How to Get a Driving License in Qatar: New or Exchanged

Getting road-legal in Qatar depends on where you are coming from and what license you hold. This guide was rewritten in September 2026 from Hukoomi's Ministry of Interior page for issuing a new driving license and from Article 29 of the Traffic Law. Many websites list countries whose licenses can be exchanged with no test. We could not find such a list on an official page, so we say what the official page says and where guides differ.

Driving as a visitor first

Hukoomi's page says tourists and visitors holding valid international driving licenses may drive with them for a maximum of six months, after which they must refer to the licensing authority. It says this is verified through the passport to determine the date of entering the country. It also says holders of valid GCC-issued licenses who are foreigners staying in a GCC country and visiting Qatar may drive with them for no more than three months. Our guide to car rental in Qatar covers what rental companies ask for.

If you arrive to work with a foreign license

Hukoomi's page says people who come to Qatar for work, hold a residence permit, and hold a driving license from another country are referred to driving schools to be tested by a Ministry of Interior committee to confirm they can drive. If they pass, they are granted the license. If they fail, they get another test, and then are enrolled in a full driving course through a school. Some guides describe a direct exchange with no test for licenses from a list of countries. We could not confirm such a list on the official pages we read, so ask the Traffic Department whether your license qualifies before you plan around a test or an exchange.

What you need

For non-Qataris, Hukoomi lists these documents for the offline route, with three recent color photos:

• A letter from your employer approving the application and stating the type of license required.
• Your passport and a copy.
• A copy of the employer's QID, for personal sponsorship.

For someone coming for work with a foreign license, it lists the license issued by the authority they belong to, or by an authority that accepts licenses issued by them. Other guides also mention an eye test and a medical certificate. We could not confirm those on the page, so ask the Traffic Department.

How to apply

Hukoomi's online route is through the Metrash app: log in with your QID and password, click Traffic, then License Service, then Issue Driving License, enter your QID, review the details, choose delivery from the Traffic Department or Qatar Post, and pay by card. Offline, you download the form and submit it to the General Directorate of Traffic or a driving school. Before licenses are issued to non-Qataris, Hukoomi says applicants who want to learn are referred to approved driving schools to choose one.

Fees

Hukoomi lists a new driving license fee of QR100, plus QR20 for postal delivery. Our guide to replacing a lost or damaged license covers the replacement fees, which are different. An earlier version of this page quoted about QAR 250 for a five-year license. That figure matches the replacement fee for residents, not the new license fee, so we removed it.

Where to go

Hukoomi says you can get the service at the General Directorate of Traffic or any driving school. Some guides give the Madinat Khalifa Traffic Department and office hours of 7 to 11 in the morning and 4 to 7 in the evening, but we did not confirm those on the official page, so check hours before you go.

If you need lessons and a test

If you do not qualify for the route above, you will go through a licensed driving school. Hukoomi does not give a timeline, so we do not promise one. Ask the school about lessons, booking, and retakes. In the meantime, our first week in Qatar checklist covers getting around by ride-hailing or the metro.

After you get your license

Check and pay any fines with our guide to Qatar traffic fines, and learn how the traffic points system can suspend a license.

Common mistakes

• Assuming your country is on a direct-exchange list because a website says so.
• Arriving without the employer's approval letter.
• Driving on a visitor's international license for longer than the six months Hukoomi allows.
• Quoting the replacement fee as the new license fee.

What we could not verify

• Whether any list of countries qualifies for a no-test exchange, and which.
• Whether an eye test or medical certificate is required for a foreign license holder.
• Current office hours and locations.
• Timelines for lessons and tests.