Work permits, employment contracts and changing jobs

Who this is for

Private-sector employers on the Qatar mainland that are covered by the Labour Law (Law No. 14 of 2004), and their workers who hold a work residence permit. It does not cover domestic workers, government jobs, or companies in the Qatar Financial Centre or the free zones, which follow separate procedures.

Before you start

• A valid commercial registration and licence for the business.
• An active establishment ID (establishment registration) with no ban on it.
• A smart card for the establishment's authorised signatory, to log in through the National Authentication System (Tawtheeq).
• A registered national address for the establishment, and for the worker if they are changing employer.
• For workers: a mobile number registered under your own Qatar ID, and an account on the National Authentication System.

Steps

1. Request a labour recruitment approval

   The employer applies to the Ministry of Labour through the Establishments Portal on the ministry website, logging in with the signatory's smart card. Choose the establishment ID and enter the number, gender and occupation of the workers needed. A new company can also request this approval through the Single Window when it is set up.

2. Wait for the decision and pick nationalities

   Ministry staff review the request. If the numbers, gender and occupations are approved, the request moves on to the nationality selection system. The number of workers must stay within the limit allowed for the activity and location.

3. Apply for the work visa

   Once the recruitment approval is issued, the employer applies for the work visa with the Ministry of Interior. The approval must come first. Follow the visa steps shown in the Ministry of Interior services.

4. Complete the residence permit after arrival

   A worker who arrives on a residence visa must do the medical check within 30 days of entry, then give fingerprints. The employer then issues the residence permit online with the visa number through the Ministry of Interior e-services. For companies, the residence card is delivered by Qatar Post.

5. Create and attest the employment contract

   The employer creates the contract in the Ministry of Labour's multilingual digital contract system. The worker can review the contract terms in their own language on the Workers' and Individuals' Portal and accept or reject it. Signed contracts are uploaded and sent for verification. After any payment shown, the contract is attested electronically and can be printed with an attestation code.

6. Pay wages through the Wage Protection System

   Establishments covered by the Labour Law pay wages through the Wage Protection System. It replaces cash payments with transfers that the authorities can monitor, so workers are paid in full and on time as their contracts say. Employers can check their WPS subscription status on the Ministry of Labour website.

7. Changing employer

   A worker no longer needs a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the current employer to move jobs. The worker or the new employer submits the change-of-employer request online to the Ministry of Labour. The new employer applies through the Establishments Portal and the worker through the individuals' portal. The worker must have a work residence permit, no ban and no other change request in progress. The new employer then registers a new contract for attestation.

Good to know

• In 2026 Qatar amended its Labour Law (Law No. 9 of 2026). The changes cover areas such as recruitment, part-time and freelance work, non-compete clauses, dispute settlement and wage protection. Check the Ministry of Labour for the latest rules.
• The minimum basic wage is QAR 1,000 a month. The employer must also provide QAR 500 a month for housing and QAR 300 for food, unless it provides them in kind.
• Workers covered by the Labour Law do not need an exit permit to leave Qatar.
• Contracts in the Ministry of Labour system can be viewed in 11 languages, and both the employer and the worker can print the attested contract.
• When changing employer, the worker must follow the notice rules in the Labour Law. The Ministry of Labour service explains what applies.
• If an expatriate's residence permit expires, it must be renewed within 90 days. Late renewal leads to a fine set by the Ministry of Interior.