Axiom Consultants & Partners · Doha, Qatar
Company formation in Qatar
We help you pick the right structure and handle the registrations, and the same partner-led team is still with you when your first tax return is due.
Axiom Consultants & Partners · DohaForeign investors can own up to 100% of a company in most sectors of Qatar under Law No. 1 of 2019. The main routes are a mainland company with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), a Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) company, or a Qatar Free Zones company. Banks, insurance and commercial agencies are restricted. Every new company must register for a tax card within 60 days.
Plan your Qatar setup
Compare government fees, find the right structure and check foreign ownership for your sector.
Free tool · Company setup cost estimator
Answer straight away, no sign-upSetting up in Qatar, end to end
- Choose the right jurisdiction and structure
- Trade name, CR, licences and Qatar Chamber
- Tax card within 60 days, bank account, visas
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Foreign ownership | Up to 100% in all sectors except banks, insurance, commercial agencies and any sector excluded by Council of Ministers' decision |
| Permitted activities | Checked against MOCI's Positive List on the Single Window platform |
| Minimum capital (MOCI) | No specified minimum; depends on the size of the project |
| Bank account | Required for a foreign investment project |
| LLC partners | One to 50 |
| Where to apply | Invest in Qatar Center at MOCI, via the Single Window platform |
| Rejected application | Appeal to the Minister within 15 days |
| Tax card | Within 60 days of CR, licence approval or first income; automatic when set up through Single Window; QAR 20,000 fine if late |
| Annual audit | Required every year for any company with a foreign owner, whatever its size |
| QFC | 100% foreign ownership, 10% tax on locally sourced profits, common law environment, 100% profit repatriation |
| Qatar Free Zones | 100% foreign ownership, renewable 20-year corporate tax holiday; no customs duty on goods brought into the zone unless they are sold into the Qatar market |
Which route is right for you?
| MOCI mainland (LLC or branch) | Qatar Financial Centre | Qatar Free Zones | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Trading, contracting and services in the local market; government contracts | Financial services, consultancies, professional and technology firms | Logistics, manufacturing, technology and trade through Hamad Port and Hamad International Airport |
| Ownership | Up to 100% foreign (restricted sectors excepted) | 100% foreign | 100% foreign |
| Corporate tax | 10% on the foreign share of profit; Qatari and resident GCC share exempt | 10% on locally sourced profits; 0% concession for some activities and firms at least 90% Qatari-owned | 20-year corporate tax holiday (renewable) |
| Regulator | MOCI and GTA | QFC Authority and QFC Tax Department | Free Zones Authority |
| Legal system | Qatari civil law | Common law | Qatari law with zone regulations |
| Typical government fees | About QAR 7,200 for a one-activity foreign-owned LLC (branch about QAR 15,700) | QFC application USD 500; annual licence USD 5,000 (non-regulated, one activity) | Quote-based, per project |
If you're still unsure, the free structure finder on our homepage gives you a first answer in under a minute.
Types of entity
| Entity | What it is | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Limited Liability Company (LLC / WLL) | The usual vehicle for foreign investors. One to 50 partners; liability limited to capital | Must appoint an auditor every year (Art. 260) and set aside 10% of net profit to a legal reserve until it reaches half the capital (Art. 262) |
| Branch of a foreign company | Operates under the parent's name, often for a specific contract | Audited accounts every year; contracts are notified to the GTA within 30 days |
| Commercial representative office | Promotes the parent's products and services; no trading | Approved through MOCI's Single Window (Track C) |
| Joint venture with a Qatari partner | Shared ownership for a project or market | Profit split decides how much is taxed |
| QFC company (LLC or branch) | Licensed by the QFC Authority | Files tax with the QFC Tax Department, not Dhareeba |
| Qatar Free Zones company | Licensed in Ras Bufontas or Umm Alhoul free zones | Customs and tax benefits apply to activity in the zone |
How we set you up: three phases
Phase 1. Structure (week 1)
- Discovery call on your activity, customers, ownership and budget
- Check your activity against the MOCI Positive List
- Recommend the route and entity, and put the costs, tax and audit consequences in writing
Phase 2. Register and license
- Trade name reservation
- Articles of association drafted in Arabic and signed digitally on Single Window or notarised at an appointment
- Application through the Invest in Qatar Center on the Single Window platform
- Commercial registration, commercial licence, Qatar Chamber membership and establishment card
- Premises approvals and sector licences where your activity needs them
Phase 3. Get operational
- Tax card on Dhareeba within 60 days (often issued automatically through Single Window)
- Corporate bank account opening support
- Immigration: establishment card, work visas, medicals, biometrics and Qatar IDs for staff
- Wage Protection System (WPS) payroll set-up
- Your first-year compliance calendar: monthly WHT, year-end, audit and tax return
Documents you will usually need
- Valid passport copies of foreign partners
- For a corporate shareholder: its commercial register, notarised and translated into Arabic
- Real Beneficiary Declaration form
- Approval from the competent authority if the activity requires it
- Authorised signatory approval with a valid ID copy
- Incorporation document notarised by the Ministry of Justice
What it costs
Government fees for a one-activity mainland LLC are about QAR 7,200 if it is foreign-owned (most of that is the QAR 5,000 Qatar Chamber fee) and about QAR 2,700 if it is Qatari-majority owned with capital under QAR 500,000. A branch of a foreign company pays about QAR 15,700. The trade name is free when reserved inside Single Window's Start Your Business service (QAR 1,000 if reserved on its own). Premises, deposits and visas come on top. The setup cost estimator will give you a figure for your own case. Axiom's own fee is separate: we quote it as a fixed fee after the discovery call.
Why Axiom for your setup
- Setup and compliance in one firm. The team that forms your company also registers your tax card, keeps your books, manages your audit and files your return.
- Straight answers on structure. We tell you what each route means for tax, audit and running costs, as well as how quickly it can be set up.
- The Managing Partner, not a call centre. The Managing Partner who leads your setup is still your contact after launch.
- Bilingual. We prepare Arabic documents and attend authority meetings ourselves, without an outside translator.
- We work with your home-country firm. As the exclusive Qatar member firm of 3E Accounting International, we work alongside the 3E member firm in your home country, so the parent company and the Qatar entity stay in step.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner own 100% of a company in Qatar?
Yes, in most sectors. Law No. 1 of 2019 allows up to 100% foreign ownership, except in banks, insurance and commercial agencies and any sector excluded by the Council of Ministers. QFC and Free Zones companies can also be fully foreign-owned.
Is there a minimum capital for a foreign-owned company?
MOCI says there is no specified minimum; the capital should match the size of the project.
How long does company formation take?
Qatar Single Window lists about two to three days for its Start Your Business service once documents are ready. Full setup, including bank account and visas, takes longer and depends on the bank and on visa processing. We'll give you a timetable at the start.
Do I need a local sponsor or Qatari partner?
Not in most sectors. Banking and insurance need a Council of Ministers decision, commercial agencies are closed to foreign investors, and activities that are not on MOCI's Positive List still need at least 51% Qatari ownership.
Do I need a physical office?
It depends on the activity. Some Single Window cases can register without a site; operating premises need a commercial permit. We confirm this for your activity.
What happens after the CR is issued?
You register for a tax card within 60 days, open a bank account, set up WPS payroll, and plan for an audited tax return within four months of your first year-end.
Does my new company need an audit?
Yes, every year, if any owner is foreign or it is a branch of a foreign company.
Rules on this page were last checked against official Qatar government sources on 7 October 2026.
Tell us what your company will do.
We'll come back within one business day with the structure we'd recommend and a fixed quote for our work.