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Private tutoring in Qatar: hiring a licensed tutor (or becoming one)

In Qatar, private tutoring is legal only through centres licensed by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE), and since January 2026 licensed tutors carry an official ID card. This guide explains how to find a licensed centre, how to check a tutor, the official hourly rates, the penalties, and how a teacher can become a licensed tutor.

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026

Who regulates it
MOEHE, Educational Services Centres Department
Proof to ask for
Official MOEHE tutor ID card (issued since January 2026)
Official rates
QAR 125–175 per hour at a centre, QAR 150–200 at home (one-to-one, by school stage)
Find a centre
MOEHE "Where Is My Center" search service (182 licensed centres, May 2026)

Many families in Qatar want extra help for their children, and many teachers and residents would like to tutor. The rule is simple but often misunderstood: tutoring for money is legal only when it is provided through an educational services centre licensed by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE), by a teacher that centre employs and the Ministry has approved. Since January 2026, approved tutors carry an official MOEHE tutor ID card, and the Ministry has asked families not to accept a tutor without one. Licensed tutors can teach at the centre or, if you prefer, at your home, and the Ministry has set standard hourly rates. This guide walks parents through finding and checking a licensed tutor, then explains the rules and penalties, and finally how a teacher or resident can become a licensed tutor.

Before you start

  • Your child's school, grade, curriculum (for example British, American, IB, Indian CBSE, Qatari national) and exam board
  • The exact subjects and topics where help is needed, ideally with recent reports or teacher comments
  • A decision on lessons at the centre or at home, and the days and times that suit you
  • A weekly budget, using the Ministry's standard hourly rates as a guide
  • For home lessons: a quiet, open space where an adult is at home during the lesson
  • If you want to become a tutor: your degree in the subject, proof of at least 3 years' teaching experience, a valid QID, and an employment contract with a licensed centre
  • If you are a school teacher: your current employer's rules on outside work, in writing if possible

Step by step

  1. Understand the rule before you hire

    Qatar's law on educational services requires anyone providing paid educational services, including remedial or reinforcement lessons, to do so through a facility licensed by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. In practice this means a tutor must work through a licensed educational services centre and hold a Ministry licence. Independent tutors who advertise on classifieds or social media and teach from their own homes are not part of this system. The Ministry introduced official tutor ID cards in January 2026 so families can tell the difference quickly. Hiring through a licensed centre protects you on price, refunds and the tutor's qualifications.

  2. Work out exactly what help your child needs

    Before you search, be clear about the subject, the curriculum and the exam board. A tutor who knows your child's exact syllabus (for example IGCSE, A Level, IB or CBSE) is usually more useful than a general one. MOEHE itself stresses that each tutor is approved for specific subjects, so you may need different tutors for maths and languages. Talk to your child's teacher first: many schools run their own support classes, which may be enough. If you are still choosing a school, see the school guide.

    Read guide: Choosing a school in Qatar: curricula, fees and admission →

  3. Find a licensed centre with "Where Is My Center"

    In May 2026 MOEHE launched a digital service called "Where Is My Center" that lists the licensed educational and training centres in Qatar (182 at launch). It is part of the Ministry's school search site at myschools.edu.gov.qa. You can search by centre name, type of activity (for example remedial lessons, languages or special needs), municipality and area, and open the location in Google Maps. Pick two or three centres near home or school that offer remedial lessons for your child's stage. If a provider you were recommended does not appear, ask them for their MOEHE licence before paying anything.

  4. Visit or call the centre and check its price list

    Licensed centres must display their fees clearly at the premises and on their online channels, and explain their payment and refund policy before you pay. Ask which tutors are available for your child's subject and stage, whether lessons are one-to-one or in groups, and how cancellations work. The Ministry's standard one-to-one rates are listed in the costs section of this guide. Ask for a short trial session before paying for a whole term.

  5. Ask to see the tutor's MOEHE ID card

    Every licensed tutor should carry the official Ministry tutor ID card and show it, whether the lesson is at the centre or in your home. The front shows the tutor's name, the subjects they are approved to teach, an ID number and the name of the centre. The back shows the expiry dates of the centre's licence and of the tutor's work contract. Check that the subject on the card matches what the tutor will teach, and that neither date has passed. MOEHE has said families should not accept any tutor who does not hold the card.

  6. Agree the fee and always get an invoice

    Pay the centre, not the tutor in cash on the side. Centres must issue an invoice for every payment and keep electronic payment records, and you should approve the official fee notice before paying. If your child joins a course after it has started, the centre should charge only for the time actually attended. Keep the invoices: they are your evidence if you need a refund or want to complain about overcharging.

  7. Arrange home lessons through the centre

    If you prefer lessons at home, book them through the centre. MOEHE allows licensed tutors to teach in students' homes under the centre's supervision, at the official home rate. The tutor should bring the ID card each time. For your child's safety, make sure an adult is at home, keep the lesson in an open family area, and agree the schedule in writing with the centre.

  8. For special needs, use a specialist centre

    Children with learning difficulties or disabilities often need specialist support rather than ordinary tutoring. MOEHE licenses separate centres for teaching and training people with disabilities (31 of the 155 accredited centres in 2025–2026 were in this category), and you can filter for them in "Where Is My Center". If you need a shadow teacher inside your child's school, that is arranged with the school; see the special-needs schools guide.

