Kahramaa New Connection Guide for New Homes in Qatar

How Does a Kahramaa New Connection Work?

A Kahramaa new connection, or the transfer of an existing one, is the final step in making a new home in Qatar ready to move into. Kahramaa, or Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation, manages the electricity and water infrastructure of Qatar, being the sole provider of these essential utilities in the country. Therefore, all residential properties require its services and customers must have accounts with the utility provider.

Depending on the situation, an owner might need to apply for a new connection, or transfer an existing one if the home purchased or rented already has Kahramaa meters installed. New builds will usually also require a temporary supply for use during construction, in addition to a permanent connection later on.

Kahramaa outlines the documents required for each of these services, as well as application channels and processing times, in its Customer Services Manual, Issue 4.0, dated 2 October 2025. Arady has summarized the requirements below, ordered according to when an owner will likely need them.

What Documents Does a New Permanent Connection Need?

Once the property is completed, the owner can request a permanent connection for electricity, water or both through the Kahramaa website or by calling the call center. This service takes three steps of three working days each.

According to the manual, before making the application, the owner must obtain a building electricity license and a building completion certificate. Other requirements for the application include the following.

• Copy of the owner ID and the property deed
• Land survey plan
• Electricity and water layout plans
• Load distribution diagram with approval
• Contractor authorization form for electricity and water
• Photos of the electricity connection points and the water service box

For larger buildings, other requirements may include approval for a substation and manufacturing drawings for low voltage panels. Consultants and contractors can also submit the service connection request through Hukoomi.

Note that electricity and water installations must be carried out by a contractor approved by Kahramaa. Starting from October 2023, owners in Qatar must hire a contractor or technician accredited by the corporation to carry out electrical and plumbing works, as reported by Qatar News Agency. Owners curious about what a villa plot can accommodate can read the Arady guide to villa building regulations in Qatar.

How Much Are Kahramaa Connection Fees and Deposits?

There are two types of payment, a connection fee (made only once for a new connection) and a deposit (when opening an account in the name of the occupant).

According to the Kahramaa fees table for residential connections, the connection fee depends on the cutout size, the fuse unit where the electricity supply enters the property. It is QAR 920 for 35 or 50 amps, and QAR 1,900 for 100 amps. The connection fee for water depends on the size of the water pipe, from QAR 300 for a 15 mm pipe.

As per the Kahramaa FAQ page, connection fees are payable after the owner has submitted the building permit and the completion certificate for the property. The table below lists the residential fees and the deposits by premise type.

Deposits depend on the type of premise, as per the Kahramaa application form for services (June 2026). For a residential account, the deposit is QAR 1,200 for electricity and QAR 800 for water, a total of QAR 2,000. There is no deposit for prepaid accounts, as per Kahramaa.

Temporary Supply During Construction

In order to use water and electricity at the building site, the owner or contractor should apply for a temporary supply during construction time from Kahramaa. For that purpose, an approved electricity or water license from the licensing complex is required first.

The owner or contractor is then required to submit the service modification request form, the contractor authorization form and an ID copy of the owner. For electricity, a load schedule and single line diagrams, both stamped, are needed. For water, the application should include the estimated amount of water consumed per day. The place of the temporary connection is indicated on the site plan.

The process includes three steps and each takes three working days. Fees are charged for the temporary supply, but the manual does not give the amount. For further information about the fees, owners can contact Kahramaa through its call center 991.

How to Move In and Register an Existing Home

If meters are already installed in the home, no new connection is required. However, consumption will need to be registered in the name of the new occupant, using the Move In service from Kahramaa. Before applying for this service, the premise must be empty, according to the manual.

Move In requests may be submitted on the Kahramaa website or via its mobile app. Requests are processed within three working days. The documents are as follows.

• Completed service request form
• Copy of the QID of the tenant or owner
• Lease contract attested by the Ministry of Municipality
• Copy of establishment registration, for companies

Both the tenant and the owner are required to inform Kahramaa about the tenancy within 60 days of the tenant moving into the home, under the terms of the application form. It is also important for tenants to request a meter reading when the lease starts, as they may otherwise be liable for payment of arrears dating back to the beginning of their lease.

