Qatar Permanent Residency Card

Qatar's Permanent Residency Card is a long-service status under Law No. 10 of 2018, not an investment permit. Applicants must have lived legally in Qatar for 20 years if born abroad, or 10 years if born in Qatar, and must also show sufficient income, good conduct and adequate Arabic.

Applications go online to the Ministry of Interior, where a Permanent Residence Card Granting Committee reviews them and passes recommendations to the Minister. The law caps approvals at 100 people a year, and several categories, including spouses and children of Qataris, are exempt from the four conditions.

How Qatar taxes individuals

Qatar levies no personal income tax on salaries, wages or allowances, and individuals generally are not taxed on foreign-source income. No VAT regime is in force, and individuals pay no inheritance, gift or wealth tax. Business is different: companies under the general regime pay income tax at 10 percent through the General Tax Authority, and an individual who runs a business with Qatar-source income falls under those rules. Because there is no personal income tax, no day count creates a personal liability.

Tax treaty with the United States

Qatar has no income tax treaty with the United States, so US-source income is taxed under US domestic rules.

For US citizens and green card holders

US persons stay taxable on worldwide income whatever Qatar does. The foreign earned income exclusion on Form 2555 is US$132,900 for 2026, but it covers only earned income such as wages and self-employment, not dividends, pensions or capital gains. The foreign tax credit on Form 1116 is limited by foreign tax actually paid, and with no Qatari personal income tax there is usually nothing to credit.

FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) applies when foreign accounts together exceed US$10,000 at any point in the year, counted across all accounts rather than per account. Form 8938 has its own higher thresholds that depend on filing status and where you live.