If your Qatar ID is approaching its expiry date, the key step is to make sure your sponsor starts the residence-permit renewal through the official Ministry of Interior process.
For most straightforward cases, the renewal can be completed through the Metrash app or the Ministry of Interior’s e-services. A health-card renewal, medical examination and fingerprint appointment are not normally required for a routine residence-permit renewal unless the system or the authorities specifically request them.
An expired residence permit should still be dealt with promptly. Official Ministry of Interior guidance allows a period of up to 90 days after expiry to complete the renewal. If the permit remains unrenewed beyond that period, a fine of QAR 10 per day may apply, up to a maximum of QAR 6,000.
This guide to the Iqama renewal process in Qatar for 2026 explains the timeline, documents, fees and application steps, whether you are renewing a work residence permit, a family member’s QID or a domestic worker’s residence.
Procedures and fees can vary by sponsorship category and case, so always check the final information displayed in Metrash or on the Ministry of Interior system before paying.
Iqama renewal in Qatar 2026 at a glance
“Iqama” is the commonly used term for a residence permit. In Qatar, your residence status is linked to your QID and its recorded expiry date.
The Ministry of Interior allows eligible individuals, sponsors and companies to renew residence permits for periods of one to three years, depending on the category and approval available in the system.
Who renews it?
- Employer or company sponsor for employment-based residence permits
- Family sponsor for a spouse, children or other eligible dependants
- Personal sponsor for domestic workers and others under personal sponsorship
- The relevant organisation for government, institutional or special sponsorship categories
For most employed residents, the company’s HR department or public-relations officer handles the renewal.
Where is it renewed?
Residence permits may be renewed through:
- The Metrash mobile app
- The Ministry of Interior e-services portal
- An MOI service centre in cases requiring in-person assistance
- Qatar Post for selected residence-renewal and delivery services
MOI also provides an online service for tracking a residence-permit renewal using the QID number.
How long is it valid?
The Ministry of Interior’s renewal service permits renewals for one to three years where the sponsorship category and system approval allow it.
Do not assume that every applicant will automatically be offered three years. The available duration may depend on the sponsorship category, passport details, company records and approval shown in the system.
How long does it take?
There is no guaranteed universal processing time.
A straightforward electronic renewal may be approved quickly when the records and payment are in order. Cases requiring Expatriates Affairs approval, updated documents or another correction can take longer.
Physical QID delivery through Qatar Post may also add processing and delivery time.
When to start: the renewal timeline
There is no official rule stating that every resident must begin exactly two or four weeks before expiry.
However, checking the status several weeks in advance is sensible, particularly when the renewal is being handled by an employer.
Around one month before expiry
Check:
- The expiry date shown on the QID
- Whether the employer or sponsor has started the renewal
- Whether the passport is still valid
- Whether company or sponsor records are current
- Whether there are unresolved immigration, work-permit or document issues
Do not wait until the final day to discover that the system requires an additional approval.
Two to three weeks before expiry
Follow up with HR, the company PRO or the personal sponsor.
Routine residence renewals do not usually require a new medical examination or fingerprints. Those procedures are more commonly associated with first-time residence issuance, a change from visit status to residence, or another case specifically referred by the authorities.
Close to the expiry date
Submit the renewal and pay the applicable fee if the service has not already been completed.
The law provides up to 90 days after expiry to renew before the stated daily late-renewal fine applies. However, this should not be treated as a recommended grace period for normal planning. An expired QID may disrupt access to services and create problems with travel, banking, employment administration or other transactions.
Documents you need to renew your Iqama
The documents required depend on the sponsorship type and whether the renewal is completed electronically or referred for manual review.
For a routine renewal, the system may already hold most of the necessary information.
Documents that may be required include:
- A valid passport
- The current QID or QID number
- The sponsor’s valid QID for personal sponsorship
- A valid establishment card for a company-sponsored resident
- A completed residence-renewal form for an in-person application
- A recent photograph if a new image or physical-card update is requested
- Supporting documents requested for an exceptional or restricted case
MOI’s published service conditions for in-person renewal include the employee’s original passport and the sponsoring company’s establishment ID or the individual sponsor’s personal ID.
