cannot use a phone or computer freely, ask your embassy, a community group or a trusted person to help you contact the Ministry.
Do I need a lawyer?
No. Filing with the Ministry and going before the committee do not require a lawyer, and worker claims are free. A lawyer can help for large or complex claims or for an appeal to the Court of Appeal, and some embassies offer free advice.
Official sources
- Qatar Living: What to do if your employer delays your salary (June 2026) ↗
- Gulf Times: Qatar's labour dispute settlement process (committees, 3-week and 15-day timelines) ↗
- K&L Gates: Qatar's Law No. 9 of 2026 amendments to the Labour Law ↗
- The Peninsula: 130,000 workers helped by the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund (2025) ↗
- Government Communications Office: passport confiscation fine and absconding rules ↗
- ILO NATLEX: Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (English text) ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.