Guides / Driving & transport / Driving licence
Renew your Qatar driving licence, or replace a lost or damaged one
How to renew your Qatar driving licence in the Metrash app or at the Traffic Department, what it costs, when an eye test is needed, what to do if it has already expired or you are abroad, and how to replace a lost or damaged card.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Validity
- 5 years for residents, 10 years for Qatari citizens
- Cost
- QAR 250 for residents (QAR 500 for Qataris), plus QAR 20 if delivered
- When
- From 6 months before expiry; renew within 30 days after expiry at the latest
- Where
- Metrash app, MOI e-services portal, or any Traffic Department office
A Qatar driving licence is valid for 5 years for residents and 10 years for Qatari citizens, and you renew it yourself, usually in a few minutes in the Metrash app (the Ministry of Interior app). You can renew up to 6 months before the expiry date. The Traffic Law gives you 30 days after expiry to renew, but that is not permission to keep driving on an expired card. Before you renew, your QID (Qatar ID) and residence permit must be valid, and unpaid traffic fines must be cleared. This guide follows the order things happen: check your dates, clear fines, check whether an eye test is needed, renew and choose delivery, and then the special cases: an already expired licence, renewing from abroad, and replacing a lost or damaged card. If you do not have a Qatar licence yet, start with the driving-licence or licence-transfer guides instead.
Before you start
- Your valid QID. The licence is linked to your QID number, and Metrash will not renew it if your QID or residence permit has expired
- Metrash installed and logged in with your own QID, on a Qatari mobile number registered in your name
- Your current licence card (or its number and expiry date, shown in Metrash under your traffic details)
- A debit or credit card to pay in the app
- All traffic fines paid; outstanding violations can block the renewal
- Your national address details (zone, street, building) if you want Q-Post to deliver the new card
- For a lost licence: a police report may be asked for, so report the loss first
- If you are a heavy-vehicle driver or have a medical condition affecting your sight: an eye test from an MOI-approved optician
Step by step
Check your expiry date and when you can renew
Open Metrash and look at your driving licence details under the traffic services; the expiry date is shown there, and Metrash also sends an SMS reminder before it expires. Online renewal opens 6 months before the expiry date, so there is no reason to wait for the last week. Renewing early does not shorten your licence in practice, and it avoids problems if you travel. Residents get a new 5-year licence; Qatari citizens get 10 years.
Read guide: Metrash: registering and using Qatar's Ministry of Interior app →Make sure your QID and residence permit are valid
Your licence is tied to your QID, so the system checks your residency before it lets you renew. If your QID has expired, renew it first (your employer or sponsor usually starts this), then come back to the licence. If you have changed employer, you keep the same QID number and the same licence, and you do not need your new employer's permission to renew. If you have a new passport, update it in your residency record first, because a mismatch can stop online services.
Read guide: Renew your Qatar ID →Pay any outstanding traffic fines
Check the violations list in Metrash and pay what is outstanding before you start. Unpaid fines are one of the most common reasons a renewal will not go through. Renewing your licence does not clear black points; those follow their own rules. If you think a violation is wrong, you can object to it, but the objection should be dealt with before you try to renew.
Read guide: Traffic fines in Qatar: check, pay, object, and avoid the travel ban →Find out whether you need an eye test
For a normal private car licence, the published online renewal steps do not include an eye test, and most residents renew in Metrash without one. Heavy-vehicle and some other licence types, older drivers, or people with a medical note on their file may be asked for a new eye test, and guides disagree on how often it is required. If Metrash or the Traffic Department asks for one, go to an MOI-approved optician; the result is sent to the Traffic Department electronically, usually within a day, and then you can finish the renewal. Do not pay for a test until you know you need it.
Renew in the Metrash app
In Metrash, open the traffic services and choose the option to renew a driving licence (it sits with the other licence services). Pick your own licence; an employer's PRO can also renew licences for employees from the company account. Check the details on screen, choose how you want to receive the card, and pay by card in the app. Keep the payment receipt or a screenshot; if no email arrives, check Metrash to confirm the new expiry date, or call the MOI on 109.
Read guide: Metrash: registering and using Qatar's Ministry of Interior app →Or renew on the MOI portal or in person
The MOI e-services portal offers the same renewal, but it needs a smart card reader and an activated QID, so most people find Metrash easier. You can also go to any Traffic Department office (the main one is in Madinat Khalifa, with service centres in other areas) with your QID, old licence and a bank card. Go in person if Metrash shows an error, if an eye test result has not reached the system, or if any detail on your licence is wrong. Check current office hours before you go, as they change in Ramadan and summer.
Choose Q-Post delivery or collection
If you choose Q-Post delivery, it costs QAR 20 extra and the card usually arrives within about a week, depending on your area. Make sure your address and phone number are right, because Q-Post will call before delivering. You can instead collect it from the Traffic Department at no extra cost. Your renewal is valid as soon as it is processed, and your licence shows the new expiry date in Metrash, so you are not driving illegally while you wait for the plastic card.
Read guide: Post and deliveries in Qatar: P.O. boxes, parcels and customs →If your licence has already expired, stop driving and renew
The Traffic Law requires you to renew within 30 days of the expiry date. That window is for renewing, not for driving: driving with an expired licence is a traffic offence, and your insurer may refuse an accident claim. If your QID is valid, you can normally still renew an expired licence in Metrash or at the Traffic Department, and people report renewing licences that expired years earlier. After a very long gap, the Traffic Department decides case by case and may ask for a medical check or a test, so go in person if Metrash will not let you renew.
