Qatar

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

Commercial Registration Required

Yes

Yes. Any business operating in Qatar needs a Commercial Registration (CR), the company’s entry in the commercial register kept by MOCI. For a company that carries goods by road, Law No. 8 of 2019 requires land transport to be stated as an activity in both its founding documents and its CR. Activity names are set at registration, so check the exact activity recorded for the company rather than expecting a “household goods moving” label.

MOT Land Transport Licence Required Where Applicable

Yes, for a company that carries goods by road itself. Law No. 8 of 2019 provides that land transport activity may not be practised without a licence from the competent department of the Ministry of Transport (MOT). MOT states that approval to issue a CR does not by itself entitle the holder to practise land transport. The licence is valid for two years and the law requires a renewal application at least 45 days before it expires. Operating without a licence is a criminal offence under the law. Where a mover subcontracts the trucking, the carrier’s own MOT licence covers the transport it performs. The same law requires a separate MOT licence for land cargo brokers, which applies where a mover arranges land transport through other carriers in its own name as a land cargo broker.

Vehicle Operating Card Required for Each Vehicle

Yes, where the company operates the vehicles. An operating card is the MOT document that authorises a specific vehicle to be used for the licensed transport activity. The law prohibits operating a land transport vehicle without one and requires it to be kept in the vehicle. The 2024 executive regulations provide for annual cards (valid one year) and temporary cards (for a limited period), and for renewal applications within the 45 days before a card expires.

Vehicle Registration Required

Yes, where the company operates the vehicles. Each vehicle must be registered with the General Directorate of Traffic (the vehicle licence, commonly called the Istimara). Registration does not replace the MOT operating card.

Insurance Required for Licensed Land Transport Operators

Yes. Article 14 of the 2024 executive regulations requires an applicant for a land transport licence to provide a valid insurance policy from a locally approved insurer, covering the full licence period (including the renewal grace period) and covering the vehicle, passengers, drivers and third parties, including civil liability for accidents in Qatar. This is vehicle and liability cover. It does not by itself mean that customers’ household goods are insured while in transit. Ask the mover in writing what protection, if any, it offers for your goods and on what terms.

Driver and Vehicle Operating Standards

Yes, where the company operates the vehicles. Under the 2024 executive regulations, drivers must have completed suitable training for the vehicle and hold a valid driving licence, and drivers and assistants must know safety procedures and basic first aid. Goods vehicles must meet load and dimension limits, carry a bill of lading or transport document (a document describing the goods carried) for the goods, and be fitted with a tracking device linked to the Ministry.

Consumer Protection

Yes. Law No. 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection, as amended by Decree-Law No. 14 of 2011, and its executive regulations (Ministerial Decision No. 68 of 2012) apply to the mover’s dealings with consumers. MOCI administers the law.

Consumer Complaint Resources (For Movers Not Vetted as ITMs)

Yes. Consumers can file a complaint with MOCI through its online complaint service (on the MOCI website and the Hukoomi government portal) or by calling the MOCI call centre on 16001. For calls from outside Qatar, MOCI lists +974 4042 2222. Keep your contract, quotation and invoices to support a complaint.

Industry Association

None found. No dedicated Qatari moving-industry trade association was identified in this research.

OverviewOverview & Scope

Qatar regulates movers at the national level. Two ministries are involved. MOCI issues the Commercial Registration, which must list land transport as an activity. The Ministry of Transport then licenses the land transport activity itself and issues an operating card for each vehicle used; MOT is explicit that a CR alone does not permit a company to start carrying goods. Licensed operators must hold valid vehicle and third-party liability insurance, and their drivers and goods vehicles must meet operating standards, including a ministry-linked tracking device and a transport document for the goods carried. These are obligations of whichever company operates the vehicles. Movers often subcontract the trucking to other carriers; where they do, the carrier’s own MOT licence, operating cards and vehicle registrations cover the transport it performs. A mover that arranges land transport through other carriers in its own name, as a land cargo broker, needs its own MOT land cargo broker licence. On the consumer side, Law No. 8 of 2008 governs how the mover deals with customers, and MOCI offers free complaint channels.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Company licensing

1. Hold a Commercial Registration from MOCI with land transport (or the specific transport activity the company performs) recorded in the CR and founding documents.
2. Hold a valid MOT land transport licence for the activity the company performs, where it carries goods by road with its own vehicles, and apply to renew it at least 45 days before expiry.
3. Hold an MOT land cargo broker licence where the mover arranges land transport through other carriers in its own name, as a land cargo broker.
4. Hold valid insurance meeting MOT requirements (Article 14 of the executive regulations) for the licensed land transport operation and its vehicles.
5. Where transport is subcontracted, use carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

6. Register each vehicle with the General Directorate of Traffic and keep the registration current.
7. Obtain an MOT operating card for each vehicle used for the licensed activity, keep it in the vehicle, and renew it before it expires.
8. Use drivers who hold a valid driving licence and have completed suitable training, with drivers and assistants trained in safety procedures and basic first aid.
9. Meet goods-vehicle operating conditions: load and dimension limits, a bill of lading or transport document for the goods, and a tracking device linked to the Ministry.

Customer practices

10. Comply with Law No. 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection, as amended, and its executive regulations: give clear quotations, service descriptions and prices, issue invoices, and handle claims and complaints fairly.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Company licensing

• Commercial Registration from MOCI, with land transport (or the specific transport activity performed) recordedVerified by DocumentRequired
• Valid MOT land transport licence for the activity performed, showing its licensed scopeWhere applicable (mover carries goods by road with its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• MOT land cargo broker licenceWhere applicable (mover arranges land transport through other carriers in its own name, as a land cargo broker)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Insurance policy meeting MOT Article 14 requirements for the licensed operationWhere applicable (mover holds an MOT land transport licence)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

• Each vehicle registered with the General Directorate of TrafficWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• MOT operating card (annual or temporary) for each vehicle, kept in the vehicle and renewed before expiryWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Drivers hold valid driving licencesWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Drivers have completed suitable training for the vehicle; drivers and assistants know safety procedures and basic first aidWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by AffirmationRequired
• Goods vehicles within load and dimension limits, carrying a bill of lading or transport document, and fitted with a ministry-linked tracking deviceWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by AffirmationRequired

Customer practices

• Quotations, service descriptions, prices, invoices and complaint handling comply with Law No. 8 of 2008, as amended, and its executive regulationsVerified by AffirmationRequired