Guides / Government apps & documents / National address
National address in Qatar: registering and updating it
Every resident of Qatar must register a national address with the Ministry of Interior under Law No. 24 of 2017. Here is what it includes, how to register yourself and your family in Metrash, how to update it when you move, and what happens if you don't.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Who
- Every citizen and resident with a QID, plus companies (children under 18 go under a parent)
- Cost
- Registering and updating are free; an address certificate is about QAR 10
- Where
- Metrash app, MOI website (portal.moi.gov.qa) or an MOI service centre
- Penalty
- Fine of up to QAR 10,000 for not registering or giving false data
Qatar's national address is the official record of where you live and how the government can reach you. Law No. 24 of 2017 on the National Address requires every citizen and resident, and every company, to register it with the Ministry of Interior (MOI): your home address, phone numbers, email, your employer's address and, if you have one, your permanent address abroad. It matters because official letters, court notices and messages sent to that address are treated as legally delivered, even if you have moved and not updated it. Registration is free and takes a few minutes in the Metrash app (the MOI's official app) or on the MOI website; service centres help people who cannot do it online. The order is simple: get your QID and Metrash first, move into your home and note its address numbers, register yourself, add your family, then keep it updated every time you move or change your phone or email.
Before you start
- A valid Qatar ID (QID), the residence card every resident gets after arrival; you cannot register without it
- Metrash activated on your phone, using a mobile number registered in your own name (see the Metrash guide)
- Your home's zone, street and building numbers from the blue address plate on the outside wall, plus your flat or unit number
- Your Kahramaa electricity number for the home (on the Kahramaa bill, the lease or the meter); the MOI uses it to match your address
- Your email address and mobile number, plus a landline number if you have one
- Your employer's name and address (usually already filled in from your residence record)
- Your permanent address in your home country, if you have one (optional)
- For family members: their QIDs, and for a newborn the birth certificate and QID once issued
Step by step
Understand what you are registering
The national address is not the same as the address on your Qatar ID or your lease. It is a separate MOI record listing your home address, landline and mobile numbers, email, your employer's address and any permanent address abroad. Under the law, anything the authorities send to these details counts as properly delivered, and if you never report a change, your old details stay legally valid. That is why it pays to keep it accurate: court summons, official notices and service messages all rely on it. The main registration campaign closed in July 2020, but the law still applies, so anyone who arrives later registers as soon as they have a QID and a home.
Find your blue address plate
Every building in Qatar has a blue plate (usually beside the main door or on the boundary wall) showing three numbers: the zone, the street and the building number. Write all three down exactly, along with your flat or unit number. These numbers are what the national address is built on, and delivery companies, ambulances and Qatar Post use the same system. If your building has no plate, ask your landlord or building management for the numbers; they appear on the lease and on the Kahramaa account. The plates are installed by the Ministry of Municipality's GIS department, so a landlord can request a missing one.
Read guide: Renting a home in Qatar →Get your Kahramaa electricity number
The registration form asks for the electricity number of your home, which links the address to the right meter and building. You will find it on your Kahramaa bill, in the Kahramaa app, on your registered lease, or printed on the meter itself. If the utilities are in your landlord's name, ask them for it. MOI has warned that a wrong electricity number can stop the registration from going through, so copy it carefully.
Read guide: Kahramaa: connecting electricity and water and paying bills →Make sure Metrash works for you
The easiest way to register is through Metrash, the Ministry of Interior's app, which replaced the old Metrash2 in 2025. You need a valid QID and a mobile number registered in your own name to activate it. If your SIM is in your employer's or someone else's name, transfer it into your name or get a new one first. Once you can log in, check that your name and QID details are correct.
Read guide: Metrash: registering and using Qatar's Ministry of Interior app →Register your own national address
In Metrash, open the National Address section and choose to add a national address. Enter your home address (zone, street, building, unit and electricity number), your mobile and any landline, your email, and your permanent address abroad if you have one. Most residents find their employer's details already filled in from their residence record. Check every field before submitting; giving wrong data on purpose is an offence. Registration is free and you should get a confirmation once it is accepted.
Read guide: Metrash: registering and using Qatar's Ministry of Interior app →Or use the MOI website or a service centre
You can also register on the MOI e-services portal (portal.moi.gov.qa) by logging in and opening the National Address service for individuals. If you have no smartphone, are elderly, bedridden or have a disability, an MOI service centre can register you, or a family member or legal representative can do it with the required documents. Domestic workers can be registered with a paper form that the worker fills in and signs, which the employer then submits. Companies with many workers can arrange registration through their PRO (the company's government relations officer) with the MOI.
