Guides / Government apps & documents / Attestation
Notarising and translating documents in Qatar: MOJ authentication and certified translators
How to get a signature, contract or declaration authenticated by the Ministry of Justice (online through Sak or at a counter), when you need a certified Arabic translation and who can do it, and how this fits with MOFA attestation and your embassy.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Who notarises
- Ministry of Justice Documentation Department, online via Sak or at the counter; not private offices
- MOJ fee
- Reported as QAR 100 for three copies, plus QAR 50 per party and per extra copy; check before paying
- Time
- Often the same day in person; 1–2 days online after approval and payment
- Translations
- Certified Arabic translation for non-Arabic documents used officially; MOJ-listed translators for courts
Sooner or later most residents need a document 'notarised' or 'translated', and in Qatar those words point to different offices. Inside Qatar, signatures, contracts, declarations and dates are authenticated by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Documentation Department, mostly online through its Sak portal and app; there is no network of private notary offices as in many countries. Translations into Arabic for courts and official use should come from a translator the MOJ recognises or a licensed legal translation office, while MOFA attestation and your embassy deal with documents crossing borders. This guide is for anyone who has been told to 'get it notarised' or 'bring a certified translation': it helps you work out which stamp you really need, get it done at the MOJ, find the right translator, and avoid paying for steps nobody asked for. Powers of attorney and the full MOFA attestation chain have their own guides, linked below.
Before you start
- The exact request in writing from the office, bank, court or foreign authority that wants the document: which stamp, which language, original or copy
- Your valid QID (or passport) and those of every other party who signs
- Your Tawtheeq / Qatar Digital Identity (QDI) login if you will apply online through Sak
- The text you want authenticated: the contract, declaration or undertaking, ideally already agreed in Arabic or in Arabic and English
- For a company: valid commercial registration, establishment card, trade licence and proof that you may sign for it (board resolution or power of attorney)
- Any supporting papers the transaction needs, such as a title deed, the earlier contract, a court or heirship document
- Clear scans (PDF or photo) of every page, plus the originals if you go in person
- Names spelled exactly as in your passport, so the Arabic and English versions match across all documents
Step by step
Work out which stamp you actually need
People say 'notarise' for several different things, and each is done by a different body. If you are signing something in Qatar for use in Qatar, such as an agreement, an undertaking or a debt repayment contract, you need MOJ authentication. If a Qatari document is going abroad, you need MOFA attestation (and usually your country's embassy). If a foreign document is coming into Qatar, it must be legalised in the issuing country and attested by MOFA in Doha. A translation is a separate step on top of any of these. Getting this right first saves the most time and money.
Read guide: Attesting your degree for Qatar: the full chain →Ask the receiving office for its exact requirements
Before you pay anyone, ask the bank, court, school, employer or foreign authority exactly what they will accept, and get it in writing if you can. Ask whether they want the MOJ to authenticate your signature, a full MOJ-documented contract, a certified copy, or a translation, and into which language. Some Qatari offices accept English documents without translation, while courts work in Arabic. Many foreign authorities have their own rules for documents from Qatar, which are often listed on their embassy's website in Doha.
Prepare the text and your documents
The MOJ authenticates documents in Arabic, and for many common transactions Sak has ready-made templates, such as debt repayment or rental contracts, where you fill in the terms. If you bring your own text, have it ready in Arabic, or in Arabic and English side by side, and agree it with the other party before you apply. The Documentation Law (Law No. 1 of 2023) lets the MOJ refuse documents that break the law or public morals, so keep the wording factual. Gather your QID, any company papers and supporting documents, and scan them clearly.
Apply online through Sak
Sak (sak.gov.qa and the Sak app) is the MOJ's portal for documentation and real estate services, and the MOJ says it offers more than 200 electronic services around the clock. Log in with your Tawtheeq / QDI digital identity, choose the authentication service that fits (for example signature authentication, or a contract type such as debt repayment), add yourself and the other parties with their capacity, enter or paste the text and attach your documents. When you submit, each party gets an SMS, and an MOJ employee reviews the request and may contact you. Unfinished applications are reportedly cancelled after a set time, so complete them promptly.