Documents not normally required for every renewal
The following should not be presented as standard requirements for every routine residence renewal:
- Health card
- Salary certificate
- Tenancy contract
- Marriage certificate
- Birth certificate
- New medical examination
- New fingerprint registration
Marriage, birth, salary or accommodation documents may be requested when establishing or reassessing family sponsorship, correcting records or processing an exceptional application. They are not automatically uploaded for every annual renewal.
Health card
A PHCC health card is separate from the QID and residence-permit renewal process.
It allows eligible residents to access public health services, but a valid health card is not listed as a standard MOI requirement for renewing a residence permit. In fact, PHCC health-card services generally require the applicant to hold a valid QID.
Medical examination
A new medical examination is not routinely required every time a residence permit is renewed.
Where a medical examination is specifically required by the authorities, the current published fee for a residence medical examination is QAR 100. The results are transmitted electronically to the Ministry of Interior.
How much does Iqama renewal cost in 2026?
There is no single QAR 500 renewal fee for every resident.
The amount depends on the sponsorship category, renewal period and any additional work-permit, card or delivery charges.
Current government guidance lists the following residence-renewal fees:
Family sponsorship
Approximately QAR 500 per year for a spouse, children and other family-sponsored residents.
Company or establishment sponsorship
Approximately QAR 1,000 per year for residents sponsored by companies, institutions or commercial establishments.
The employer normally handles and pays the relevant company-sponsored residence and employment fees.
Personal sponsorship and domestic workers
Approximately QAR 300 per year for domestic workers and selected other personal-sponsorship categories.
The official renewal guidance also provides a 20% fee reduction where an eligible residence permit is renewed for three years.
QID, work-permit and delivery charges
Additional charges may apply for:
- Work-permit renewal
- Issuing or updating the physical QID card
- Qatar Post delivery
- Special approvals or services
- Replacing a lost or damaged card
The exact total displayed in Metrash or the MOI payment screen is the amount to rely on for the individual case.
Health-card renewal
Health-card renewal is a separate service and is not part of the residence-permit fee.
For most expatriate adult and child residents, a public health card generally costs QAR 100. GCC-resident categories may have different charges.
Medical examination
Where specifically required, the published residence medical-examination fee is QAR 100. It should not be automatically added to every renewal budget.
Extra costs to budget for
Possible additional expenses include:
- Qatar Post delivery
- PRO or typing-service fees
- Document translation or attestation
- Passport or personal-data updates
- Replacement of a lost or damaged QID
- Work-permit charges for applicable employment categories
- Late-renewal penalties where the legal renewal period is exceeded
Do not automatically budget for a medical examination or health-card renewal unless those services are separately due.
How to renew your Iqama step by step
Most employed residents do not submit their own renewal because the employer is the residence sponsor.
Family sponsors and personal sponsors can generally handle eligible renewals through their own Metrash account.
Renewing online with Metrash
The menu names may vary slightly as the app is updated, but the general process is:
- Open the Metrash app and sign in.
- Select the residency services section.
- Choose the residence-renewal service.
- Enter or select the QID to be renewed.
- Choose the available renewal period.
- Review the resident’s details and fee.
- Select the transaction type where requested.
- Pay using an accepted card.
- Choose the available delivery or collection method.
- Keep the payment receipt and track the application status.
MOI permits individuals to renew up to five QID numbers in one personal online transaction through its e-services process.
Some applications require additional approval from the Expatriates Affairs Department because of age, restricted renewal periods or another case-specific issue. These requests can also be submitted through Metrash.
Renewing through the MOI e-services portal
The MOI portal also provides residence-renewal services for eligible users with the required smart-card access.
The general process is:
- Sign in to the MOI e-services portal.
- Select Residency.
- Choose Renew Residency.
- Select the personal or company transaction.
- Enter the QID number or numbers.
- Choose the renewal period available.
- Pay the applicable fee and delivery charge.
- Save the receipt.
The login requirements for the MOI portal are not necessarily the same as the credentials used for the mobile app.
Renewing at an MOI service centre
An in-person visit may be necessary where:
- The electronic application is rejected or unavailable
- Passport or personal data must be updated
- A photograph or signature must be changed
- The case requires special approval
- Company or sponsor records are not current
- The system refers the applicant to Expatriates Affairs
For an in-person application, bring the documents requested for the specific case. These may include:
- Original passport
- Current QID
- Sponsor’s QID or establishment card
- Completed renewal form
- Passport photograph
- Supporting approval or correction documents
Do not assume that every resident must repeat fingerprinting or medical screening at the service centre.
