Guide for Qatari Citizens: Services & Admin

Family

Registering your baby's birth in Qatar
How to get your newborn's Qatari birth certificate online from the Ministry of Public Health, and, for resident families, what to do next to get the baby a residence permit.
Getting and renewing a health card
How to register with your local health centre, get a health card for yourself and your children, renew it on time, and how this links to Qatar's mandatory health insurance.
Enrolling your child in school
How to register a child in a government school through the Ma'aref portal or in a licensed private school, who can join government schools, and which documents to prepare.

Getting a Qatari driving licence If you drive
How to get your first Qatari driving licence, or swap a licence from another country for a Qatari one. It covers the eye test, driving school, the driving test and issuing the licence on Metrash.
Registering a vehicle and renewing the Istimara If you drive
How to renew your vehicle registration (Istimara) each year, including the technical inspection at Fahes and insurance. It also explains how to register a car in your name when you buy one.
Checking and paying traffic fines If you drive
How to find out whether you or your vehicle has any traffic violations, and how to pay or object to them. You can do this on Metrash, the Ministry of Interior website, or in person.

Connecting electricity and water with Kahramaa
How to get electricity and water in your name when you move into a home, pay your Kahramaa bills online, and settle the final bill when you move out.

Choosing where to set up your business
A neutral comparison of the main ways to set up a business in Qatar: the mainland through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Qatar Financial Centre, the Qatar Free Zones, and specialised platforms such as Qatar Science & Technology Park and Media City Qatar. It covers who each suits, ownership, the authority in charge and where to apply.
Registering a company in Qatar (mainland)
How to set up a mainland company in Qatar through the Single Window platform: reserving a trade name, getting a commercial registration (CR) and a commercial licence, and what comes next. It also points you to the separate Qatar Financial Centre and Qatar Free Zones routes.

Things to do in and around Doha
A short tour of popular places in Doha, from the Corniche and Souq Waqif to Katara, Lusail and Aspire Park, plus day trips to Al Khor, the mangroves, Al Zubarah and the Inland Sea, with how to reach each one.
Beaches, desert and the Inland Sea
Where to find public beaches, how to visit the desert and Khor Al Adaid safely, how the winter camping season works, and how to look after protected areas such as the Al Thakira mangroves.
Staying active: parks, tracks and sport
Free places to walk, run and cycle, from neighbourhood parks to Aspire Park and the Olympic Cycling Track, plus how to join organised sport, what happens on National Sport Day and how to exercise safely in the heat.
Days out with children
Free and low-cost ideas for families: parks and play areas, museums and libraries with children's programmes, family beaches and holiday activities, plus the basics of child health checks and vaccinations.
Events and public holidays
Where to find the official calendar of events in Qatar, which public holidays are fixed and which move each year, how holidays are announced, and the main occasions and festivals that come round every year.