Property Fees in Qatar 2026: Registration, Transfer & Notary Costs

A 0.25% charge on the property’s value applies to register a sale. That’s the principal fee to pay when purchasing property and is sent to the Ministry of Justice. This rate is established in Minister of Justice Decision No. 5 of 2026, published in the Official Gazette on 15 January 2026.

We revised this guide in August 2026 following the enactment of Law No. 8 of 2026, which fixes the registration of lease contracts at a flat fee of QR 250. The revised fee is detailed in the first section below, while the full schedule of fees for sales, transfers, and notarization follows.

The new lease registration fee

Law No. 8 of 2026 amended Law No. 4 of 2008 on the leasing of real estate. The law was enacted on 11 June 2026 and published in the Official Gazette, Issue 13 of 2026.

The amended article 20 states, in unofficial translation from the Arabic original:

The Office shall levy a fee of QR 250 (two hundred and fifty riyals) for each transaction in the registration of a real estate lease contract, for every residential, commercial, or any other unit stipulated in the building permits pertaining to the property. The foregoing fee may be amended by a decision of the Council of Ministers upon the recommendation of the Minister.

In effect, a fee of QR 250 is charged per registration of a lease contract, and the fee is assessed on a per-unit basis according to the unit listed in the building permit of the property. The Office (Real Estate Lease Contracts Registration Office) is the entity responsible for registering lease contracts.

The law added article 20 bis requiring beneficiaries of State property, public and private, to register the lease contracts they conclude with third parties, provided that their lease contracts allow them to do so, within two months from their signing date. Such lease contracts are exempt from the QR 250 fee.

Pursuant to the amended article 26 bis, failure to comply with the obligation of registration under article 20 bis or the second paragraph of article 3 results in a fine of up to QR 10,000.

A violator may pay one tenth of the maximum fine, i.e., QR 1,000, in addition to the registration fee payable during the criminal proceedings or prior to initiating such proceedings, and before the issuance of a final judgment. Payment settles the case and precludes the institution of criminal proceedings or leads to their termination.

The main registration fee

The registration fee is what the Ministry of Justice charges to record a change of ownership in Qatar’s official property register.

This fee also applies when adding entries for off-plan or under-development properties.

For example, if you buy an apartment for QR 2,000,000, the fee would be QR 5,000. There is no upper limit for this fee.

The 0.25% rate applies to:

• Sale of a property
• Transfer of ownership from the State to private ownership
• First-time registration of a property based on a committee decision or court ruling
• For usufruct rights, the fee depends on the value stated in the contract. Usufruct means you have the right to use someone else’s property for a set period. If the contract does not mention a value, the fee is based on the property’s value.
• Transfers of farms and sea land
• Registration of a pre-emption (shufa) judgment

If two owners exchange properties, the fee is 0.25% of the higher-valued property. Both owners split this fee equally.

Gifts, inheritance, and wills

Transfers within families are much cheaper:

• Gift to a spouse, parents, grandparents, children, or grandchildren: QR 500
• Gift to anyone else: 0.25% of the property value
• Transfer of ownership by inheritance: QR 500 per property or part of a property
• Settlement and division of estate property between heirs by mutual consent: QR 500 per property
• Will in favor of a spouse, parents, or children: QR 500
• Will in favor of anyone else: 0.25% of the property value

Mortgages and company transfers

• To register a mortgage, you pay 0.025% of the loan amount. For example, this is QR 250 for every QR 1,000,000 borrowed.
• Releasing a mortgage: QR 100
• Transfer of a property between a person and a company they own alone or with their spouse, parents, children, or siblings: QR 500
• Transfer of ownership when companies merge, split, or are struck off: QR 500

Smaller administrative fees

• Submitting a new registration application to the Real Estate Registration Committee: QR 5,000
• If you combine or split properties, including apartments or floors, the fee is QR 500 for each title deed. If an owner gets more than their original share, they pay 0.25% on the extra value.
• For redistributing shares, the fee is QR 500 per title deed. There is also a 0.25% charge on any extra value received.
• If you change the zoning, the fee is QR 200, plus 0.25% of the value of any added area.
• Replacing a lost or damaged title deed: QR 100
• Issuing a title deed or a real estate registration plan: QR 100
• Certifying a copy of a title deed or plan: QR 100
• Lifting a restriction on disposal, including on Amiri gifts, private grants, and housing-law properties: QR 100
• Ownership statement: QR 50
• Certificate or copy of transaction papers: QR 50
• Final approval and registration of subdivided units on the map: QR 100 per unit
• If staff need to visit your location to support with any of the services, the fee is QR 200 for people aged sixty or older and QR 1,000 for everyone else.

Notarization fees

Many property transactions use the Ministry of Justice’s notarization services, especially when a buyer or seller is represented by someone else. Notarization means the Ministry officially certifies a document or signature.

• General power of attorney, three original copies: QR 500
• Any other power of attorney: QR 100
• Canceling a power of attorney: QR 50
• Notarizing a contract: QR 100, plus QR 50 per party signature, capped at QR 500
• Signature attestation: QR 50 per party, capped at QR 500
• Certifying a document’s date: QR 100
• Depositing a will or a document notarized before foreign authorities: QR 100
• Extra original copy or official copy of a notarized document: QR 50

Who pays nothing

The decision exempts several categories from fees:

• Transactions in favor of ministries, government bodies, and public institutions
• Gifts, wills, and endowments for charitable purposes
• Properties the State allocated to citizens under housing laws
• Inheritance settlements between heirs based on a Family Court ruling or decision
• Court rulings that annul or rescind a previously registered deed
• Staff visit fees are also exempt for persons with disabilities and social security beneficiaries.