Working in Qatar

Legal ways to work there

• Employer sponsored work visa; the employer pays the recruitment and visa costs.

Your rights

• Minimum wage for all nationalities: QAR 1,000 basic a month, plus at least QAR 500 for housing and QAR 300 for food if the employer does not provide them.
• No No Objection Certificate is needed to change employers: give one month's notice (two months after two years' service) through the Ministry of Labour's system. Exit permits apply only to a small number of senior staff, never to domestic workers, who must tell their employer 72 hours before leaving.
• Licensed agencies may not charge you any recruitment fee. Passport confiscation is illegal (fines up to QAR 25,000); an employer may keep it only if you ask in writing.
• Company employees are paid through the Wage Protection System.

Pay floor

At least QAR 1,000 basic; QAR 1,800 a month if the employer provides neither food nor housing.

Red flags

• Anyone asking you to pay for a job, a "visa slot" or a medical test booking before you have a real written offer.
• An offer without an interview, or a contract sent only by WhatsApp.
• An agent who is not registered with TaESA, or who asks to keep your passport.
• A salary below the legal minimum, or an employer saying you need their permission to leave Qatar.

Where to get help

• Ministry of Labour 24 hour complaints lines: 16008 or 40280661; SMS 92727 (send 5 then your QID or visa number).
• The Tanzanian embassy in Doha.

Tanzanian embassy contacts

From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (official list) and each mission's own website, checked 5 November 2026. Call before you visit.