The calculator below shows how much deposit is payable based on the type of premise.

Kahramaa deposit calculator

Security deposit for a postpaid account, by premise type and service

Premise typeResidentialCommercialBeach houseFarmCamel racing clubDesert house

ServiceElectricity and waterElectricity onlyWater only

Electricity deposit

QAR 1,200

Water deposit

QAR 800

Total deposit

QAR 2,000

Amounts from the Kahramaa Service Application Form, Issue 05, dated 14 June 2026. Kahramaa states that the prepaid service requires no deposit.

Lease registration is explained further in the Arady guide to tenant rights in Qatar.

How to Register a New Owner After a Purchase

Once an existing home in Qatar has been bought, the buyer needs to change the name of the owner registered with Kahramaa using the Register New Owner service. This service is linked to the Ministry of Justice, and the property deed will be required. According to the manual, it should take three working days to process. The service is free.

It is worth bearing in mind that a buyer who does not change the owner name with Kahramaa after buying the property will be liable for any arrears from the date of purchase onwards. For this reason, the application form requires buyers to check there are no outstanding amounts payable to Kahramaa on the property.

When a customer closes an account with Kahramaa, the corporation issues a clearance certificate for the closed account. It is worth asking the seller for one before transferring ownership.

Buying a home in Qatar also incurs other registration costs, which are covered in the Arady guide to property registration fees in Qatar.

Can the Premise Type Be Changed?

Kahramaa applies different billing categories, including residential flat, residential villa, and commercial. The utility bills and applicable tariffs can be impacted if a customer changes the type of use, from commercial to residential or vice versa.

Customers can submit the Change Premise Type service request along with the request form, copy of QID, and one document to prove the use of the property. This can be a service connection card, building completion certificate, attested lease or activity certificate issued by the Ministry of Municipality.

The Change Premise Type service is free of charge and it takes four working days to be processed.

Please note that the customer shall not change the use of the building after connection without Kahramaa approval. This is also applicable in case of adding any new electrical loads to the building. This condition is mentioned in the Kahramaa application form.

Who Qualifies for the Qatari Exemption?

Qatari citizens may submit an application to be exempted from paying for water and electricity consumption. This service, called QTR Exemption in the manual, is provided by Kahramaa through its website or app, and it is free of charge. Processing time is five working days.

Applications can be submitted online by either a Qatari owner or a Qatari tenant. To apply, users need to enter their electricity number and upload a copy of their QID along with a letter requesting an exemption and either an ownership contract or an attested tenancy contract.

The application form includes the following undertaking.

"I undertake to use the property solely as a private and permanent residence"

This means that Qatari citizens will be exempted from paying for water and electricity consumption as long as they are actually using the said property as their home. Otherwise, the owner will be responsible for the charges and any fines incurred, according to the form.

Villas for Sale in Qatar

Buyers who prefer a home that is already connected can browse villas for sale in Qatar on Arady.

See all villas for sale

How to Move Out and Recover the Deposit

After vacating a place it is important to make sure that the account is closed. This matters especially for a seller or landlord, as the buyer or new tenant will not run into any problems when trying to register the empty premise.

Closing the account is a free of charge service and is done within three working days by submitting the request form, a copy of the QID and an IBAN, if one has not been provided before.

Once the request is made, Kahramaa will disconnect the supply to the place, note down the final meter readings and ask the customer to settle any dues, which, on request, can be deducted from the deposit, according to its FAQ page. The customer will then receive a clearance certificate from Kahramaa for the closed account.

Sources

• Kahramaa, Customer Services Manual, Issue 4.0
• Kahramaa, Service Application Form, Issue 05
• Kahramaa, Connection Fees Tables
• Kahramaa, Frequently Asked Questions
• Kahramaa, Prepaid Service
• Kahramaa, Qatari Exemption request form
• Qatar News Agency, licensing of electrical connections and water installations