Guides / Money & banking / Starting a business
Registering a trademark or trade name in Qatar
How to protect your brand in Qatar: the difference between a trade name and a trademark, how to search, file online with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), what it costs per class, the 60-day objection window and renewing every 10 years.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Who handles it
- MOCI Intellectual Property Rights Protection Department (online at moci.gov.qa)
- Official fees (one class)
- QAR 1,000 filing + QAR 500 publication + QAR 3,000 registration = QAR 4,500
- Objection window
- 60 days after the mark is published in the official trademark gazette
- Protection
- 10 years from the filing date, renewable for further 10-year periods
In Qatar your business name and your brand are protected in two different ways. A trade name is the legal name in your commercial registration (CR); you reserve it with MOCI or the Single Window when you set up, and it stops another company registering the same name. A trademark is your brand (a word, logo or both) for particular goods or services; you register it separately with MOCI's Intellectual Property Rights Protection Department, and it lets you stop others using a confusingly similar brand. This guide is for small business owners, home-business founders and anyone launching a brand in Qatar. It goes in order: decide what you need, search, choose your classes, file online, pay, wait for examination, get through publication and the objection window, collect your certificate, then keep it alive and enforce it.
Before you start
- A clear JPEG image of the mark exactly as you want it protected (word, logo, or word and logo together; decide whether colours matter)
- A list of the goods and/or services you sell or plan to sell under the brand, worded specifically
- The class number(s) for those goods or services under the international Nice Classification (one application per class in Qatar)
- For a company: a copy of the commercial registration (CR)
- For an individual: your Qatar ID (QID) or passport
- If an agent or lawyer files for you: a power of attorney (for documents from abroad, ask your agent whether it needs legalisation)
- If you filed the same mark abroad in the last six months and want that earlier date: the priority certificate details
- An account on the MOCI website, and a bank card for online payment
- Results of your own search (see step 2), with screenshots of anything similar you found
Step by step
Decide whether you need a trade name, a trademark or both
Your trade name is reserved as part of getting a CR, so if you are still setting up, do that first through MOCI or the Single Window (our start-a-business guide covers it). A trade name only protects the company name on the commercial register; it does not stop someone selling products under a similar brand or logo. A trademark protects the brand itself, for the goods and services you list, and can be owned by a company or an individual. Most businesses with a public-facing brand, including home businesses and online shops, benefit from both. Note that MOCI can refuse a trade name that is already someone else's registered trademark, which is one more reason to file early.
Read guide: Starting a business in Qatar as an expat: commercial registration step by step →Search before you spend money
Filing fees are not refunded if the mark is refused, so check first. Search Qatar trade names on MOCI's trade name search, and search registered marks in WIPO's free Global Brand Database with Qatar selected as the office. Look for marks that look, sound or mean the same as yours, including Arabic versions and transliterations, not just exact matches. MOCI's fee schedule also lists an initial examination request (QAR 1,000) if you want the ministry's view before filing. If you find something close in the same field, change the mark now rather than after you have printed packaging.
Pick your classes and word your goods and services
Qatar uses the international Nice Classification of 45 classes (1 to 34 for goods, 35 to 45 for services). Each class needs its own application and its own fees, so choose the classes you really use: for example a bakery selling cakes would look at class 30 for the food, and class 43 if it also runs a café. Describe what you sell clearly; protection depends on the goods and services you list, not just the class number. Some goods cannot be registered in Qatar at all, such as alcoholic drinks. If you are unsure, an IP agent can help you choose, which is usually cheaper than filing in the wrong class.
Log in to the MOCI online service
Go to the MOCI website (moci.gov.qa), log in, or create an account with the New User option. Under the Trademarks section, choose the Trademark Registration service and read the instructions page. You will be asked whether you are applying yourself or through a legal representative. If you live outside Qatar, use a trademark agent registered with MOCI; residents and Qatar companies can file directly.
Fill in the application
Enter the applicant details, then the trademark's name, the goods or services and the class. Choose the ownership type (company, institution, educational entity or individual) and give contact details you actually check, because MOCI's notices and objections come through them. If you are claiming priority from a filing abroad, enter the priority certificate details; the Qatar filing must be within six months of that first filing. Make sure the owner name matches your CR or QID exactly, as changing it later costs extra.
Upload documents and pay the filing fee
Upload the CR copy (companies), your ID (individuals) or the power of attorney (agents), and the JPEG of the mark. The platform works out the fee and you pay online; the filing fee is QAR 1,000 per class. Review the summary page carefully, tick the declaration and submit. Keep the application number: you will use it to track the case and answer any queries.
Answer questions during examination
The IP department checks the form and whether the mark can be registered and clashes with earlier marks. It can accept the mark, accept it with conditions or changes (such as limiting the goods or adding a disclaimer), or refuse it. Reply to any query by the deadline in the notice, or the application may lapse. If you are refused or given conditions you do not accept, you can file an appeal (fee QAR 1,000); take advice before doing so. Timing varies, so check the status online rather than assuming silence means approval.
Pay for publication and watch the 60-day window
Once accepted, you pay the publication fee (QAR 500) and the mark is published in the official trademark gazette. Anyone who thinks your mark clashes with theirs can file an objection (opposition) within 60 days of publication, and it costs them QAR 1,000. If someone objects, you are notified and must reply in writing within the deadline given, in Arabic or with a certified Arabic translation; if you do not reply, the application can be treated as abandoned. This is also the time to watch the gazette yourself for marks that copy yours.
