Qatar
Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (ADLSA)
The ministry runs the labour complaints service and the contract and work-permit services.
Labour helpline 16008
— Before You Fly
Before you fly to Qatar
Four things to do before you board: check the offer with the destination's own authority, know your rights, carry the right papers, and get the practical details in writing.
Who to check with in Qatar.
Last checked 29 September 2026. Links go to official sites we do not control; treat each site as the authority, not this page.
Your Rights, From Official Sources
What the government and the ILO publish, in plain words. Laws change: your contract and the official page always win over this summary.
Recruitment fees and your documents
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Charging workers recruitment fees, expenses or any other costs is prohibited.
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
It is illegal for an employer to confiscate a passport (a fine of up to QAR 25,000). Employers must provide accommodation with a lockable personal storage space for each worker, which the worker can reach at any time.
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)
Contract and pay
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Qatar's non-discriminatory minimum wage took effect on 20 March 2021: QAR 1,000 basic, plus at least QAR 300 for food and QAR 500 for housing if the employer does not provide them.
ILO: Qatar's new minimum wage enters into force -
The minimum wage covers all workers of all nationalities in all sectors, including domestic workers.
ILO: Qatar's new minimum wage enters into force -
Employment contracts are authenticated by the Ministry of Labour through an electronic system that produces a bilingual contract in Arabic and another language.
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
Employers must pay wages electronically through the Wage Protection System, at the end of the month and no later than the third day of the next month.
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)
Hours, rest and leave
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The working day is eight hours and the week 48 hours (36 hours a week or six hours a day in Ramadan). Total daily hours may not exceed 10.
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
Overtime is paid at 125 per cent of the wage, and workers who work between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. are paid 150 per cent of basic wage (except shift workers).
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
Annual leave after a year of service is at least three weeks for workers with under five years' service and at least four weeks after five years. Sick leave is up to two weeks at full pay after three months, plus four weeks at half pay.
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
End-of-service gratuity is at least three weeks of basic salary for each year of service, for a worker who has completed one year or more.
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)
Health, safety and housing
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Workers should not work outside between 10 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. from 1 June to 15 September, and work must stop whenever the wet-bulb globe temperature passes 32.1 degrees Celsius.
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
A worker who believes heat stress threatens their health may stop working and complain to the Ministry, and may not be dismissed or penalised for it. Employers must pay for annual health check-ups for heat-stress risk.
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
A worker injured at work receives treatment at the employer's expense and full pay for the treatment period or six months, whichever is shorter, then half pay.
ILO factsheet: Qatar, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)
Recent changes
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Law No. 19 of 2020, adopted on 30 August 2020, ended the requirement for a no-objection certificate from the employer before changing jobs.
ILO: Dismantling the kafala system and introducing a minimum wage -
Law No. 18 of 2020 sets minimum termination notice at one month for employment of up to two years and two months beyond two years.
ILO: Dismantling the kafala system and introducing a minimum wage -
The Workers' Support and Insurance Fund was established in 2019.
ILO: Overview of Qatar's labour reforms
Compare all six Gulf countries side by side →
Checked against the linked pages on 2026-09-30. This is general information, not legal advice.
What goes in your hand luggage.
Papers, originals
- Your passport, with your visa or entry documents ready
- Your medical and any clearance certificates your destination required
- Your flight details and the address you are going to
Papers, copies
- The employment contract exactly as you signed it, printed and on your phone
- Education and trade certificates, kept apart from your main folder
- A photo of your passport photo page saved where your family can also reach it
People and health
- Phone numbers for your specialist, your employer contact and your family, written down
- Any prescription medicine in its original packaging, with the prescription
- A small amount of cash for the first day, not a large sum
Keep your own passport with you. If anyone asks to hold it, do not hand it over before you have checked the rights above and talked to your specialist.
Ask these before you board, and keep the answers.
Details such as pickup, housing and how pay reaches you differ by employer and city. We do not guess them for you; ask, and get the answer in a message or document you can show later.
- Who meets me at the airport? A name, a phone number that works from abroad, and where they will be standing.
- Where will I sleep on the first night, and after? The address, who pays for it, and whether it matches what the contract says.
- Who is my contact on the first day? A named supervisor or HR contact, not just a company name.
- How and when is my salary paid? Into which bank account, on which date, and in which currency. Paid to you directly, not to someone else.
- Who pays for the flight, the visa and the medical? It should match your contract. If something is charged to you that the contract does not mention, ask why before you pay.
- What happens if the job is not the one in my contract? Know who to call first, and keep the authority above and your specialist's details to hand.
Your first days.
- Tell your family you have arrived, and send them the address you are staying at.
- Check what you were given against your contract: job, pay, hours, housing. If they differ, tell your specialist the same day.
- Keep every document you are given, and take a photo of each one.
- If something is wrong, contact your specialist first, then the authority in Step 1.
Local practicalities such as phone plans, banking and transport are not covered here because we do not publish anything we have not verified. Your specialist and employer can tell you what applies to your city.
Routes into Qatar
- India → Qatar
- Brazil → Qatar
- Bangladesh → Qatar
- Nepal → Qatar
- Bhutan → Qatar
- Sri Lanka → Qatar
- Indonesia → Qatar
- Philippines → Qatar
Full pre-departure checklist · Sending money home · When your contract ends · For your family