Read guide: Tawtheeq (National Authentication System): signing up and logging in →Or go to an MOJ counter
If your case does not fit a template, if a party has no digital login, or if you simply prefer it, go to the MOJ Documentation Department at the ministry's main building on the Corniche or to a government service centre that offers MOJ services. Bring the originals and copies of all IDs and documents, and every party who must sign. A notary checks each person's identity, capacity and consent, and you sign in front of them. Since 2017 the minister can also authorise selected officials outside the ministry to perform some notarial work; in July 2026 six Ministry of Interior legal officers were licensed as authorised notaries at their own workplaces. Simple in-person requests are often finished the same day.
Pay and check the result
Once the request is approved you are told to pay, online or at the counter. Reported fees for signature and contract authentication are QAR 100 for three copies, QAR 50 for each party and QAR 50 for each extra copy, but always check the amount shown before you pay. Read the final document carefully: names, ID numbers, amounts and dates must match your passport and the other papers. Keep at least one authenticated copy yourself, because extra copies cost more later. An MOJ-documented debt contract can carry an executive formula, which means it can be enforced without first suing, so make sure you understand what you are signing.
Bring an accredited translator if you do not read Arabic
Documents signed at the MOJ are in Arabic, and the Documentation Law allows a party who does not speak or write Arabic well to use a translator accredited by the ministry, who signs the document with the parties. Ask the Documentation Department in advance how to arrange one for your language. Never sign an Arabic document you have not had explained, even if the other party offers to tell you what it says. If a bilingual version exists, remember that the Arabic text normally prevails in Qatar.
Read guide: Learning Arabic in Doha: courses, costs and where to start →Get a certified Arabic translation for use in Qatar
A document in a language other than Arabic usually needs a certified Arabic translation before a Qatari court or government office will rely on it; some offices accept English, so ask first. For anything going to court or to the MOJ, Ministerial Decision No. 157 of 2024 says translations should come from translators registered on the MOJ's list of experts; another translator may be used only when no registered one exists for that language, and the parties must then sign a written undertaking taking responsibility for the translation. For other uses, licensed legal translation offices in Doha provide stamped translations; ask the receiving office whether it accepts that office's stamp. Foreign documents must still be legalised abroad and attested by MOFA, because a translation does not replace attestation.
Read guide: Attesting marriage and birth certificates for Qatar →Translate Qatari documents for use abroad
Many Qatari documents, such as court papers, police clearance and some certificates, are issued only in Arabic. The country that will receive them decides whose translation it accepts, so check its rules first. Some want a translation by a Doha office that is then stamped in Qatar: the Italian Embassy, for example, asks for the translation to be legalised by the Qatar Chamber and then by MOFA, and lists translation companies it knows. Others prefer a sworn translator back home. Translate the attested original, including the stamps, and keep the original and translation together.
Read guide: Police clearance certificate (good conduct) in Qatar →Use your embassy for papers meant for home
Many embassies in Doha offer their own notarial services for documents that will be used in their country, such as affidavits, consent letters, signature attestation and certified copies of passports. This is often cheaper and faster than the MOJ plus MOFA plus embassy route, and the document is already in the form your country expects. Check your embassy's website for which notarial services it offers, the fees and whether you need an appointment. The embassy cannot authenticate documents for use inside Qatar; that is the MOJ's job.
Read guide: For Indian residents: passport renewal, PCC and Embassy of India services in Doha →Send MOJ documents abroad through MOFA
An MOJ-authenticated document or translation that will be used in another country usually needs attestation by Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and then by that country's embassy in Doha, because Qatar does not issue apostilles. MOFA attestation can be done at its consular office, a government service centre or online with Qatar Post collection. Our degree attestation guide explains the MOFA steps in detail, so they are not repeated here.
Read guide: Attesting your degree for Qatar: the full chain →Complain if the MOJ refuses
If the Documentation Department refuses to authenticate your document, ask for the reason in writing; often it is a missing approval, a wording problem or an expired ID that you can fix and resubmit. Under the Documentation Law, a person refused documentation may complain to the Minister of Justice within 15 days of being told, and the minister's decision on the complaint is final. For a complicated contract or a dispute, a lawyer can draft the text so it passes review the first time.
