Qatar employment law: what an employer needs to know
Qatar's Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 sets the minimum terms for private-sector staff: probation of up to six months, one month's notice in the first two years and two months after, three weeks' annual leave rising to four after five years, and an end-of-service gratuity of at least three weeks' basic wage for each year of service. Pay must reach the worker's account at a financial institution in Qatar through the Wage Protection System.
What Teamed handles in Qatar
- Contracts authenticated by the Ministry
- Monthly WPS payroll
- Health insurance for expatriate staff
Qatar sets a fixed pay date and a seven-day WPS deadline
What happened
Ministerial Decision No. 50 of 2026 took effect on 8 September 2026. Wages for staff paid monthly or annually now fall due on the first day of each calendar month. Employers must transfer them through the Wage Protection System within seven days of that date.
What it means for you
Payroll needs to land by the seventh of every month, not just once a month. Late or missing WPS transfers are the breach the Ministry now has the clearest tools to act on.
Dates to know
- 1 September 2026Decision issued by the Minister of Labour
- 7 September 2026Published in the Official Gazette, Issue 15
- 8 September 2026In force
Source: Ministry of Justice, State of Qatar. We check this page every week. Last checked .
Qatar's private-sector employment rules sit in Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, issued on 19 May 2004 and amended by later laws including Decree-Law No. 18 of 2020 and Law No. 9 of 2026. It does not cover government employees, the armed forces and police, companies set up by or with QatarEnergy and other petroleum ventures, domestic workers (who have their own law), casual workers, some agricultural workers and, since 2026, part-time and freelance workers. Alongside it sit Law No. 21 of 2015 on the entry, exit and residence of expatriates, the Minimum Wage Law No. 17 of 2020, the Social Insurance Law No. 1 of 2022 for Qatari nationals, Law No. 22 of 2021 on healthcare services, which makes health insurance compulsory for expatriates, and Law No. 12 of 2024 on localising private-sector jobs.
How is the end-of-service gratuity worked out?
A worker with at least one full year of service is owed no less than three weeks' wage for each year, pro rata for part years, calculated on the last basic wage. It is paid with the other final dues by the end of the next working day after the contract ends, or within seven days if the worker left without notice. See the full guide to the Qatar end-of-service gratuity.
What are the rules on contracts, probation, notice and leave?
Contracts must be written and authenticated by the Ministry, and probation is capped at six months, once per employer. After probation, notice is one month in the first two years and two months after, and annual leave is at least three weeks, or four from five years' service. See the full guide to Qatar contracts, probation, notice and leave.
When and how must wages be paid?
Since 8 September 2026, monthly wages fall due on the first day of each month and must reach the worker's account in Qatar through the Wage Protection System within seven days. Basic pay cannot be below QAR 1,000 a month. See the full guide to Qatar WPS, payroll and social insurance.
What social insurance and health cover are required?
Qatari nationals pay into social insurance at 21% of salary up to QAR 100,000, 7% from the employee and 14% from the employer. Expatriates are outside that scheme, and their employer pays for compulsory health insurance under Law No. 22 of 2021. See the full guide to Qatar WPS, payroll and social insurance.
What does Qatarization require?
Law No. 12 of 2024, in force since 17 April 2025, sets no fixed percentage. Employers must give Qatari jobseekers priority, then the children of Qatari mothers, report vacancies within a month and send staff data every six months. See the full guide to Qatarization.
Key figures
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| End-of-service gratuity, Article 54 | Payable to a worker with one full year or more of service, at no less than three weeks' wage for each year, pro rata for part years, calculated on the last basic wage. (source) |
| Probation, Article 39 (as amended in 2020) | Up to six months from the start of work, only once with the same employer. The employer must give the worker one month's written notice to end the contract during probation; a worker moving to another employer gives one month's notice, and a worker leaving Qatar gives the agreed notice, up to two months. (source) |
| Notice after probation, Article 49 (as amended in 2020) | One month during the first and second years of work, two months after the second year. A party that does not give it pays compensation equal to the worker's basic wage for the notice period or the remainder of it. (source) |
| Annual leave, Article 79 | After a full year of continuous service, at least three weeks for a worker with under five years' service and four weeks for five years or more, with leave pro rata for part years. (source) |
| Minimum wage | QAR 1,000 a month basic, plus at least QAR 500 for housing and QAR 300 for food where the employer does not provide adequate housing or food. In force six months after publication on 20 September 2020. (source) |
| Wage payment, Article 66 and Decision No. 50 of 2026 | Wages are paid in Qatari riyals into the worker's account at a financial institution in Qatar. Since 8 September 2026, monthly or annual wages are due on the first day of each calendar month and must be transferred through the Wage Protection System within seven days. (source) |
| Law No. 9 of 2026 | Published in the Official Gazette on 25 June 2026. Non-compete clauses can last up to two years, need Ministry approval and lapse if the contract ends in probation. Part-time and freelance workers are outside the Labour Law. Establishments with 100 or more workers must form a joint committee. Some professions will need Ministry-approved training certificates. (source) |
| Localisation of private-sector jobs, Law No. 12 of 2024 | Employers must hire, train and qualify Qatari jobseekers, then children of Qatari mothers, report vacancies within a month and staff data every six months. In force six months after publication on 17 October 2024. (source) |
| Social insurance for Qataris, Law No. 1 of 2022 | Covers Qataris in the private sector under the Labour Law. Contributions are 21% of salary up to QAR 100,000: 7% deducted from the employee and 14% paid by the employer, due by the fifth of the following month. (source) |
| Compulsory health insurance, Law No. 22 of 2021 | Health insurance for basic healthcare is compulsory for expatriates and visitors. The employer pays the premiums for its workers, issues their insurance cards and shows proof of cover when residence permits are issued or renewed. (source) |
Frequently asked questions
Is the gratuity worked out on basic pay or total pay?
On basic pay. Article 54 of the Labour Law uses the worker's last basic wage, at no less than three weeks for each year of service, once the worker has completed a full year.
When must salaries be paid in Qatar?
Since 8 September 2026, wages for monthly-paid staff fall due on the first day of each month and must be transferred through the Wage Protection System within seven days.
Do workers in Qatar still need their employer's permission to change jobs?
No. Since Decree-Law No. 19 of 2020, an expatriate worker can move to another employer under the Ministry's rules. During probation the worker gives one month's written notice and the new employer compensates the old one for recruitment costs, capped at two months' basic wage.
Are expatriates in Qatar covered by social insurance?
No. The Social Insurance Law No. 1 of 2022 covers Qatari nationals. Expatriates receive the end-of-service gratuity under the Labour Law instead, and their employer must provide compulsory health insurance.
Each of the six Gulf states writes its own labour law, its own end-of-service rules and its own quota for hiring citizens. When Teamed is your legal employer, we apply the right rules for the country each person works in and update your contracts, policies and payroll as the law changes, so you never have to read a statute to stay compliant.
