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Post and deliveries in Qatar: P.O. boxes, parcels and customs
How mail and parcels reach you in Qatar: renting a Qatar Post P.O. box or receiving without one, using your national address for couriers, paying customs duty on parcels over QAR 1,000, what you cannot import, and how to send documents abroad.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Personal P.O. box
- QAR 500 a year plus a QAR 100 refundable deposit (Qatar Post price list)
- No box?
- Qatar Post 'Manage My Delivery': QAR 15 to collect an item, QAR 25 to have it delivered
- Customs
- Personal parcels up to QAR 1,000 generally duty-free; above that, usually 5% duty plus fees
- Help
- Qatar Post call centre 104, qatarpost.qa and the QatarPost app
Qatar does not deliver post to street addresses the way many countries do, so new residents often wonder how letters and parcels will reach them. In practice there are three routes: a Qatar Post P.O. box (a rented box at a post office), Qatar Post's pay-per-item service for people without a box, and couriers such as DHL and Aramex, which deliver to your door using your national address and phone number. Parcels from abroad pass through Qatar customs: personal shipments up to QAR 1,000 are generally duty-free, and above that you usually pay 5% duty plus clearance fees before delivery. This guide walks you through choosing how to receive mail, setting up a box if you want one, getting parcels delivered, paying duty, avoiding banned items, shopping from overseas stores and sending documents abroad.
Before you start
- Your Qatar ID (QID), or a clear scan of it, to rent a P.O. box online or at a branch
- Your national address numbers (zone, street and building) from the blue plate on your building
- A Qatar mobile number that couriers can call, written with the country code (+974)
- A bank card that works online, to pay P.O. box fees and any customs duty links
- The tracking number and the shop's invoice or order confirmation for any parcel you are expecting
- A quick check of the prohibited and restricted goods list before ordering anything unusual from abroad
- For controlled medicines, a prescription and medical report, and the Ministry of Public Health permit where required
- For original documents going abroad, copies kept at home and a tracked service chosen in advance
Step by step
Decide how you want to receive mail
Start by choosing your route, because it affects what address you give to banks, schools and online shops. Many residents never rent a P.O. box: they use their employer's P.O. box for official letters and have parcels delivered by couriers to their national address. If you get regular letters, cards or magazines, a personal P.O. box gives you a fixed address that does not change when you move home. If you only get the occasional item, Qatar Post can contact you and deliver it without a box (step 4).
Read guide: National address in Qatar: registering and updating it →Rent a personal P.O. box if you need one
Qatar Post rents personal P.O. boxes for QAR 500 a year, which includes one key; extra keys cost more. You can choose a box number and pay online with a scanned copy of your QID, or go to any Qatar Post branch with a copy of your QID, the signed application form and a QAR 100 refundable deposit. Mail is put into the box as soon as it is sorted, six days a week, and boxes at most branches can be opened 24 hours a day. Your box address is written as 'P.O. Box [number], Doha, Qatar' (or the town of your branch). Remember it is an annual subscription: renew it every year in the QatarPost app, online or at a branch so you do not lose the number.
Add home delivery to your box (optional)
If you have a personal P.O. box but cannot visit the post office often, Qatar Post offers a home delivery add-on that brings your box mail to your door. Packages are priced by how many deliveries you want each week: QAR 500 for one, QAR 1,500 for three and QAR 3,000 for five, on top of your box subscription as shown on the Qatar Post site (confirm at the branch). You need to give your full address with zone, street and building number. Fill in the home delivery form online or at a branch, and tell Qatar Post when you move.
Receive items without a box: Manage My Delivery
Qatar Post's 'Manage My Delivery' (sometimes called Zero PO Box) is for residents without a box or who rarely receive mail. Ask the sender to write your full name and Qatar mobile number clearly on the item. When it arrives, Qatar Post contacts you and asks whether you want to collect it or have it delivered. Collecting from the General Post Office or a branch costs QAR 15 per item; delivery to your address costs QAR 25, plus QAR 15 for each extra item delivered the same day.
