Qatar is full of ex-pat population. Many individuals doing a job in Qatar feel that they also need to satisfy their urge to try out some business. However, starting a business needs investment, patience, and infrastructure. Opening a business in a brick and mortar building leaves individuals like craftsmen, freelancers, designers, and online geek earners out of the equation. Permission by the government to start a home based business in Qatar opens the doors for immense possibilities. Homebound moms who would like to put their spare time to use.
Is Home Based Business a New Idea for Qatar?
Interestingly, there are already many home based enterprises running in the country. A statistic shared by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs estimates more than 1450 businesses set up to operate as a home based business in Qatar. Therefore, you can imagine the encouragement and support for entrepreneurs who want to establish and run a business from their homes. The establishment of Qatari home based businesses aligns with the Qatar National Vision 2030, showcasing a prospective mindset.
Eligibility Requirements for Starting a Home Based Business in Qatar
- The owner must be 18 years of age or more to apply for the license of a home based business in Qatar.
- The owner must be the resident of the house for which the application is submitted to Qatar government authorities.
- You need to submit a nominal fee of Qatari Riyals 1,020 to get your home based business in Qatar registered.
- The license holder is not allowed by law to hire any workers from outside Qatar.
- Ministry of Economy and Commerce approves starting a home based business in Qatar.
- License holders can only make direct sales to the end customers from their homes.
For more information on starting your home based business in Qatar, visit the link moci.gov.ae to go the option “Connect with us”. See the image below for reference.
Instructions for Applying for Home Based Business in Qatar Online
- Go to the investor service and enter your username and password.
- Go to the Commercial Licenses service option and find out and select “Application for Home License.”
- Fill in the documents by providing the required information.
- You also need to pledge that you would not violate the conditions of the license.
- Provide the Applicant’s ID card copy.
- You need an ownership act for the property to be registered for the home based business in Qatar (For popular house or villa). You need to provide a building completion certificate to register vacant land for starting a home based business in Qatar.
- You also need to provide NOC (No Objection Letter) by the owner and also a copy of their ID for a rented house.
- Provide a NOC (No Objection Letter) of the guardian and a copy of their ID card if the license is issued for first degree relatives of the household.
- A home based food business to start in Qatar has to provide the licensee’s health certificate copy and also fulfill the civil defense requirements.
- Pay the fee to obtain the home based Qatar business license.
Please check the relevant government websites for more information as it can update at any time and we are providing this detail for information only without any explicit or implicit guarantee of the accuracy of its contents.
Instructions for Applying for Home Based Business in Qatar Offline
Download the form, print it, fill it, and get it signed by the authorities that directly oversee home based businesses in Qatar.
Once signed, apply with the required documents to the public service officer at MOCI. You can submit these documents to any MOCI branch in Qatar.
Apply here for starting a home-based business in Qatar.
Why Consider Applying for a Home Based Business in Qatar?
Let us have a look at the potential benefits of starting a home based business in Qatar.
Scalability
You are space-constrained when you start a business to the size of your office. If you want to downsize or hire more staff members, you would have to lease extra office space. However, a home based business in Qatar is more flexible regarding space, you can add more rooms to use as your office establishment if you need to scale up operations.
Time Saved in Commute
Qatar is a relatively small country area wise, but still, you need to spend time during commute going to and coming back from your office. A home based business in Qatar helps you save the cost and time that you would have to incur when doing a regular office job. Thus, you can invest the same time and money to market your business to reach more customers in Doha and other Qatari cities.
Great Work Hour Flexibility
You are not bound by the time when you can work on your business. Thus, entrepreneurs are free to contribute towards the development of their home based business in Qatar whenever they like. You can use different technologies including Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, Social Media Accounts, Email, and Phone to remain in touch with your customers. Thus, you also save a lot of time and effort that you would have to spend promoting your business for a conventional enterprise.
Low Budget Startup Helps Test Different Business Ideas
A typical brick and mortar business has a high failure rate. One of the reasons is the high cost involved in starting and running it successfully. On the contrary, a home based Qatari business lets you test different profit-making ideas at the fraction of that cost. Therefore, you can sustain a home run enterprise for a longer time, thus increasing its chances of becoming a success.
Save Money on Overhead Costs
A brick and mortar office is a huge financial undertaking. You need to rent office space, pay for commercial electricity bills, and other amenities that are charged at a higher rate than for residents. A home based business in Qatar helps you reduce a lot of those overhead costs. You can make your products and services more affordable for your customers because you have lower fixed monthly costs to worry about.
Should You Consider Starting a Home Based Business in Qatar?
Starting a Qatari home based business gives you a lot more freedom and flexibility to grow your venture at your own pace. You are also able to save a lot of money with a lean startup. Also, if you are a housewife or someone in the household not directly running the expenditures for the home, you can help your guardian or head of the family supplement their income.
Read more on different topics on the following blog categories
You can also read our previously written blog posts on company formation in Qatar.
