Qatar’s statutory benefits framework requires employers to provide paid annual and sick leave, 50 days of fully paid maternity leave, mandatory health insurance for non-Qatari employees, and an end-of-service gratuity for every worker on separation. If you’re hiring in Qatar, this guide covers every obligation you need to structure employment correctly from day one.
Overview of qatar’s statutory benefits framework
Qatar’s Labour Law (Law No. 14 of 2004, as amended) sets the minimum standards for leave entitlements, end-of-service benefits, and employee protections. On top of those minimums, a separate mandatory health insurance scheme applies to all non-Qatari employees and their dependants. Qatari nationals fall under the Government Retirement and Social Insurance Authority (GRSIA), which provides pension and long-term social insurance funded through employer and employee contributions. Understanding both tracks (one for expats and one for nationals) is essential for any employer building a compliant benefits structure in Qatar.
Leave entitlements
Qatar law sets clear minimums for annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, and public holidays. Employers can offer more generous terms, but can’t go below what the Labour Law requires.
Annual leave
Annual leave entitlement depends on how long an employee has worked for you:
| Length of service | Annual leave entitlement |
|---|---|
| Less than 5 years | 21 working days per year |
| 5 years or more | 28 working days per year |
Employees become entitled to annual leave after completing one year of continuous service. Leave is calculated in working days, not calendar days, so weekends and public holidays don’t count against the entitlement.
Sick leave
Employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of sick leave per year, structured across three tiers:
| Period | Pay rate |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1–2 | Full pay |
| Weeks 3–6 | Half pay |
| Weeks 7–12 | Unpaid |
Sick leave requires a medical certificate. The 12-week total resets each year.
Maternity leave
Female employees are entitled to 50 days of fully paid maternity leave after completing one year of continuous service. Following their return to work, nursing mothers are entitled to one hour per day for breastfeeding for up to one year after the birth. This nursing hour is granted on top of normal working hours and can’t be deducted from the employee’s salary.
Paternity leave
Qatar law doesn’t mandate paternity leave. In practice, most employers grant 3 to 5 days of paid leave, and it’s worth including a clear paternity leave policy in your employment contracts to set expectations upfront.
Public holidays
Employees are entitled to 10 public holidays per year:
| Holiday | Days |
|---|---|
| Eid al-Fitr | 3 days |
| Eid al-Adha | 3 days |
| National Day | 1 day |
| Employer-designated days | 3 days |
The dates for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha change each year because they follow the Islamic lunar calendar. Build that variability into your leave planning each year. The three employer-designated days give you some flexibility to align with your organisation’s calendar.
Health insurance for expat employees
Mandatory health insurance in Qatar covers all non-Qatari employees and their dependants. Dependants include a spouse and up to three children under 18. The employer is responsible for providing coverage through a Ministry of Public Health-approved insurer and must pay the full basic premium.
Coverage must include:
- Inpatient and outpatient care
- Emergency treatment
- Maternity care
- Essential medications
Employees can’t waive this benefit, and coverage must be in place from the start of employment. If an employee’s family circumstances change (a new child, for example), you’ll need to update the policy to reflect the new dependants.
This obligation applies specifically to non-Qatari workers. Qatari nationals receive healthcare access through the public system and are covered under the GRSIA social insurance scheme rather than the mandatory employer health insurance framework.
End-of-service gratuity (EOSB)
Every employee in Qatar is entitled to an end-of-service gratuity on separation, regardless of nationality. The formula is straightforward: 21 days’ basic salary for each completed year of service.
Key points to understand:
- Eligibility: Employees become entitled after completing one year of continuous service.
- Calculation basis: EOSB uses final basic salary only. Allowances (housing, transport, etc.) don’t factor into the calculation.
- Trigger: EOSB is payable on any separation: resignation, end of contract, or termination.
- Partial years: For employees who have served more than one year but leave mid-year, the gratuity for the final partial year is calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Because EOSB is calculated on basic salary, how you structure the pay package matters. A lower basic salary with higher allowances reduces the gratuity liability. That’s a legitimate structuring choice, but make sure the split is documented in the employment contract and reflects the actual nature of each component.
Grsia for qatari nationals
The Government Retirement and Social Insurance Authority (GRSIA) covers Qatari nationals employed in the private sector. It provides pension benefits and long-term social insurance funded through monthly contributions split between employer and employee.
| Party | Contribution rate |
|---|---|
| Employer | 14% of contributory salary |
| Employee | 7% of contributory salary |
The contributory salary is the employee’s base salary used to calculate contributions. Benefits under GRSIA include retirement pension, disability benefits, and death benefits for dependants. Both the employer and employee contributions are mandatory, and the employer is responsible for remitting both portions to GRSIA each month.
Expat employees don’t contribute to GRSIA and aren’t covered by it. Their long-term benefit on separation comes from EOSB instead.
Repatriation and work-injury benefits
Repatriation
When employment ends and the employee is non-Qatari, the employer must pay for their return flight to their home country. This obligation applies regardless of who initiates the separation. It covers the employee only, not dependants, and applies to the cost of travel back to the employee’s country of origin.
Work-related injury
If an employee is injured at work or develops a work-related illness, the employer covers the full cost of medical treatment. The employee continues to receive their full wages until they recover or for a maximum of six months, whichever comes first.
These obligations sit outside the standard health insurance framework. A work-related injury triggers a separate set of employer responsibilities that run in parallel with normal benefits.
Hiring in qatar without a local entity
Setting up a legal entity in Qatar takes time and comes with ongoing compliance obligations. If you want to hire Qatari residents without going through that process, an Employer of Record (EOR) is the practical alternative.
An EOR employs workers on your behalf under a locally compliant contract, handles payroll, administers statutory benefits, manages GRSIA contributions for Qatari nationals, and arranges the mandatory health insurance for expat hires. You retain day-to-day management of the employee while the EOR takes on the legal employment relationship in Qatar.
For companies evaluating EOR services, RemotePass covers Qatar alongside other markets in the region, with built-in support for EOSB calculation, health insurance enrollment, and compliant employment contracts.
FAQs
Can an employee take annual leave in their first year of service?
Not as a right. Annual leave entitlement kicks in after one full year of continuous service. Before that point, an employer can choose to grant leave at their discretion, but there’s no statutory entitlement until the first year is complete.
Who qualifies for maternity leave?
Female employees qualify for 50 days of paid maternity leave after completing one year of continuous service. Employees who haven’t yet reached that threshold don’t have a statutory right to paid maternity leave, though an employer can choose to grant it.
Is paternity leave a legal requirement in Qatar?
No. Qatar law doesn’t require employers to provide paternity leave. Granting 3 to 5 days is common market practice, and including a clear policy in the employment contract avoids ambiguity.
Does mandatory health insurance apply to Qatari employees?
The mandatory employer-provided health insurance scheme applies specifically to non-Qatari employees and their eligible dependants. Qatari nationals access healthcare through the public system and are covered under GRSIA rather than the employer health insurance framework.
Is EOSB payable if an employee resigns?
Yes. EOSB is payable on all forms of separation, including resignation, provided the employee has completed at least one year of continuous service. The 21-days-per-year formula applies the same way regardless of how employment ends.