Read guide: Finding a lawyer and legal help in Qatar →
What it costs
| MOJ signature or contract authentication, three copies (reported; check in Sak) | QAR 100 |
| MOJ fee for each party to the document (reported) | QAR 50 |
| Each extra authenticated copy (reported) | QAR 50 |
| MOFA attestation of an authorisation or judiciary document for use abroad | QAR 100 |
| Qatar Post collection and return for online MOFA attestation | QAR 40 |
| Certified translation by a legal translation office | Set by the office, usually per page; get a quote |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Looking for a private 'notary public' shop: in Qatar authentication is done by the MOJ (and a few ministry-authorised officials), not by private offices
- Paying for MOJ authentication when the receiving office only wanted MOFA attestation, or the other way round
- Using any translator for a court case instead of one on the MOJ experts list, and having the translation rejected
- Thinking a translation replaces attestation: a foreign document still needs legalisation abroad and MOFA attestation
- Signing an Arabic contract at the MOJ without an accredited translator or a trusted explanation of what it says
- Different spellings of names between the passport, the contract and the translation
- Translating a copy before attestation, so the stamps are missing from the translation and it has to be redone
- Leaving the paperwork until your last week in Qatar, when your QID and digital login may stop working
Questions people ask
Where can I get a document notarised in Qatar?
At the Ministry of Justice: online through the Sak portal or app with your Tawtheeq login, or in person at the MOJ Documentation Department or a government service centre offering MOJ services. There are no private notary shops as in the UK or US. If the document is for your home country, your embassy in Doha may notarise it instead.
Can I notarise a document online in Qatar?
Yes, for many common transactions. Sak handles signature authentication and several contract types, including debt contracts since July 2026, and you can usually pay online and collect or receive the result without queuing. People without a QID or digital login cannot yet use most of these services; the MOJ has so far tested remote video notarisation only for powers of attorney.
How much does it cost to notarise a document at the MOJ?
Reported fees are QAR 100 for three copies of an authenticated document, plus QAR 50 for each party and QAR 50 for each extra copy. Some transactions, such as property registration, have their own fees. Sak shows the exact amount before you pay.
Who can do a certified Arabic translation in Qatar?
For court cases and MOJ matters, use a translator registered on the MOJ's list of experts, as Ministerial Decision 157 of 2024 requires; another translator is allowed only if no registered one covers your language. For other official uses, licensed legal translation offices in Doha issue stamped translations. Always ask the receiving office which translators it accepts.
Do I need to translate English documents into Arabic?
Not always. MOFA and many government services accept documents in Arabic or English, so an English certificate often needs no translation for attestation or a family visa. Courts work in Arabic and usually want a certified Arabic translation, and some offices ask for one anyway, so check before paying.
My home country wants an apostille. Can I get one in Qatar?
No. Qatar does not issue apostilles, so documents from Qatar go through MOFA attestation and then your country's embassy in Doha. Check your country's embassy website, because many accept this route or offer their own notarial service.
Is a translation done in my home country accepted in Qatar?
Sometimes, if it was made by a sworn or official translator there and legalised along with the document, ending with MOFA attestation in Doha. Many Qatari offices and courts still prefer a translation made in Qatar by an approved translator, so ask before relying on a foreign translation.
Can my embassy notarise a document for use in Qatar?
Generally no. Embassies notarise documents for use in their own country. For a document that will be used in Qatar, such as a contract, an undertaking or a declaration for a Qatari office, use the MOJ.
Official sources
- QNA (Mar 2023): MOJ on the new Documentation Law (Law No. 1 of 2023) ↗
- LexisNexis (Jan 2025): Ministerial Decision 157/2024 on certified documents and MOJ translators ↗
- K&L Gates (Aug 2026): electronic execution and remote notarisation in Qatar ↗
- QNA (Jul 2026): MOJ licenses six authorised notaries at the Ministry of Interior (Arabic) ↗
- The Peninsula (Jul 2026): debt contract authentication via the Sak portal and app ↗
- Italian Embassy in Doha: translation of Qatari documents ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.