End-of-Service Gratuity in Qatar
Reviewed by the Commoner Law Editorial Team. Sourced from Qatari national laws, Emiri decrees, and ministerial decisions. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
Qatar Gratuity Calculator
Estimate only. Calculation reflects Article 54 of Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (21 days of basic wage per year of service, after at least one year). It does not account for employer-policy uplifts or termination for cause under Article 61. Verify against the Qatar Ministry of Labour or call 16008 before relying on the figure.
Enter your joining date, last day of work, and basic monthly wage to estimate your gratuity under Law 14/2004 Article 54.
What is this right?
Every private-sector worker in Qatar — Qatari or expatriate, covered by Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 or by the Domestic Workers Law No. 15 of 2017 — is entitled to an end-of-service gratuity (EOSG) when employment ends. Qatar's gratuity rules are among the most worker-favourable in the GCC: there is no resignation reduction (unlike Saudi Arabia's 1/3 and 2/3 scale under Article 85) and no cap on the total amount (unlike the UAE's 2-year cap).
The flat 21-days rule — Article 54 (Ministry of Labour 2024 guidance):
- Minimum 21 days (3 weeks) of basic wage per year of service — applied uniformly regardless of how many years you worked.
- The older tiered structure you may still see in some online sources — 4 weeks per year after 5 years, 5 weeks per year after 10 years — is from an earlier version of the law and is no longer in force. Qatar's Ministry of Labour confirmed the flat 21-day minimum in its 2024 updated guidance. Any source quoting tiers is outdated.
- Minimum service to qualify: 1 full continuous year. Workers with less than 1 year of service get no gratuity.
- Beyond the first year, partial years are prorated.
- Unpaid leave is excluded from the service period.
Calculation base — basic wage only:
- Gratuity is calculated on your last drawn basic monthly wage.
- Excluded: all allowances (housing, transport, food), all bonuses, overtime pay, and one-off payments.
- Daily wage = basic monthly wage ÷ 30.
- Annual gratuity = daily wage × 21.
- Total = annual gratuity × full and partial years of service.
No resignation reduction: unlike Saudi Arabia, Qatar does not reduce the gratuity based on whether you resigned or were terminated. The entitlement is the same. There is also no cap (unlike the UAE's 2-year basic wage cap) — gratuity grows linearly with service.
Forfeiture (Article 61) — proven gross misconduct only:
- False identity or forged documents.
- Gross financial loss caused to the employer, reported within 24 hours of discovery.
- Repeated safety violations after written warning.
- Repeated failure to perform duties after written warning.
- Absence of 7 consecutive days or 15 non-consecutive days without justification in one year.
- Conviction for dishonesty or an offence against morals.
- Attack on the employer, manager, or colleagues.
- Disclosure of trade secrets.
Death during service (Article 55): the employer must deposit all entitlements — unpaid wages, leave pay, gratuity — with the competent court within 15 days. The court distributes the amount under Islamic Sharia or, at the family's request, under the personal status law of the worker's home country. Unclaimed amounts transfer to the State Treasury after 3 years.
Domestic workers (Law 15/2017, Article 15): same 21-day minimum per year of service after 1 full year, payable "at the end of service." Payment is prorated for partial years.
Payment timing: Labour Law 14/2004 does not set a specific statutory deadline for general workers beyond "end of service." Domestic workers must be paid "at the end of service" under Article 15 of Law 15/2017. If the employer defaults or cannot be located, the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund (Law No. 17 of 2018) can pay the gratuity directly and recover from the employer.
Worked example — Carlos, Doha, 8 years of service, QAR 5,000/month basic, resigns:
- Daily wage: 5,000 ÷ 30 = QAR 166.67.
- Days owed: 21 × 8 = 168 days.
- Gratuity: 168 × 166.67 = QAR 28,000.
- If Carlos had been terminated rather than resigning, the calculation is identical — Qatar applies no resignation reduction.