Add your family
Children under 18 do not register separately; they are linked to their parent's or legal guardian's home address, so register your own address first and then add them. A spouse and any children aged 18 or over must register themselves with their own QID and Metrash. When a child turns 18, MOI has said they should register in their own name within two months. If parents are separated and the children live with their mother, she registers the children's details. A newborn can be added to a parent's registered home address once the baby has a QID.
Read guide: Bring your family to Qatar →Check your employer details
Residents' employer address normally comes from the MOI's residence records, and the update option does not let residents edit it themselves. If you change jobs, the new employer details should follow once your residence transfer is complete. After a job change, open your national address in Metrash and check that the employer shown is the right one. If it is wrong, ask your employer's PRO or contact MOI on 2342000.
Read guide: Changing jobs in Qatar without an NOC →Update it every time you move
When you move home, update your national address as soon as you have the new address numbers and electricity number; do not wait for a reminder. Use the update option in Metrash or on the MOI portal, or visit a service centre. Until you update, your old address stays your official address, and notices sent there are treated as received by you. Do the same when you change your mobile number or email. Some guides say changes must be reported within 30 days, so treat this as a task for your moving week.
Read guide: Renting a home in Qatar →Download a national address certificate when needed
Once registered, you can request a National Address Certificate in Metrash (it is listed among the app's certificates). It shows your registered address details and some offices use it as proof of address, for example when opening a bank account or applying for a health card. You choose which addresses to include and the language, pay a small fee by card (reported as QAR 10), and the certificate is emailed to you. It is reported to be valid for three months, so request a fresh one when an office asks.
Read guide: Open a bank account in Qatar →Update before you leave Qatar
If you are leaving Qatar for good, make sure your mobile number, email and address abroad are current before your residence is cancelled. Final settlements, refunds or official messages may still need to reach you after you go. Your employer handles the residence cancellation itself.
Read guide: Leaving Qatar for good: a step-by-step exit checklist →
What it costs
| Registering or updating your national address | Free |
| National Address Certificate (Metrash) | QAR 10 (check the current fee in Metrash) |
| Fine for not registering, or for giving incorrect data | Up to QAR 10,000 |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the address on your QID or lease is your national address; it is a separate MOI record you have to register yourself
- Moving home and not updating it; letters and court notices sent to the old address still count as delivered to you
- Typing the electricity number wrongly or mixing up the zone, street and building numbers; copy them from the plate and the bill
- Activating Metrash with a SIM in someone else's name, so registration and confirmations go to the wrong person
- Forgetting that your wife and children aged 18 or over must each register in their own name
- Letting your phone number or email go out of date; these are part of the national address too
- Not registering at all because the 2020 deadline has passed; the requirement still applies to new residents
Questions people ask
I arrived after 2020. Do I still have to register?
Yes. The six-month campaign that ended on 26 July 2020 was only the first registration window. Law No. 24 of 2017 applies to every resident, so register once you have your QID and a home. It is free and takes a few minutes in Metrash.
Is the national address the same as the address on my Qatar ID?
No. MOI has said the national address is different from the residence address linked to your ID card. It is its own record, with your home address, phone numbers, email, employer address and address abroad, and it is the one the government uses to contact you.
Do I need to register my wife and children?
Children under 18 are linked to the father's or legal guardian's home address, so you add them after registering yourself. Your wife and children aged 18 or over must register themselves with their own QID and Metrash. A child who turns 18 should register within two months.
I live in company accommodation. What do I put?
Register the address where you actually live, using the zone, street and building numbers of the accommodation and its electricity number; your employer or camp management can give you these. Large companies often arrange registration for workers through their PRO, so ask HR first.
I moved months ago and never updated it. Will I be fined?
The law allows a fine of up to QAR 10,000 for breaking its rules, but in practice the bigger risk is that notices go to your old address and still count as delivered. Update it now through Metrash or the MOI website. If you are worried about a specific case, call MOI on 2342000.
What is the national address certificate used for?
It is an MOI document showing your registered address details. People use it as proof of address for things like bank accounts and health card applications. You get it in Metrash for a small fee and it arrives by email.
I don't have a landline or a permanent address abroad. Is that a problem?
No. The law lists the landline and the address abroad as needed only if you have them. Your mobile number, email and home address in Qatar are the essentials.
My building has no blue plate. How do I find my numbers?
Ask your landlord or building management; the zone, street and building numbers appear on the registered lease and the Kahramaa account. Plates are installed by the Ministry of Municipality's GIS department, so the owner can ask for a missing one to be put up.
Official sources
- Ministry of Interior e-services portal ↗
- Gulf Times: National address registration starts (Law No. 24 of 2017) ↗
- Gulf Times: What the National Address Law requires ↗
- Qatar Tribune: Fines, dependants and how to register ↗
- Qatar Living: Registering through the MOI website ↗
- QIC: What the new Metrash app offers ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.