For a company doing non-regulated activities, the QFC's setting-up guide sets an application fee of USD 500◆, including one business activity, plus USD 50 per activity◆ for each extra activity. The annual fee is pro-rated in the first year, then USD 500 or USD 5,000◆ depending on the entity. Profits sourced in Qatar are taxed at 10%◆. Office rent and visas are not in those fees.
General information about fees, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Confirm the amount with the authority before you pay.
What is the QFC, and who is this for?
The Qatar Financial Centre is an onshore business and financial centre in Doha with its own legal, regulatory and tax framework. Its guide says the platform allows up to 100%◆ foreign ownership. Despite the name, it licenses more than banks: professional services, corporate headquarters, shipping services and corporate support services are among the non-regulated activities it lists.
Financial services are regulated activities, overseen by the QFC Regulatory Authority under a separate process. The fees below are for non-regulated activities, which is where most founders comparing Qatar with a UAE free zone will start.
What the QFC charges
Show the numbers as a table
| Item | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Application, single family office | USD 5,000 |
| Annual fee from year two, by entity type | USD 500 to 5,000 |
| Application, non-regulated activities | USD 500 |
| Each additional business activity | USD 50 |
Source: Qatar Financial Centre setting-up guide, checked 16 September 2026
The application fee of USD 500◆ covers one business activity. Single family offices are the exception, at USD 5,000◆. From the second year the annual fee is either USD 500 or USD 5,000◆, depending on the type of entity, and the per-activity charge applies again on top.
| Activities | Application, year one | Annual fee from year two |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USD 500 | USD 500 |
| 2 | USD 550 | USD 550 |
| 3 | USD 600 | USD 600 |
The table uses the lower annual fee. If your entity type falls under the higher figure of USD 5,000, add the difference to every year after the first. The year-one annual fee is pro-rated from the date of incorporation, so it depends on when in the year you start.
Capital, office and company form
A QFC limited liability company conducting non-regulated activities has no minimum share capital◆, according to the guide, and needs at least one member. That removes a cost some jurisdictions impose at the start.
The office is the line to budget carefully. Every QFC-licensed firm must keep its registered office in QFC designated premises◆. The guide does not print rents, so ask for the lease cost of an approved office alongside the licensing fees; it may well be the largest number in your first year.
Tax
QFC firms pay corporate tax of 10%◆ on locally sourced profits. The guide lists concessionary treatment for some businesses and exemptions for certain dividends and gains, which is detail for a tax adviser rather than a budget line. For planning, assume the headline rate applies to profits earned in Qatar.
Staff and visas
Visas for QFC employees and their families are handled by the QFC Immigration Office◆, which liaises with the Ministry of Interior. The guide explains the process but does not print visa fees, so they are not on this page. Ask for them per person, with the medical test, in any quote.
How does this compare with the UAE?
On published detail, the QFC sits between the UAE's most and least open free zones. Of the five UAE free zones in our comparison, two print a starting price, and only one, Meydan, prints a starting price, a visa allocation fee and a renewal figure. RAKEZ prints a starting price only. The QFC prints its application, activity and annual fees, but not rent or visa costs.
That tells you how much each one discloses. It does not tell you which is cheaper. Build the same list of lines for each option, licence, activities, office, visas and tax, and compare those rather than headline prices.
Questions to ask before you commit
- Is the activity non-regulated, or does it need the Regulatory Authority?
- Which annual fee applies to your type of entity?
- How many business activities does the application cover, and what does each extra one add?
- What does an approved office cost for a year?
- What are the visa and medical costs per employee and family member?
- Which part of the quote is the adviser's own fee?
Common questions
What does a one-activity QFC company pay in QFC fees over its first two years?
The application fee of USD 500 in year one, plus a pro-rated annual fee that depends on the date of incorporation, then USD 500 in year two if the entity falls under the lower annual fee. Office rent, visas and advisers are extra.
Does a QFC company need share capital?
For an LLC doing non-regulated activities, the guide says there is no minimum share capital◆. Regulated financial firms are assessed under separate rules.
Does a QFC firm need approval to hire expatriates?
The guide says visas are handled by the QFC Immigration Office◆, and that QFC firms can employ expatriates with no Labour Department approval◆, unlike firms outside the QFC.
Can the business run from a home office?
Not as its registered office. Every QFC-licensed firm must have that in QFC designated premises◆, so an approved office belongs in the first budget.