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Joining Qatar National Library: free membership, borrowing, e-books and study spaces
How to get a free Qatar National Library card with your QID, borrow and renew books, use e-books and newspapers from home, book study rooms, bring your children, and close your account properly when you leave Qatar.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Cost
- Membership is free for Qatar residents and citizens with a valid QID
- Borrowing
- Up to 6 books for 21 days, renewable twice; 1 kit for 14 days
- Hours
- Saturday to Thursday 8am to 8pm; Friday 4pm to 8pm (check the website for holiday changes)
- Where
- Education City, next to the Qatar National Library metro station (Green Line)
Qatar National Library (QNL) in Education City is one of the best free things about living in Qatar. Any resident with a valid QID can join at no cost and borrow from more than a million books, use e-books, audiobooks and newspapers on their phone, book quiet study rooms, and bring children to a large Children's Library with storytelling and workshops. This guide is for new residents and families who want to sign up and use the library well. It walks you through registering online, collecting your card, borrowing and renewing, the e-resources, study spaces and events, and finally what to do with your account and any borrowed items before you leave Qatar. Anyone can walk in and look around; you only need membership to borrow, use most e-resources and book rooms.
Before you start
- A valid Qatar ID (QID) or residence permit. Driving licences and health cards are not accepted.
- A clear scan or photo of the front and back of your QID to upload during online registration.
- An email address you check: your membership number is sent there.
- For each child under 18: a scan of the child's QID and of your own, as the parent or guardian.
- The Qatar National Library app (App Store or Google Play) if you want to register and manage loans from your phone.
- A debit or credit card for any fines or replacement charges (the library's policy says cash is not accepted for these).
- Modest clothing for your visit: shorts, tank tops and see-through or revealing clothes can mean being refused entry.
- A plan for getting there: the metro is easiest because parking next to the library is limited.
Step by step
Check that you can join
Free membership is for anyone living in Qatar with a valid QID or residence permit, at any age. Adults 18 and over register themselves; children 17 and under are registered by a parent or guardian. Visitors on a tourist or business visa cannot get a normal membership. The only exception is visiting researchers, who need a letter from a hosting institution in Qatar and register in person at the User Services Desk. Anyone, member or not, can enter the library during opening hours to read and look around.
Read guide: Get your Qatar ID (residence permit) →Register online or in the app
Go to qnl.qa and choose Become a Member, then pick the adult form; or open the Qatar National Library app and choose Become a Member. Fill in your details exactly as they appear on your QID and upload a clear scan of the card. Library staff check your details, then email you your membership number. You can also register in person by bringing your QID to the User Services Desk inside the library.
Add your children
Use the separate child form for each child aged 17 or under. The parent or guardian fills it in, accepts the terms, and uploads both their own QID and the child's. The child's account is linked to the parent's, and the parent is responsible for anything the child borrows and any fines. According to the library's brochure, under-18s borrow from the Children's and Young Adults' collections; parents can borrow main-collection books on their own card for a child.
Collect your card and set your PIN
On your first visit, collect your physical library card from the User Services Desk. To log in on the website, app or e-book apps, use your library card number or QID number plus your PIN. Change your PIN under Modify PIN in your online account; it must be at least four characters and mix letters and numbers. If you forget it, use the PIN reset page with your card number or QID. If you lose your card, report it straight away, because you are responsible for anything borrowed on it.
Plan your visit
The main library opens Saturday to Thursday 8am to 8pm and Friday 4pm to 8pm. The Children's Library closes at 6:30pm on weekdays and stays open until 8pm on Friday and Saturday. Take the Doha Metro Green Line to Qatar National Library station, which is beside the building. If you drive, parking near the library is limited; the library suggests the Oxygen Park underground car park or the Education City Mosque car parks and then the free Education City tram. Large bags, wheeled bags and shopping trolleys are not allowed inside.
Read guide: Doha Metro, Metrolink and Karwa buses: cards, fares and how to ride →Find and borrow books
Search the catalogue on the website or app before you go so you know which floor and shelf to head for. You can borrow up to 6 books for 21 days and 1 kit (or DVD set) for 14 days. Use the self-checkout stations or the User Services Desk. Newspapers, magazines, journals, maps and Heritage Library items are for reading inside only. If a book is out, you can place up to two holds, and it will be kept for you for up to five days after it comes back.
Renew and return on time
You can renew a book twice, for 21 days each time, in your online account, in the app or at the desk; the library asks you to renew at least seven days before the due date. You cannot renew a book that someone else has on hold, a recalled item, or any kit. You get an email reminder two days before the due date, then overdue notices at 7, 14, 30 and 60 days. Return items at the self-return stations or the desk. If you ignore the final notice, your membership is suspended and a fixed fine is charged per book.
Use e-books, newspapers and databases from home
Your membership also works online, including when you travel. Install the Libby app, choose Qatar National Library and sign in with your card number and PIN to borrow e-books, audiobooks, magazines and comics. PressReader gives newspapers and magazines from many countries, and the New York Times is available through the library's A to Z database list. Students and professionals can use academic databases and e-journals from home. The line-up changes from time to time, so check Online Resources on qnl.qa for what is currently offered, including language-learning tools.
