End of service in Qatar after 5 and 10 years: gratuity by years of service

In Qatar, you are owed at least three weeks’ basic wage for each year of service, as long as you have worked at least one year. On a basic wage of QAR 6,000 that is QAR 21,000 after 5 years and QAR 42,000 after 10 years. The amount is the same whether you resign or your employer ends the contract. The table below covers 1 to 20 years, and the Qatar gratuity calculator works out your exact figure from your dates.

The rule: at least three weeks’ basic wage per year

Article 54 of Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 sets the end-of-service gratuity as a minimum of three weeks’ wage for each year of service, calculated on the last basic wage.

The law says “three weeks” without giving a daily formula. The usual way to turn that into money, and the one our calculator uses, is:

• Day’s wage = basic wage ÷ 30
• Gratuity per year = 21 × day’s wage
• On a basic of QAR 6,000: 21 × 200 = QAR 4,200 per year

Some employers use other day conventions, so your employer’s figure can differ by a small amount. Part years are paid pro rata: 7 years and 6 months counts as 7.5 years.

Unlike Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, Qatar’s rate does not step up after five years. Every year earns the same three weeks.

You need one year of service

The gratuity is due only once you have completed at least one year of continuous service. Leave at eleven months and the statutory gratuity is zero, even if your employer ended the contract. After one year, every additional day counts.

Table: gratuity by years of service

All figures use a basic wage of QAR 6,000 and the 21-day conversion, computed with the engine behind our calculator.

To scale to your own pay, multiply your basic wage by 0.7 to get one year’s gratuity, then by your years of service. For example, a basic wage of QAR 9,000 gives QAR 6,300 a year, or QAR 63,000 after ten years.

Resigning, terminated, or dismissed

Qatar does not reduce gratuity on resignation. The only way to lose it is dismissal for one of the grounds listed in Article 61, such as assault, serious misconduct or disclosing work secrets. For how this compares with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, where resignation does reduce the amount, see resigning vs being terminated.

Basic wage only: what is excluded

Qatar calculates gratuity on the basic wage, so housing, transport, food and other allowances do not count. Two employees on the same total pay of QAR 10,000 can be owed very different amounts:

• QAR 6,000 basic + QAR 4,000 allowances: QAR 4,200 a year
• QAR 8,000 basic + QAR 2,000 allowances: QAR 5,600 a year

Check the basic figure in your contract and on your WPS payslip. Our guide to basic or total salary explains how each Gulf country treats allowances.

Contracts that pay more than the minimum

Three weeks a year is a floor, not a ceiling. Many contracts in Qatar, especially for professionals, promise four weeks or one month per year, sometimes after five years of service. If yours does, the contract wins, because the law only sets the minimum.

An employer may also replace the gratuity with a retirement or savings scheme, but only if it gives you at least as much (Article 56). If your contract mentions a scheme, ask how it compares with the statutory figure.

Did Law No. 9 of 2026 change gratuity?

Law No. 9 of 2026, published in the Official Gazette on 25 June 2026, amends Labour Law No. 14 of 2004. On gratuity, the change we have identified is to Article 61: inciting an unlawful strike is now among the grounds for dismissal without gratuity. The three-week formula and the one-year minimum are unchanged in the texts we reviewed. Implementing decisions were still pending at our last review, and our 2026 roundup of Gulf changes will be updated as they appear. The consolidated law is available on Al Meezan, Qatar’s official legal portal: Labour Law No. 14 of 2004.

Worked example

Sara starts with a Doha employer on 1 April 2016 and resigns with her last day on 31 March 2026. Her last basic wage is QAR 6,000, plus QAR 3,500 in allowances.

• Service: about 10 years
• Day’s wage: 6,000 ÷ 30 = QAR 200
• Per year: 21 × 200 = QAR 4,200
• Gratuity: about QAR 42,000, with no reduction for resigning. The allowances are not included.

Her final settlement should also include her last salary, unused annual leave (three weeks a year below five years of service, four weeks from five years), and any notice pay. The final settlement checklist lists every item, and the Qatar labour law guide explains notice and leave.

Common calculation mistakes

• Using total salary. Qatar’s statutory gratuity is on basic wage only. A settlement based on total pay is generous; one based on less than basic is wrong.
• Using one month per year. One month per year is a common contract term, not the legal minimum. If your contract is silent, three weeks applies.
• Counting only full years. After the first year, part years count. Leaving at 6 years 9 months is paid as 6.75 years.
• Expecting a step-up at five years. Unlike Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, Qatar’s statutory rate is the same in year 1 and year 20.
• Deducting for resignation. There is no statutory reduction when you resign after a year. Deductions are lawful only for amounts you genuinely owe the employer.

If your gratuity is not paid

Your employer must settle your end-of-service entitlements when the contract ends. If it does not, keep your contract, payslips and a written record of your last working day, and raise a complaint with the Ministry of Labour, which refers unresolved claims to the Labour Dispute Settlement Committees. The ministry’s services are listed at mol.gov.qa.

Calculate your gratuity

Enter your basic wage, start date and last working day in the Qatar gratuity calculator. It applies the one-year minimum and the 21-day rate, and shows the full breakdown. If your contract promises more than three weeks a year, use the contract figure instead.

Frequently asked questions