Setting up a consultancy company in Qatar: what a foreign consultant needs to know

Consulting is one of the simplest activities to bring to Qatar: no stock, no machines, a small team. The file still has a few traps, and almost all of them come from one line: the activity you declare.

Can a foreign consultant own 100% of the company?

Yes, in most cases. Law No. 1 of 2019 allows a foreign investor to hold up to 100% of the capital in most sectors, with the approval of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Management consultancy is among the activities the Ministry lists as open to foreign investors. The details are in our article on 100% foreign ownership.

Everything depends on the activity you declare

"Consulting" is not one activity. Each type has its own code on the commercial registration, and some have their own rules:

• Management, organisation, IT or HR consulting: in general, no specific prior approval beyond the company registration.
• Engineering consultancy: goes through the committee that accredits engineers and engineering firms at the Ministry of Municipality.
• Financial advice and financial services: fall under the Qatar Central Bank or the relevant financial regulator.
• Legal services: a separate regime.
• Economic, commercial and financial studies, feasibility studies, training: Law No. 10 of 2012 on business consultancy services provides for a specific licence. Whether your services fall under it has to be checked before filing.

A precise wording gets approved. A vague or overly broad wording can be refused or sent to a regime you did not plan for.

Mainland or Qatar Financial Centre?

A mainland company, registered with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, can work everywhere in Qatar with private and public clients. The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) also licenses consulting and professional services firms, under its own rules inspired by English law. The QFC is not a free zone: it is an onshore business centre with its own legal and tax framework. We compare the options in mainland, QFC or free zone, and tax in company tax in Qatar.

The office: a real address

The commercial registration (CR) alone does not let you start working. On the mainland you also need the commercial permit, and it is tied to a business location suited to the activity. A simple mail address is generally not enough. A serviced office can work if it supports the permit. You do not always need the lease to obtain the CR, but you need it for the permit.

The steps, in order

1. Reserve the trade name.
2. Have the activity approved, with the specific approval if your type of consulting needs one.
3. Find the office.
4. Sign the articles of association.
5. Obtain the commercial registration (CR).
6. Obtain the commercial permit.
7. Open the company bank account.
8. Obtain the establishment card, which lets the company sponsor visas.

The full path, with who does what, is in the 8 steps to set up a company in Qatar.

Budget and visa

For a consulting firm, government fees are a small part of the budget. The office, document attestation and visas weigh more. See the cost of setting up a company in Qatar. Registering the company does not give you a residence visa by itself: it is a separate procedure, explained in residence visa for an entrepreneur or investor.

Let's talk about your project

Every activity has its own rules. In a 30-minute introductory call, you tell us about your project and we tell you whether we can help and what the next steps are. Book a call or see how we help you set up a company in Qatar.