How to recover money someone owes you in Qatar

What are the ways to recover a debt in Qatar?

A creditor, whether a person or a company, has four main routes. Which one fits depends on three questions: is the debt in writing, is the amount fixed and due now, and do you already hold an enforceable instrument?

The routes often follow one another: a demand first, then a payment order or judgment that goes to the Enforcement Court.

Do you need to send a written demand first?

A written demand is the usual first step, and sometimes a legal requirement. The Civil Code allows notice by a formal warning or an equivalent official document, by registered post, or by any method the parties agreed (Article 261).

• Compensation. As a rule, it is due only after notice (Article 260). For a money debt, the court may award it if the creditor proves harm from non-payment after notice (Article 268).
• Payment orders at the civil court. The debtor must first get at least five days' notice to pay, by registered letter or an agreed method; a protest for non-payment also counts (Civil and Commercial Procedure Law, Article 147).
• Investment and Trade Court. For commercial disputes, it issues payment orders with no need for prior notice to pay (Law No. 21 of 2021, Article 8).

Keep the demand short: the amount, what it is for, the supporting documents and a clear deadline, and keep proof of delivery. On its own, a demand does not interrupt limitation, since Article 413 of the Civil Code does not list it. The debtor's acknowledgment of the debt does (Article 414).

How does a payment order work?

A payment order is a fast-track procedure under Articles 147 to 154 of the Civil and Commercial Procedure Law. The judge decides on a written application, without a hearing, if the debt meets all these conditions:

• It is a sum of money.
• The amount is fixed and the debt is due now.
• It is proved in writing, either by an ordinary signed document or by a negotiable instrument, provided the creditor claims only against the drawer, maker, acceptor or the guarantor of one of them.

1. 1

   At the civil court, give the debtor at least five days' notice to pay.

2. 2

   File the application in two identical copies with the facts, the debtor's full name and address, the debt document and proof of notice, and pay the full fee (Articles 147 and 148).

3. 3

   The judge rules within three days at most, stating the principal, extras and costs. If not everything you asked for can be granted, the judge sets a hearing instead (Articles 148 and 149).

4. 4

   The order must be served on the debtor within three months, or it lapses (Article 150).

5. 5

   The debtor can object within 30 days of service (Article 151). Once the order becomes enforceable, it goes to the Enforcement Court, because court orders are enforceable instruments (Judicial Enforcement Law, Article 6).

For commercial disputes, single-judge circuits of the Investment and Trade Court have sole power to issue payment orders, whatever the amount, and to hear objections to them. An appeal goes to the court's appeal circuits within 15 days of notice (Law No. 21 of 2021, Articles 8, 10 and 11). Filing is online.

Which documents can go straight to the Enforcement Court?

Compulsory enforcement needs an enforceable instrument for a debt that is certain, fixed and due (Judicial Enforcement Law, Article 5). Article 6 lists them:

• Judgments and orders of the courts, including payment orders.
• Arbitral awards.
• Foreign judgments, orders and official instruments, subject to further conditions.
• Official documents that the law gives enforceable force.
• Notarised settlement agreements and records, if the amount is clear and they are no more than three years old (Articles 25 and 26).
• Returned cheques, under the conditions in our bounced cheque guide (Articles 23, 24 and 26).
• Registered or notarised leases, but only to evict at the end of the lease term (Article 27).

The request, on the court's form, gives a copy of the instrument, the amount, and each party's personal number and national address, and is registered once the fee is paid (Articles 28 and 29). The debtor is notified at their national address and has ten working days to pay or object (Articles 31 and 33). The judge can then take measures step by step, including seizing and selling assets, a travel ban, detention within legal limits, a bar on contracts with government bodies and, for companies, a bar on some government services (Article 36).

Can the debtor's assets be frozen first? Even before notifying the debtor, the judge may take precautionary measures, including tracing assets and placing a precautionary attachment on them (Article 36). Without an enforceable instrument, a claimant can ask the court for a precautionary or interim measure while the claim is pending (Civil and Commercial Procedure Law, Article 80). The old rules on a stand-alone precautionary attachment before any claim were in Book Three of that law, repealed in 2024, so check how this works today before relying on it.

How long do you have to claim?

Every debt has a limitation period, which normally runs from the day the debt falls due (Civil Code, Article 410). The court does not apply it on its own initiative; the debtor must raise it (Article 417).

The period is interrupted by a court claim, even one filed in the wrong court, by service of an enforceable instrument, by an attachment, and by the debtor's express or implied acknowledgment of the debt (Articles 413 and 414). A new period then starts (Article 415).

What documents should you prepare?

• The contract, agreement, invoices or purchase orders behind the debt.
• Proof of the amount: a statement of account, receipts, or a written acknowledgment of the debt.
• Emails or messages in which the debtor admits the debt or asks for more time.
• Your written demand, with proof that it was sent and received.
• The original enforceable instrument if you have one: a judgment, payment order, notarised settlement, or the cheque with the bank's statement.
• The debtor's details: full name, personal number or equivalent, and national address (Judicial Enforcement Law, Article 28). For a company, its commercial registration and its legal representative.

If the debtor is a limited liability company, the claim is against the company, which has separate assets, not its manager personally (Court of Cassation, Civil Appeal No. 37 of 2008).

When should you speak to a lawyer?

Many small debts are paid after a clear demand. These are signs it is worth asking early:

• The debtor denies the debt, says it was paid, or disputes the quality of the goods or work.
• The debt is not in writing, the amount is unclear, or it spans several invoices or contracts.
• A limitation deadline is close, or a cheque or settlement is getting old.
• You fear the debtor will move assets or leave the country.
• The debtor is a company in difficulty, or other creditors are also chasing it.
• The debtor has objected to your payment order or enforcement request.

Questions people ask