Pay the registration fee and get your certificate
If no objection is filed, or you win it, you pay the registration and certificate fee of QAR 3,000 per class. The ministry then issues the registration certificate, and protection runs for 10 years counted from the filing date. Only after registration should you use the ® symbol; before that, write TM or simply use the brand. Keep the certificate with your CR and licence papers, as banks, landlords, marketplaces and social media platforms may ask for it when you report copycats.
Keep it up to date and actually use it
If your company changes its name or address, record the change with MOCI (QAR 500 for an owner name or address change). If you sell the brand or license it to someone, record the transfer (QAR 1,000) or licence (QAR 2,000), plus publication. A registered mark that is not used in Qatar for five years in a row can be challenged and cancelled, so keep invoices, photos and adverts that show use. Make sure your CR renewal and trademark ownership stay in the same name.
Read guide: Renewing your commercial registration, licence and establishment card in Qatar →Renew every 10 years
You can renew in the last year of protection for QAR 3,000 per class, plus a QAR 500 publication fee where it applies. If you miss the date, there is a six-month grace period at a higher fee of QAR 4,000. After that the mark lapses and anyone, including a copycat, could file for it. Put the renewal date in your calendar the day the certificate arrives.
Act if someone copies your brand
Start by collecting evidence: screenshots, receipts, photos of the shop sign or product, with dates. A registered mark gives you a strong legal basis; you can file a complaint with MOCI, report fake listings to the marketplace or social media platform with your certificate, and take a lawyer's advice about a warning letter or court action. Counterfeit products sold to the public can also be reported as a consumer issue. If you have not registered yet, file now; an unregistered brand is much harder to defend.
Read guide: Finding a lawyer and legal help in Qatar →
What it costs
| Trademark application (filing), per class | QAR 1,000 |
| Publication in the trademark gazette | QAR 500 |
| Registration and certificate, per class | QAR 3,000 |
| Objection (opposition) filed by a third party | QAR 1,000 |
| Appeal against refusal or conditions | QAR 1,000 |
| Renewal in the last year of protection, per class | QAR 3,000 |
| Late renewal within 6 months after expiry | QAR 4,000 |
| Trade name reservation with MOCI (6 months) | QAR 1,000 |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Thinking that reserving a trade name or getting a CR also protects your logo and brand: it does not; the trademark is a separate filing
- Filing without searching, then losing the non-refundable QAR 1,000 filing fee to a refusal or an objection
- Filing in only one class when you sell in several (for example products and a café or online store), leaving the rest unprotected
- Registering the mark in a staff member's or friend's personal name instead of the company or the real owner
- Missing the reply deadline on a MOCI query or an objection, so the application is treated as abandoned
- Changing the logo after registration and assuming the new version is covered; a materially different logo may need a new filing or a form modification
- Forgetting the 10-year renewal and paying the higher late fee, or losing the mark entirely
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a trade name and a trademark in Qatar?
A trade name is your company's registered name on the commercial register, reserved with MOCI or the Single Window when you get a CR. A trademark is a brand (name, logo or both) registered with MOCI's IP department for specific goods or services. A trade name stops another company registering the same name; a trademark lets you stop others using a confusingly similar brand on the market.
How much does it cost to register a trademark in Qatar?
MOCI's official fees are QAR 1,000 to file, QAR 500 for publication and QAR 3,000 for registration, so QAR 4,500 per class if everything goes smoothly. Each extra class is a separate application with its own fees. Agents and lawyers charge their own professional fees on top.
How long does trademark registration take?
There is no fixed published timeline. You need examination, publication and then the 60-day objection window before you can pay for registration, so plan for several months even with no problems. An objection or a query adds more time, so check the status online.
Can I register a trademark as an individual or for a home business?
Yes. MOCI's online form lets you choose individual ownership and upload your personal ID. This is useful if you sell from home or online under a brand name. You still need the right licence to trade, which is covered in our home business licence and e-commerce guides.
Do I need a lawyer or agent to file?
Not if you live in Qatar or own a Qatar company: the online service lets you apply directly. If you live abroad, you file through a trademark agent registered with MOCI. An agent is worth considering for valuable brands, several classes, or if you receive an objection.
Does a trademark registered in the UAE, India or elsewhere protect me in Qatar?
No, trademarks are territorial. You need a Qatar registration, either by filing directly with MOCI or by designating Qatar through the Madrid Protocol, which has applied to Qatar since 3 August 2024. If you file in Qatar within six months of your first filing abroad, you can claim that earlier priority date.
How long does a trademark last and how do I renew it?
Ten years from the filing date, and you can renew again and again for 10 years at a time. Renewal costs QAR 3,000 per class in the last year, or QAR 4,000 within six months after expiry. After that the mark lapses.
Someone is using my brand name. What can I do?
If your mark is registered, gather dated evidence and file a complaint with MOCI, report the listings to the platform, and speak to a lawyer about a warning letter or court action. If you only have a trade name, your rights are much weaker against a different business using it as a brand, so register the trademark as soon as you can.
Official sources
- MOCI: trademark services fees (official PDF) ↗
- The Peninsula (Aug 2025): MOCI guidelines for registering trademarks online ↗
- MOCI: fees guide including trade name reservation (official PDF) ↗
- WIPO: Madrid Protocol enters into force for Qatar ↗
- Qatar Living: trademarks and patents in Qatar ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.