Use your national address for courier deliveries
Couriers and online shops deliver to your home using your national address, the three numbers on the blue plate fixed to every building: zone, street and building number. Write them in full in the address fields, add your flat or villa number and a nearby landmark, and always give a mobile number with +974, because drivers usually call or send a WhatsApp message before they come. Make sure the name on the parcel matches your QID, as couriers may ask to see it for high-value or duty-paid items. If you move, update your address with the shops you use as well as your national address with the Ministry of Interior.
Read guide: National address in Qatar: registering and updating it →Track your parcel and know who is delivering it
International parcels reach Qatar either by post (handed to Qatar Post in Qatar) or by an express courier such as DHL, Aramex, FedEx or UPS, which delivers it itself. The shop's tracking page usually shows which one is handling your parcel. Post items can be tracked in the QatarPost app or on qatarpost.qa with the tracking number; courier parcels are tracked on the courier's own website or app. Be aware that cheap 'standard' international mail may not be tracked at all, and that the tracking can go quiet for several days while a parcel is in customs.
Understand and pay customs duty
All parcels from outside Qatar can be inspected by the General Authority of Customs. Personal parcels and mail worth up to QAR 1,000 are generally exempt from customs duty, provided they are for personal use and not restricted goods. Above that, duty is usually 5% of the value including shipping, and couriers add their own charges: DHL, for example, lists a customs declaration (bayan) fee and an advance payment fee of at least QAR 130 for private customers. Couriers normally send you an SMS or email with a payment link, or collect the amount on delivery; check that the link really comes from the courier before paying. Qatar has no VAT, so duty and fees are the main extra costs.
Check what you are not allowed to receive
Some goods are banned outright and will be seized: drugs, weapons and ammunition, explosives, alcohol, pornographic or 'immoral' material, and goods from Israel. E-cigarettes and vapes have been banned from entering Qatar since 2013, so do not order vapes or refills online. Medicines are restricted: controlled medicines need a Ministry of Public Health permit with a prescription and medical report, and other medicines should come with a prescription and be for personal use. Restricted items such as some electronics, plants or food may need a permit, so check the Customs or Qatar Post restricted list before you order.
Shop from overseas stores with a forwarding address
Many US and UK shops do not ship to Qatar, so residents use parcel-forwarding services that give you an overseas address. Qatar Post's CONNECTED service is free to join and gives you US and UK addresses; it stores your orders for up to 21 days at no cost so you can combine them into one shipment, then delivers to your door or a branch. Aramex Shop & Ship works in a similar way with addresses in the US, UK and many other countries, on paid membership plans. Compare the shipping rate for your parcel's weight before you buy, and remember that a combined shipment worth more than QAR 1,000 will normally attract duty.
Send letters, documents and parcels abroad
Qatar Post offers Global Standard for non-urgent mail (it is not tracked unless you pay QAR 10 extra for registered mail), Global Express with tracking and delivery in about 7 to 10 days, and a slower, cheaper Cargo service to selected countries. Use the 'Calculate Cost' tool on qatarpost.qa or ask at a branch for the price. For original certificates, passports or documents going for attestation, use a tracked express service (Qatar Post Global Express, DHL or Aramex) and keep copies. Check the sender's restricted items list before sending batteries, liquids, food or medicines.
Read guide: Attesting your degree for Qatar: the full chain →Use local delivery options
Inside Qatar, Qatar Post's Qatar Standard and Qatar Express services send parcels within a day, and branches can arrange home collection. For food, groceries, pharmacy items and same-day errands, most residents use delivery apps such as Talabat, Snoonu or Rafeeq, which work from your live location and phone number. Qatar Post also offers Sandooqi, a smart locked delivery box for your home that couriers open with a one-time code; ask Qatar Post about current prices. For anything valuable, prefer a tracked service and ask for a delivery photo or signature.
