Payroll and Benefits Guide Qatar
Last updated: Mar 03, 2026
Contribution
| Employer Payroll Contributions | |
|
14.00%
|
Qatar Labor Law Monthly Contribution/QFC Employment Regulation Monthly Contribution (capped at 100,000 QAR annually) applied to Qatari nationals only.
|
|
5.00%
|
Nationalization Fee- Applied only when hiring expat workers (instead of Qatari nationals).
|
| 5.00% – 14.00% |
Total Employment Cost |
*Where the salary was in excess of 100,000 QAR before the effective date of this law (January 03, 2023), the contribution remains at 10% as it was prior to the law changing.
| Employee Payroll Contributions | |
|
7.00%
|
Qatar Labor Law Monthly Contribution/QFC Employment Regulation Monthly Contribution (capped at 100,000 QAR annually) applied to Qatari nationals only.
|
| 7.00% |
Total Employee Cost |
*Where the salary was in excess of 100,000 QAR before the effective date of this law (January 03, 2023), the contribution remains at 5% as it was prior to the law changing.
**In the Employment Contract, the default is to break up the annual salary figure into the following components (1) Basic Salary – 50% (2) Housing Allowance – 25% capped at 6,000 QAR monthly (3) Transportation Allowance – 25%.
Employer taxes
Employee taxes
Minimum Wage
General
The monthly minimum wage in Qatar is 1,800 QAR. Employers must also pay allowances of at least 300 QAR for Food and 500 QAR for Housing if they do not provide employees with these directly.
MINIMUM WAGE (PER MONTH)
Payroll
Payroll Cycle
In Qatar, the payroll frequency is typically monthly. The employer must make salary payments at least once a month.
13th Salary
There is no legal requirement for 13-month payments. Employers may issue bonuses at their discretion.
Working Hours
General
The working week in Qatar is typically up to 48 hours, 8 hours per day, and five to six days a week. The working day may decrease to 6 hours a day during the time of Ramadan. Typically, Fridays are a rest day.
Overtime
| Aspect | Regulation Details | Notes |
| Maximum Ordinary Hours | 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week (Article 73). | Overtime is any work performed beyond these limits. |
| Ramadan Reduction | During the holy month of Ramadan, working hours are reduced to 6 hours per day or 36 hours per week for Muslim workers. | |
| Absolute Daily Cap | Total original and extra work hours must not exceed 10 hours per day (Article 74). | This effectively caps standard overtime at a maximum of 2 hours per day. Work beyond 10 hours is generally prohibited unless required to prevent “gross loss or dangerous accidents.” |
| Rest/Break Time | Employees must not work more than 5 continuous hours without a break (minimum 1 hour for rest, prayer, and eating), which is not included in the working hours calculation. | |
| Exemptions | Employees in supervisory or managerial positions are typically exempt from the working hours and overtime rules. |
Mandatory Overtime Pay Rates
Overtime compensation is mandatory and is calculated as a minimum premium percentage of the employee’s basic hourly wage. The rate depends on the time of day and the day of the week.
| Day/Condition | Time Period | Minimum Premium Rate (Supplement) | Total Pay Rate | Notes |
| Daytime Overtime (Standard) | During normal working hours | +25% of the basic hourly wage. | 125% | Applies to hours worked beyond 8/day or 48/week. |
| Nighttime Overtime | 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM | +50% of the basic hourly wage. | 150% | This premium does not apply to employees working on shift schedules. |
| Weekly Rest Day Work (Usually Friday) | All hours worked. | +50% of the basic hourly wage. | 150% | If the employee is not given an alternative rest day. |
| Public Holiday Work | All hours worked. | +50% of the basic hourly wage. | 150% | If the employee is not given an alternative paid rest day. |
Compensation for Rest Day Work
| Compensation Method | Statutory Requirement (Rest Day) | Notes |
| Primary Method | An alternative paid rest day must be granted. | Friday is the statutory rest day, but employers cannot require an employee to work two consecutive Fridays (except for shift workers). |
| Alternative Method | If an alternative rest day is not granted, the employee must be paid their regular wage plus a minimum 50% premium (150% total pay) for the hours worked. | This applies to both the weekly rest day and official holidays. |
Leave
Annual Leave (vacation)
In Qatar, the annual leave entitlement is dependent on the employee’s seniority:
For employees with less than one year of service, the employee receives a percentage of annual leave determined by the employer.
For employees with one year of service, the employee receives three calendar weeks of annual leave.
Employees with more than five years of service are entitled to four calendar weeks of annual leave.
An employee can take annual leave for a maximum of two different periods. Any untaken leave can be carried over to the next vacation year following the employer’s agreement.
PTO carryover
In Qatar, statutory annual leave does not automatically expire. Carryover is allowed by agreement, but employers cannot forfeit accrued statutory leave with a blanket “use-it-or-lose-it” policy. Any unused statutory leave must be paid out on termination.
Public Holidays
The local government decides each year if holidays falling on the weekend are lost or moved to a working day in lieu.
