Employment contracts in Qatar: what must yours include, and how do you check it online?

What must an employment contract in Qatar include?

Your employment contract must be in writing, attested by the Ministry of Labour and made in three copies: one for you, one for the employer and one kept by the Ministry (Article 38). It must state, in particular:

• The rights in the Labour Law are a minimum. A term that gives you less is void unless it is more favourable to you, and so is any release or waiver of those rights (Article 4).
• The minimum wage is QAR 1,000 a month, plus QAR 500 for housing and QAR 300 for food if the employer does not provide them (Ministerial Decision No. 25 of 2020).
• Check the basic wage line closely. It excludes allowances (Article 1), and gratuity and notice compensation are calculated on it. See the gratuity calculator.
• If there is no written contract, you may prove the employment and your rights by any means of proof (Article 38).

Does the contract have to be in Arabic?

Yes. Contracts and other documents under the Labour Law are written in Arabic. The employer may attach a translation, but if the two texts differ, the Arabic text is the one relied on (Article 9).

So don't rely on the translation alone if you don't read Arabic. The Ministry's attestation service lets the worker read the contract in several languages before approving or rejecting it. For bilingual contracts generally, see bilingual contracts in Qatar.

Fixed-term or open-ended, and how long is probation?

An employment contract can be for a fixed or an indefinite term (Article 1). The difference shows in how long it lasts, how it renews and how it ends:

During probation, the employer may end the contract if it finds you unsuitable, with at least one month's notice (Article 39). For your own notice, see resigning and notice periods in Qatar.

Since Law No. 9 of 2026, a non-compete clause is allowed only where your work gives you access to the employer's clients or secrets. It can last no more than two years, takes effect only with the Ministry's approval, and falls away if the contract ends during probation (Article 43).

How do you check and print your labour contract online?

Contracts are now attested online through the Ministry of Labour's e-services, often called contract authentication or the e-contract. The employer enters the details, including basic salary and allowances, and you approve or reject the contract on the Individuals' Portal, signing in through the National Authentication System.

Once the contract is attested, you can view and print it on the Ministry's Employment Contracts Printing Portal (empcont.adlsa.gov.qa):

1. 1

   Have your QID number ready, or your visa number if your QID has not been issued, and the mobile number registered in your name.

2. 2

   Open the Employment Contracts Printing Portal and enter your QID or visa number, then your mobile number.

3. 3

   Enter the verification code sent to your phone.

4. 4

   Print or save the attested contract and compare it with the offer you accepted.

• In the private sector, the Ministry's system produces the contract from the details the employer enters, so the attested copy is the Ministry's record of your terms.
• For domestic workers, the Ministry publishes a "Standard Employment Contract for Domestic Workers" in Arabic and English on its website.
• Specialised professions whose contracts carry special terms have a separate attestation service.
• When you change employer, the new employer enters the new contract details and you approve them online. See changing employer in Qatar.

What if the contract differs from your offer, or is changed later?

A contract, or any change to it, cannot give you less than the law does, and the employer can move you to different work only in limited cases:

• If a licensed recruitment agency recruited you, you should receive the job terms signed by the employer before recruitment, and your contract must be drawn up before you arrive on the same terms you accepted (Ministerial Decision No. 8 of 2005, Article 17, as replaced in 2021).
• Any term less favourable to you than the law is void, and so is any waiver of your rights (Article 4).
• The employer may not give you other work except to prevent or repair an accident, in force majeure, temporarily, or where the work is not substantially different. It must not be demeaning, and your wage cannot be cut (Article 45).
• If the employer deceived you about the terms of work when you signed, you may end the contract early or without notice, depending on its type, and keep your full gratuity (Article 51).

1. 1

   Don't approve a contract on the Individuals' Portal that does not match what you agreed. The service lets you reject the attestation request.

2. 2

   Keep your offer letter, messages and payslips. They help prove what you agreed.

3. 3

   You can take the dispute to the Ministry of Labour, including through its Unified Platform for Complaints and Whistleblowers. The Ministry tries to settle it within seven days, then refers it to the Labour Dispute Settlement Committee (Article 115 bis). See filing a labour complaint in Qatar.

Claims under an employment contract lapse one year after it ends (Article 10). A settlement request to the Ministry pauses that period until the settlement deadlines pass (Article 115 bis).

How are domestic workers' contracts different?

The Labour Law does not cover domestic workers such as drivers, nannies, cooks and gardeners (Article 3). Their contracts fall under Law No. 15 of 2017, with some important differences:

The Ministry will not attest a domestic worker's contract that does not state the probation period expressly (Ministerial Decision No. 39 of 2018, Article 3). Employing a domestic worker without a written, attested contract carries a fine of up to QAR 5,000 (Article 21). These contracts can also be attested online.

When should you speak to a lawyer?

These situations are worth a legal review, ideally before you approve a contract or sign a change:

• The attested contract shows a wage, job title or allowances that differ from the offer you accepted.
• Your employer wants you to sign a new contract, or a statement, on worse terms.
• You don't have a copy of your contract, or it was never put in writing.
• You are on a fixed-term contract and want to leave before it ends.
• Your contract has a non-compete clause and a competitor has offered you a job.
• It is nearly a year since your contract ended. Claims lapse after that (Article 10).

Questions people ask