Read guide: Traffic fines in Qatar: check, pay, object, and avoid the travel ban →Renewing while you are outside Qatar
If your QID and residence permit are still valid and your Metrash works abroad (it uses your registered Qatari number), you can renew online from outside Qatar. Choose collection, or Q-Post delivery to your Qatar address so someone at home can receive it; you can drive in Qatar on the renewed licence once you are back. If your residence has expired while you were away, you cannot renew until you have a valid QID again. Remember that a Qatar licence is not automatically accepted abroad; check the rules of the country you are in.
Read guide: Outside Qatar for more than six months: the return permit and keeping your residency →Replace a lost licence
If your licence card is lost or stolen, report it first; a police report is often asked for when you request a replacement, and Metrash lets you report many lost items. Then request a replacement in Metrash, on the MOI portal, or at the Traffic Department, and pay the fee shown. Reports say a replacement is issued like a renewal, with a new card and validity, but confirm the fee and the validity shown before you pay. Until the new card arrives, carry your QID; Metrash shows your licence status if police ask.
Read guide: Lost something in Qatar? Reporting it and getting it back →Replace a damaged licence or correct its details
A cracked, faded or unreadable card can be replaced in Metrash with the damaged-licence option, or at the Traffic Department. Readers report that the new card is usually issued for a full new period from the date of replacement. If your name or other details on the licence differ from your QID, Metrash cannot fix it; go to the Traffic Department with your QID and passport. The licence follows the details on your QID, so if your name changed in your passport, update your residency record first.
Read guide: Got a new passport? Updating it in your Qatar residence record →Check the new card and set a reminder
When the card arrives, check your name, photo, licence categories and new expiry date. Throw away or hand in the old card so you do not carry the wrong one by mistake. Add the new expiry date to your reminders, together with your QID and Istimara (car registration) dates, because they often expire in different months. If you leave Qatar for good, your licence simply lapses; there is nothing to cancel.
Read guide: Renew your car registration (Istimara) in Qatar →
What it costs
| Light vehicle licence renewal, residents (5 years) | QAR 250 |
| Light vehicle licence renewal, Qatari citizens (10 years) | QAR 500 |
| Heavy vehicle licence renewal, residents (5 years) | QAR 300 |
| Q-Post delivery of the new card (optional) | QAR 20 |
| Replacement of a lost or damaged licence | Shown in Metrash before payment (reported as QAR 250 for residents) |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Treating the 30-day period after expiry as permission to drive. It is a window to renew; driving on an expired licence can mean a fine and a rejected insurance claim.
- Letting your QID expire first. You cannot renew the licence until your residency is valid again.
- Trying to renew with unpaid traffic fines and assuming the app is broken. Clear the violations, then try again.
- Paying for an eye test 'just in case'. Most private car renewals do not need one; wait until Metrash or the Traffic Department asks.
- Giving an old address for Q-Post delivery, so the card comes back to the post office.
- Ignoring a name or detail mismatch between your licence and QID. Get it corrected at the Traffic Department before it causes problems at a checkpoint or with insurance.
- Paying third-party websites or agents to renew for you. Renewal is done only through Metrash, the MOI portal or the Traffic Department.
Questions people ask
My licence expired years ago. Can I still renew it, or do I need driving school again?
If your QID is valid, many people renew licences that expired long ago in Metrash or at the Traffic Department, paying the normal fee. If Metrash refuses, go to the Traffic Department in person; after a very long gap they may ask for a medical check or a test, and they decide case by case. You should not need a full driving course just because the card expired.
Can I drive during the 30-day grace period?
No. The Traffic Law gives you 30 days after expiry to renew, but your licence is still expired during that time. If you are stopped or have an accident, you can be fined and your insurer may refuse to pay. Renew before the expiry date to be safe.
Can I renew my Qatar licence while I am on holiday abroad?
Yes, if your QID and residence permit are valid and Metrash works on your phone abroad. Choose collection or Q-Post delivery to your Qatar address and pick the card up when you are back. If your residency has expired, you must wait until you have a new QID.
Do I need an eye test to renew?
Usually not for a private car licence renewed in Metrash. Heavy-vehicle drivers, older drivers or people with a medical note may be asked for one. If it is required, go to an MOI-approved optician; the result is sent electronically and you can then finish the renewal.
I changed my job or sponsor. Do I need a new licence or my employer's permission?
No. Your QID number stays the same when you change employer, and your licence stays linked to it. You renew it yourself in Metrash with no employer approval. Just make sure the new residency is active first.
My profession on my QID is not one that can get a licence. Will my renewal be blocked?
The published profession restrictions are about issuing new licences, and reports do not say they cancel existing ones at renewal. If Metrash will not let you renew, go to the Traffic Department with your QID to ask why. If you are changing your profession, see the change-profession-work-permit guide.
My licence is damaged but still has a year left. Do I lose that year if I replace it?
Readers report that a replacement card is usually issued for a new full period from the date of replacement, and you pay the fee again. Check the new expiry date shown in Metrash before you pay. If you are within 6 months of expiry anyway, simply renew instead.
I paid in Metrash but got no confirmation. Did it work?
Check your email spam folder, then look at your licence details in Metrash; if the expiry date has moved forward, the renewal went through. If not, and you were charged, call the MOI on 109 with your payment details. Do not pay a second time until you have checked.
Official sources
- Ministry of Interior e-services portal ↗
- QIC: Qatar driving licence renewal step by step ↗
- Property Finder: Qatar driving licence renewal guide 2026 (fees by licence type) ↗
- Qatar Living: Qatar driving licence 2026, eligibility, tests and costs ↗
- DohaGuides: driving licence renewal, readers' questions and answers ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.