Working Under 18 in Qatar: What the Labour Law Allows

Teenagers and their parents ask when a young person can work in Qatar and on what terms. This guide follows Articles 86 to 92 of Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 as shown on Al Meezan, Qatar's official legal portal, which we read in October 2026. The law uses the word juvenile and our guide does the same.

Minimum age

Article 86 says a juvenile who has not reached sixteen may not be employed in work of any nature and may not be permitted to enter any workplace.

Consent and permission

Article 87 (as amended in 2009) says a juvenile may not be employed without the consent of the father or guardian and a special permission issued by the Department. A Qatari student also needs the approval of the Minister of Education and Higher Education. Juveniles may not be put in work whose nature or circumstances could harm health, safety or morals, with such work set by a ministerial order.

Medical checks

Article 88 says a juvenile must be medically examined by the competent medical authority and confirmed fit before starting, and the employer must repeat the examination at least once a year.

Hours and rest

• Article 89: no work between sunset and sunrise, on rest days or official holidays, or beyond normal hours, and no more than seven consecutive hours at the workplace.
• Article 90: ordinary hours of up to 36 a week at six a day, and in Ramadan up to 24 a week at four a day. Travel time is not counted as working hours. There must be rest and meal intervals, and no more than three consecutive hours of work. Intervals are not counted as working hours.

What the employer must keep and report

Article 91 says the employer must keep the juvenile's birth certificate, health fitness certificate and periodic medical reports, signed by the employer, in a special file. Article 92 requires an employer of any juvenile to give the Department a statement with the juvenile's name, work and date of employment, and to post a clear notice of working hours and rest intervals in a conspicuous place.

If you are a parent or a young person

This is our own advice, not part of the law.

• Ask for the employer's written permission details from the Department before the first day.
• Keep copies of your birth certificate and medical certificate.
• Compare the hours you are given against Articles 89 and 90. Our overtime and working hours guide covers the adult limits for comparison.
• If rules are broken, see how to file a labor complaint.

Common mistakes

• Starting work before the medical check.
• Assuming school holiday work has no rules.
• Agreeing to evening or rest day shifts that Article 89 bars.

What we could not verify

• The current list of prohibited hazardous work, which is set by a ministerial order we did not read.
• The Department's current permit process and how a family applies.
• Whether other laws on child work or education apply, and whether later amendments changed Articles 86 to 92.
• How these articles apply to domestic work, public sector or free zones.