Renewing dependants’ and domestic workers’ Iqamas
Family dependants
The family sponsor normally renews residence permits for eligible dependants through the sponsor’s Metrash account.
The sponsor’s own residence and identification records must remain valid. Applications involving adult children, restricted age categories or changed family circumstances may require additional review.
Marriage and birth certificates should be kept available, but they are not necessarily uploaded again for every routine renewal.
The published residence-renewal fee for family sponsorship is generally QAR 500 per year for each eligible dependant.
Domestic workers
The personal sponsor is responsible for renewing the residence permit of a housemaid, domestic driver, cook or other worker under personal sponsorship.
The published residence-renewal fee for domestic workers is generally QAR 300 per year.
A new medical examination, fingerprints or health-card renewal should not be described as automatic annual requirements. They are completed where required by the relevant government system or authority.
Even when an agency or PRO provides assistance, the sponsor remains responsible for monitoring the residence expiry date and ensuring that the worker’s legal status is renewed.
What happens if your Iqama expires?
An expired residence permit should be renewed as soon as possible.
Official MOI guidance says the permit must be renewed within a period not exceeding 90 days after expiry. If it is not renewed within that period, a fine of QAR 10 per day may apply, capped at QAR 6,000.
This means the article should not claim that daily fines begin immediately on the first day after expiry.
However, an expired QID can still create practical problems before the fine starts. These may include difficulties with:
- Travel and re-entry
- Banking and financial services
- Government transactions
- Mobile or utility services
- Employment administration
- Tenancy or contract procedures
- Health-card and other resident services
If the residence permit has been cancelled rather than simply expired, or if the resident has remained outside Qatar for an extended period, a different reactivation or return-permit process may apply.
Use the MOI residence-permit inquiry service to check the application or renewal status before taking further action.
FAQs
Can I renew my Iqama online in Qatar?
Yes. Many residence permits can be renewed through Metrash or the Ministry of Interior e-services portal.
The employer normally handles an employment-based renewal, while family and personal sponsors can renew eligible people under their sponsorship.
Cases requiring special approval or updated documents may need additional processing or an MOI service-centre visit.
Do I need a valid health card to renew my QID?
A valid PHCC health card is not listed as a routine requirement for residence-permit renewal.
The health card is a separate public-healthcare document. Renew it when it expires if you want continued access to the applicable PHCC and Hamad Medical Corporation services.
Do I need a medical examination for every renewal?
No. Routine residence-permit renewal does not normally require a new medical examination.
A medical test may be required in specific immigration, employment, return or status-conversion cases. Follow the requirement shown by the MOI or Ministry of Public Health for your individual application.
How early can I renew my QID?
The official service does not publish one universal rule saying every applicant must begin exactly one month before expiry.
Check with the sponsor or employer several weeks in advance and begin as soon as the renewal becomes available through the system.
How much does Iqama renewal cost in 2026?
Current published residence-renewal fees generally include:
- QAR 500 per year for family-sponsored residents
- QAR 1,000 per year for company or establishment sponsorship
- QAR 300 per year for domestic workers and selected personal-sponsorship categories
Additional work-permit, card and delivery charges may apply. The final amount displayed in Metrash or the MOI system is the amount that applies to the transaction.
What is the fine if my Iqama expires?
The MOI states that an expired residence permit should be renewed within 90 days.
If the renewal is not completed within that period, a fine of QAR 10 per day may apply, up to a maximum of QAR 6,000.
Do I renew my family’s Iqama myself?
The family sponsor generally renews eligible dependants through the sponsor’s Metrash account.
The sponsor’s own residence records must remain valid, and certain cases involving age, changed circumstances or restricted periods may require additional approval.
Who renews a domestic worker’s Iqama?
The personal sponsor is responsible for renewing a domestic worker’s residence permit.
An agency or PRO may provide administrative assistance, but responsibility for the worker’s valid status remains with the sponsor.
The standard published residence-renewal fee for a domestic worker is generally QAR 300 per year, before any additional service or delivery charges.
Ready to sort your paperwork? Bookmark this guide, start early, and keep your documents in one place. For more step-by-step help settling in, browse our Qatar residency and QID guides on Qatar Living.
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