What it costs
| Personal P.O. box, annual subscription (1 key) | QAR 500 |
| P.O. box refundable deposit (branch application) | QAR 100 |
| P.O. box home delivery add-on, per year (1 / 3 / 5 deliveries a week) | QAR 500 / QAR 1,500 / QAR 3,000 |
| Manage My Delivery: collect an item at a branch | QAR 15 per item |
| Manage My Delivery: delivery to your address | QAR 25 (plus QAR 15 per extra item the same day) |
| Customs duty on personal parcels above QAR 1,000 | Usually 5% of value including shipping, plus clearance fees |
| DHL advance payment fee when it pays duty for a private receiver | QAR 130 minimum or 2% of duty, whichever is higher |
| Qatar Post CONNECTED membership (US/UK addresses) | Free (shipping charged per parcel) |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Giving a courier only a building name or area with no zone, street and building numbers, or no working phone number, which leads to failed deliveries
- Ordering goods worth more than QAR 1,000 without expecting duty and courier fees on delivery
- Ordering vapes, e-cigarette refills or controlled medicines online; they can be seized and may cause legal trouble
- Paying a 'customs fee' through a link in an unexpected SMS without checking the tracking number on the official Qatar Post or courier website
- Forgetting to renew a P.O. box each year and losing the number that banks and schools have on file
- Sending original certificates or passports by untracked mail
- Under-declaring the value of a parcel to avoid duty; false declarations can lead to fines and confiscation
Questions people ask
Do I need a P.O. box to live in Qatar?
No. Many residents use their employer's P.O. box for official mail and get parcels delivered by couriers to their national address. A personal box is useful if you receive regular letters or want an address that stays the same when you move. Without a box, Qatar Post can still contact you by phone through its Manage My Delivery service.
I got an SMS saying my parcel is held and I must pay a small fee. Is it real?
Be very careful: fake 'parcel on hold' messages are a common scam in Qatar. Qatar Post says it does not ask for banking information by call, SMS or email. Check the tracking number yourself on qatarpost.qa or the courier's official website or app, and only pay through those.
Is my online order under QAR 1,000 free of customs duty?
Generally yes: personal parcels and mail worth up to QAR 1,000 are usually exempt, as long as the goods are for personal use and not restricted. The value normally includes shipping. Several orders combined into one shipment are assessed together, and couriers may still charge their own handling fees.
My parcel has been 'in customs' for days. What can I do?
Contact whoever is delivering it: Qatar Post (call 104) for post items, or the courier for DHL, Aramex and others. Customs may need an invoice, a copy of your QID or a permit for restricted items such as medicines. Reply quickly to any request, because items that are not cleared can be returned or destroyed.
Can I have medicines posted to me from home?
Only with care. Controlled medicines need prior approval from the Ministry of Public Health with a prescription and medical report, and other medicines should come with a prescription and be in personal-use quantities. Ask your doctor in Qatar whether a local equivalent is available, which is often simpler.
Which is better for parcels from abroad, Qatar Post or a courier?
Express couriers such as DHL and Aramex are usually faster and deliver to your door, but cost more and add fees when they pay duty for you. Postal shipments are cheaper and arrive through Qatar Post, but may be slower and not always tracked. For valuable or urgent items, a tracked courier is the safer choice.
How do I shop from US or UK stores that don't ship to Qatar?
Use a forwarding service such as Qatar Post's CONNECTED (free US and UK addresses) or Aramex Shop & Ship. You ship your orders to their overseas warehouse address and they send them on to Qatar. Compare shipping rates by weight, and remember duty applies if the shipment is worth over QAR 1,000.
Official sources
- Qatar Post: personal P.O. box subscription ↗
- Qatar Post: home delivery services ↗
- Qatar Post: Manage My Delivery ↗
- Qatar Post: CONNECTED (US and UK shopping addresses) ↗
- The Peninsula: Qatar customs exemptions (Nov 2025) ↗
- DHL Qatar: customs regulations and fees ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.