Read guide: Learning Arabic in Doha: courses, costs and where to start →Book a study room or the night study space
Open seating with power sockets and Wi-Fi is free for everyone. There are 28 individual quiet study rooms for anyone aged 15 or over, and group study rooms for 4 to 6 people and media lounges that only members can book in advance from the Reading and Study Spaces page. Members aged 18 and over can also book the Night Study Space, open 8pm to 6am (until 9am on Thursday nights), for silent individual study. Rooms cannot be used for paid tutoring or other commercial work. Scanning is free; printing and photocopying use a prepaid printing card sold at the User Services Desk.
Join events and children's programmes
The library runs a busy free programme: storytelling, science and art workshops for children, a Summer Reading Challenge and summer camp, a language exchange meet-up, writing circles, chess, talks and exhibitions. The Innovation Stations offer equipment such as a music studio and green-screen rooms. Browse and register on the events calendar linked from qnl.qa, because popular children's sessions fill up. Note that children are not allowed in some adult areas, such as the bridge and the Heritage Library.
Read guide: Summer camps in Qatar: choosing, booking and costs →Renew your membership when your QID changes
Your library membership expires on the same day as your QID. When you get your renewed QID, submit the membership renewal form on qnl.qa with the new card so your borrowing and e-resource access continue. If you do not renew for five years, your registration record is deleted and you would need to register again.
Read guide: Renew your Qatar ID →Close things off before you leave Qatar
Before you leave for good, return every book and kit on your card and your children's cards, and pay any fines. The library's policy asks members to tell it when they leave Qatar permanently, so email or call User Services once everything is returned. Do this early in your move: unreturned items lead to fixed fines, and lost items cost double their price plus a processing fee. Add it to your leaving checklist with your other accounts.
Read guide: Leaving Qatar for good: a step-by-step exit checklist →
What it costs
| Membership | Free |
| Replacement library card | QAR 50 |
| Overdue book (after the final 60-day notice) | QAR 100 per book |
| Overdue DVD, CD or kit | QAR 20 per item per day |
| Lost item | Double the item's price + QAR 50 processing fee |
| Damaged item | Replacement cost + QAR 50 processing fee |
| Prepaid printing/copy card | QAR 5, 10 or 25 (scanning is free) |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Trying to join with a driving licence or health card. Only a QID or residence permit is accepted.
- Letting a renewal slip because the book had a hold on it. Renew at least a week early, and return the book if renewal is refused.
- Ignoring overdue emails. After the 60-day notice the fine is a fixed QAR 100 per book and the account is suspended.
- Forgetting the library after renewing your QID. Your library account expires with the old QID until you submit the renewal form.
- Lending your card to a friend. Loans cannot be transferred and you are responsible for everything borrowed on it.
- Driving at a busy time and circling for parking. Use the Green Line metro or park at Oxygen Park and take the tram.
- Dressing for the mall. Shorts, tank tops and revealing clothes can mean being turned away at the door.
- Leaving Qatar with books still on the family's cards. Return everything and settle fines before you go.
Questions people ask
Do I need a membership just to go in?
No. The library welcomes citizens, residents and visitors, and anyone can walk in during opening hours to read, look around and use the open seating. You need membership to borrow, to book group study rooms and the night study space, and for most online resources.
Can tourists or people on a visit visa join?
Not as regular members, because membership needs a Qatar ID or residence permit. Visiting researchers can get temporary membership with a letter from their hosting institution, registered in person at the User Services Desk, and it ends when their visa expires.
Can my children have their own card?
Yes. A parent or guardian registers each child under 18 with the child form and uploads both QIDs, and the child's card is linked to the parent's. Children borrow from the children's and young adults' collections, with the same limit of 6 books for 21 days.
How many times can I renew a book, and can I do it online?
Twice, for 21 days each time, in your online account, the app or at the desk. Renewal is blocked if someone has placed a hold on the book, if it has been recalled, or if your account is suspended. Kits cannot be renewed.
What happens if I return a book late?
You get reminders at 7, 14, 30 and 60 days overdue, and you cannot borrow while you have unpaid fines. If you do not respond after the final notice, your membership is suspended and a fixed fine of QAR 100 per book applies. DVDs and kits are charged QAR 20 per day.
Can I read library e-books while I am travelling?
Yes. Libby, PressReader and the other online resources work anywhere with an internet connection, as long as your membership is active. Make sure your QID, and therefore your membership, will not expire while you are away.
Is printing free?
Scanning is free. Printing and photocopying use a prepaid printing card sold at the User Services Desk in values of QAR 5, 10 or 25; ask at the desk how you can pay, as the cards cannot be refunded.
I am leaving Qatar. What should I do about my library account?
Return all items on your card and your children's cards, pay any outstanding fines, and then tell User Services that you are leaving permanently. Lost items are charged at double the price plus QAR 50, so search the house early in your move.
Official sources
- QNL: Membership and circulation policy ↗
- QNL: Become a member ↗
- QNL: Library hours and location ↗
- QNL: Reading and study spaces ↗
- QNL: Night Study Space announcement ↗
- QNL code of conduct ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.