Religious holidays are determined by the lunar cycle and will show as tentative until they are confirmed nearer the date of the holiday.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 February 2026 | Tuesday | National Sports Day | Standard holiday |
| 20 March 2026 | Friday | Eid al-Fitr (Start) | |
| 21 March 2026 | Saturday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday | |
| 22 March 2026 | Sunday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday | |
| 27 May 2026 | Wednesday | Eid al-Adha (Start) | |
| 28 May 2026 | Thursday | Eid al-Adha Holiday | |
| 29 May 2026 | Friday | Eid al-Adha Holiday | |
| 18 December 2026 | Friday | Qatar National Day | Standard holiday |
Sick Days
An employee is entitled to two weeks of paid sickness compensated at 100% of the employee’s salary following the completion of three months of service with a single employer. After the initial 14 days of sickness, an employee can receive another four weeks of paid leave at the rate of 50% of the employee’s salary. Any sickness beyond that is unpaid. The sick leave is covered by the employer.
Maternity Leave
Female employees are entitled to 50 days of paid maternity leave in Qatar; the employee must take no fewer than 35 days of leave following the child’s birth. In the case of a complicated birth, an employee can extend her maternity leave by an additional 60 days of unpaid leave providing the employee can provide a medical certificate. To be eligible for the maternity entitlement, an employee must have worked for their employer for a minimum of one year.
Paternity Leave
There is no legal requirement for an employer to provide paternity leave to their employees. However, it is typical for an employer to offer five days’ leave to fathers following the birth of their child.
Parental Leave
There are no provisions in the law regarding parental leave.
Other Leave
In Qatar, Muslim employees may be entitled to a one-time pilgrimage leave of 20 days if they wish to make a pilgrimage to Mecca.
PAID MATERNITY LEAVE (DAYS)
Termination
Termination Process
The termination process varies according to the employment agreement and collective agreement in place and based on the type of contract and reason for termination. An employment contract can be terminated by either the employer or an employee; in both cases, a termination notice is mandatory to initiate the process of dismissal.
| Salary payment interval / date | Final payment on termination | Bank account/payment-method requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Wages for employees paid annually or monthly must be paid at least once a month; wages for other employees must be paid at least once every two weeks. | Upon termination of employment (for whatever reason), the employer must pay the worker all remuneration due before the end of the next working day. If the employee leaves without giving notice, the employer must pay within 7 days. | The employer’s liability for payment is discharged only when the wage is transferred to the employee’s bank account or the employee (or representative) signs receipt of the wage in the employer’s register/pay-slip. |
Notice Period
In Qatar, notice periods are dependent on an employee’s seniority:
- If an employee has less than two years of service, a notice of one month is required.
- If an employee has more than two years of service, a notice of two months is required.
Severance Pay
End-of-service gratuity for workers with at least one year of service is three weeks’ pay basic salary for each year of service. The calculation is pro-rated for any fraction of a year service.
Non-Qatari nationals are entitled to the cost of a repatriation flight ticket.
Probation Period
In Qatar, the probation periods may vary depending on the employment contract in place. However, the probation period cannot be more than six months.
Immigration
When an employee only needs to work in Qatar for a short period of time, work permits are required depending on the type of work to be carried out.
Qatar has implemented the “Qatarization,” a strategic initiative introduced by the government to provide employment for its citizens in the private and public sectors and prioritize Qatari nationals over foreign employees when it comes to job opportunities.
Should a Qatar-based employer wish to hire an employee from abroad, they must first obtain permission from the government.
For a foreigner to legally work and reside in Qatar, all employees except Qatari and GCC nationals (who require a work permit only) must have a residence visa and work permit under the sponsorship of their employer (which must have an entity established in Qatar).
The 2022 UAE Labour Law will implement flexible working and shared jobs as well as shorter, fixed-term contracts. Moreover, private sector employees will now be allowed to stay in the UAE for 180 days after leaving their jobs.
VAT
General
Currently, there is no VAT. There are plans to introduce it in the near future.
Stay up to date on payroll & employment law changes
Version History
See how Papaya can help you automate your global payroll or EoR whilst staying 100% compliant with local labor laws
Payroll and Benefits Guide
in Qatar
What’s covered in this guide:
- Employer/employee contributions
- Minimum wage
- Working hours
- Visa requirements
And more...
Public Holidays Calendar
| Date | Day | Holiday | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 February 2026 | Tuesday | National Sports Day | Standard holiday |
| 20 March 2026 | Friday | Eid al-Fitr (Start) | |
| 21 March 2026 | Saturday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday | |
| 22 March 2026 | Sunday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday | |
| 27 May 2026 | Wednesday | Eid al-Adha (Start) | |
| 28 May 2026 | Thursday | Eid al-Adha Holiday | |
| 29 May 2026 | Friday | Eid al-Adha Holiday | |
| 18 December 2026 | Friday | Qatar National Day | Standard holiday |
Questions & Answers