When does it apply?
- Your employment in Qatar has ended for any reason — resignation, employer termination, or contract expiry.
- You have completed at least 1 full year of continuous service; beyond that, partial years are prorated.
- You are covered by Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (private sector) or by Law No. 15 of 2017 (domestic worker).
- Your employer has calculated gratuity on "basic salary" that excludes housing and transport allowances — which is correct under Article 54, but you should verify the basic figure has not been artificially depressed.
- Your employer has not paid your gratuity, has calculated it using outdated tiered rules, or has closed before paying.
What to Do If Your Qatar Employer Refuses to Pay Your End-of-Service Gratuity
- Calculate your expected gratuity before your last working day using the flat formula: (last basic monthly salary ÷ 30) × 21 × years of service.
- Confirm the correct rule applies — the Ministry of Labour's 2024 guidance is the flat 21-day rule. Reject employer calculations citing old tiered structures.
- Request a written breakdown of your final settlement showing basic wage used, daily wage, days credited, and deductions.
- If the amount is wrong or unpaid, file a complaint with the Ministry of Labour hotline 16008 or through mol.gov.qa.
- The Workers' Dispute Resolution Committee can order payment with a binding decision within three weeks.
- If the employer still does not pay, apply to the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund — the Fund covers unpaid gratuity directly.
- If the worker has died during service, the family should engage the competent court within the 15-day deposit window to claim the entitlements.
What should you NOT do?
- Do not sign a final settlement that waives your gratuity rights unless you have been paid in full and have verified the calculation yourself.
- Do not accept a gratuity calculated on total wage if that produces a lower figure than basic wage alone — Article 54 uses basic only.
- Do not accept a tiered calculation. Any employer offering "4 weeks per year after 5 years" is citing superseded law; the correct minimum is a flat 21 days per year.
- Do not assume resignation reduces your gratuity. Unlike Saudi Arabia, Qatar applies the same amount whether you resign or are terminated.
- Do not leave Qatar before resolving payment disputes — claims are harder to enforce from abroad, though the Workers' Support Fund can sometimes help.
- Do not concede Article 61 misconduct grounds in writing. The employer must prove the specific clause, and most categories require prior written warnings.
Common Questions
When does it apply — end-of-service gratuity?
Your employment in Qatar has ended for any reason — resignation, employer termination, or contract expiry.You have completed at least 1 full year of continuous service; beyond that, partial years are prorated.You are covered by Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (private sector) or by Law No. 15 of 2017 (domestic worker).Your employer has calculated gratuity on "basic salary" that excludes housing and transport allowances — which is correct under Article 54, but you should verify the basic figure has not been artificially depressed.Your employer has not paid your gratuity, has calculated it u...
What should I do if my employer in Qatar refuses to pay my end-of-service gratuity?
Calculate your expected gratuity before your last working day using the flat formula: (last basic monthly salary ÷ 30) × 21 × years of service.Confirm the correct rule applies — the Ministry of Labour's 2024 guidance is the flat 21-day rule. Reject employer calculations citing old tiered structures.Request a written breakdown of your final settlement showing basic wage used, daily wage, days credited, and deductions.If the amount is wrong or unpaid, file a complaint with the Ministry of Labour hotline 16008 or through mol.gov.qa.The Workers' Dispute Resolution Committee can...
What should you NOT do — end-of-service gratuity?
Do not sign a final settlement that waives your gratuity rights unless you have been paid in full and have verified the calculation yourself.Do not accept a gratuity calculated on total wage if that produces a lower figure than basic wage alone — Article 54 uses basic only.Do not accept a tiered calculation. Any employer offering "4 weeks per year after 5 years" is citing superseded law; the correct minimum is a flat 21 days per year.Do not assume resignation reduces your gratuity. Unlike Saudi Arabia, Qatar applies the same amount whether you resign or are terminated.Do not leave Qa...