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Qatar's Mandatory Health Insurance for Expatriate Employees: An Employer's Guide (2025-2026)

Under Qatar's Law No. 22 of 2021 (effective 4 May 2022) and its Executive Regulations (Resolution No. 8 of 2022, in force 2 September 2022), employers must fully fund a minimum basic private health insurance policy - sourced only from an insurer registered with the Ministry of Public Health's (MOPH) competent department - for every non-Qatari employee plus their spouse and up to three children under 18. Article 13 sets the employer's general duties (pay the premium, issue insurance cards, prove coverage for permits); Article 32 separately makes it a punishable offense for an employer to withhold coverage, fail to pay the premium, or collect any part of the premium's value from an employee, carrying a fine of up to QAR 30,000 per affected person plus mandatory repayment, doubled to up to QAR 60,000 per person for a repeat offense within five years (Article 33). The scheme was rolled out in stages: visitor-visa applicants had to show cover from 1 February 2023, and the requirement was extended to multiple-entry work-visa holders in August 2023, with valid employee insurance now a standing precondition for the Ministry of Interior to issue or renew a non-Qatari employee's work residence permit. Non-compliant employers risk having new work permits and renewals refused, on top of the statutory fines above.

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Steps

Confirm the insurer is MOPH-registered - Mandatory basic (and any additional) coverage may only be bought from an insurer registered with the Ministry of Public Health's competent department for the mandatory health insurance scheme (Article 12) - many international insurers active elsewhere in the GCC are not automatically approved in Qatar, and a general QCB insurance license alone is not sufficient for this scheme.
Enroll the employee and eligible dependents - Purchase a minimum basic health insurance policy covering the employee, their spouse, and up to three children under 18, before applying for the employee's work residence permit.
Pay the full premium - Article 13 obliges the employer to fund the basic-coverage premium for its employees. Article 32 goes further and makes it a punishable offense - a fine of up to QAR 30,000 per affected person, plus mandatory repayment of any amount collected - for an employer to collect any part of the premium's value from an employee or other person it is required to insure; the fine doubles to up to QAR 60,000 per person for a repeat offense within five years (Article 33).
Submit proof of insurance with the permit application - Valid health insurance is a precondition the Ministry of Interior checks before issuing or renewing the employee's residence/work permit.
For multiple-entry work-visa holders, arrange cover before or on arrival - Since this category was added in August 2023, the visa applicant (typically via the employer) must obtain a policy through the MOPH portal before visa issuance, or on arrival at a Qatari port of entry if not already done.
Keep coverage continuous and renew on time - Coverage must remain unbroken for the duration of employment; lapses jeopardize the next permit renewal, so renew the policy ahead of each residence permit expiry.

Timeline

The insurance policy itself can typically be issued same-day through an MOPH-registered insurer, but it must be in place before the residence/work permit application is filed - Ministry of Interior confirmation of a purchased policy has been reported to take several business days, so employers should secure cover before submitting the permit request. Coverage must then be renewed to track each residence permit renewal cycle.

Cost & fees

Employers bear 100% of the basic-coverage premium for each non-Qatari employee plus spouse and up to three children under 18; premiums are set by the MOPH-registered insurer rather than a fixed government fee. A separate, much smaller visitor health insurance product (for visa applicants, not employees) has been quoted at around QAR 50/month. Non-compliance (failing to insure, or improperly charging employees for the premium) carries a fine of up to QAR 30,000 per affected person under Article 32 of Law No. 22 of 2021, multiplied per person and doubled to up to QAR 60,000 per person for a repeat offense within five years (Article 33) - confirmed directly against the law's official Arabic text.

Some figures on this page vary by jurisdiction, zone or nationality, or could not be independently confirmed from a public source at time of writing - confirm the current figure with the regulator before relying on it.

Sources

Frequently asked

Do we have to insure an employee's family, or just the employee?

Both. Law No. 22 of 2021 requires employers to cover the employee's spouse and up to three children under 18 in addition to the employee, all fully employer-funded.

Can we deduct the premium from the employee's salary?

No. Article 32 of the law makes it a punishable offense for an employer to collect any part of the mandatory insurance premium from an employee or other person it is required to insure - the fine is up to QAR 30,000 per affected person (doubled for a repeat offense within five years), and the employer must also repay any amount collected. Article 13 separately sets the employer's general duty to fund and administer the cover.

Which insurers are we allowed to buy the policy from?

Only insurers registered with the Ministry of Public Health's competent department for the mandatory scheme. Being an approved insurer in another GCC market, or holding a general QCB insurance license, does not automatically qualify a provider for this scheme in Qatar.

What happens if we don't provide the required cover?

The Ministry of Interior will not issue a new work residence permit or renew an existing one for that employee, and Article 32 of the law sets a fine of up to QAR 30,000 per uninsured employee (up to QAR 60,000 per employee for a repeat offense within five years under Article 33).