    Read guide: Special needs schooling in Qatar: assessments, inclusion and specialist schools →

  9. Report problems to the Ministry

    If a centre overcharges, refuses an agreed refund, or sends a tutor without an ID card, raise it with the centre first, then with MOEHE's Educational Services Centres Department through the Ministry's official contact channels. Inspectors visit centres regularly. Under the Ministry's system, a first violation brings a warning with one to two weeks to fix it, a repeat brings a formal written warning, a third brings a QAR 5,000 deduction from the centre's bank guarantee, and a fourth leads to closure and withdrawal of its licence.

  10. Becoming a licensed tutor: meet the requirements

    If you are a teacher or a qualified resident who wants to tutor, you cannot simply register as a freelancer: you must be employed or contracted by a licensed educational services centre. Under Ministerial Decision No. 10 of 2017, teachers at these centres need a university degree in the subject they teach and at least three years' experience in it. Before issuing tutor licences, MOEHE checked each teacher's qualifications, experience, residency status and employment contract, and interviewed them; in the first round, 182 of 272 teachers interviewed were approved. You will also need the right to work in Qatar, which depends on your residence type, so ask the centre how it will handle your work permit.

  11. Let the centre apply, then collect your ID card

    Contact licensed centres that teach your subject (use "Where Is My Center" to find them) and ask whether they are recruiting tutors. The centre submits your documents to MOEHE, which reviews them and may call you for an interview. If you are approved, you receive a tutor licence and the official ID card, which lists the subjects you may teach. You may then teach at the centre or in students' homes when the centre arranges it, but only in your approved subjects and only while your contract and the centre's licence are valid.

What it costs

Primary, one-to-one at the centre (per 60 minutes)QAR 125
Primary, one-to-one at home (per 60 minutes)QAR 150
Preparatory (middle school), one-to-one at the centre (per 60 minutes)QAR 150
Preparatory (middle school), one-to-one at home (per 60 minutes)QAR 180
Secondary, one-to-one at the centre (per 60 minutes)QAR 175
Secondary, one-to-one at home (per 60 minutes)QAR 200

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

Common mistakes

  • Hiring a tutor from a classified ad or WhatsApp group without checking for a MOEHE tutor ID card.
  • Paying the tutor in cash with no invoice, which leaves you nothing to show if there is a dispute.
  • Assuming a tutor approved for one subject can teach every subject; the card lists the approved subjects.
  • Not checking the expiry dates on the back of the card for the centre licence and the tutor's contract.
  • Teachers assuming a teaching job at a school also allows paid private lessons on the side.
  • Leaving a child alone with a home tutor in a closed room instead of an open family space.
  • Paying for a full term before a trial lesson.

Questions people ask

Is private tutoring illegal in Qatar?

Tutoring itself is not banned, but it must be done through an educational services centre licensed by MOEHE, by a tutor the Ministry has approved. Independent private lessons outside this system have long been treated as illegal, and the Ministry has run campaigns against them. Since January 2026 the official tutor ID card is the simple way to tell a licensed tutor from an unlicensed one.

How much does a tutor cost per hour in Qatar?

MOEHE set standard one-to-one rates for licensed centres from 1 September 2024: QAR 125 (primary), QAR 150 (preparatory) and QAR 175 (secondary) per hour at the centre, and QAR 150, QAR 180 and QAR 200 at home. Group classes are priced differently, so ask the centre for its published price list. Rates quoted by unlicensed tutors vary widely and come with no protection.

Can a licensed tutor come to our house?

Yes. MOEHE allows tutors who are attached to a licensed centre to teach in students' homes under the centre's supervision, at the official home rate. Book through the centre, and ask the tutor to show the ID card at the first visit.

How can I check that a tutor is really licensed?

Ask to see the MOEHE tutor ID card. Check that the subject on the front matches what they will teach, that the centre named on it is licensed (you can look it up in "Where Is My Center"), and that the licence and contract dates on the back have not expired. If you are unsure, call the centre named on the card.

I am a teacher at a school. Can I give private lessons after hours?

Not on your own. Paid tutoring must go through a licensed centre, and staff at government schools have been told for years that private tuition is banned and can cost them their job. If you teach at a private school, your contract and your school's policy decide whether you may take outside work, so get written permission and ask MOEHE or the centre before you start.

I live in Qatar on my spouse's sponsorship and I am a qualified teacher. Can I become a tutor?

Possibly, but only by working through a licensed centre that contracts you and gets you approved by MOEHE; you cannot tutor independently. You will also need permission to work under your residence type, which the centre should arrange or confirm with you. Have your degree and experience certificates ready, as the Ministry checks qualifications, experience, residency and the contract, and may interview you.

What is the penalty for tutoring without a licence?

Qatar's educational services law allows imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to QAR 100,000, or both, for providing educational services without a licence, and the Ministry has inspectors with judicial powers. Licensed centres that break the rules face warnings, deductions from their bank guarantee and closure. We found no published penalty aimed at parents, but the Ministry asks families not to use unlicensed tutors.

Is online tutoring from a teacher abroad allowed?

MOEHE's tutor licensing rules published so far focus on lessons at centres and in homes in Qatar, and we found no official statement on online lessons from overseas. If you use an online service, check who runs it, how refunds work and how your child's data is protected. For lessons given by someone living in Qatar, the licensing rules above apply.

Official sources

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

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