The QFC route, from someone who took it.
The Qatar Financial Centre is an onshore platform with its own English-language legal framework based on common law — a natural home for consulting, financial and professional services firms. We know it from the inside: we incorporated our own company there.
A QFC licence gives you 100% foreign ownership, full repatriation of profits, a 10% corporate tax on locally sourced profits and courts and regulations modelled on English common law — contracts and filings in English, not translations of them. For services businesses relocating from the UK or Europe, it is often the most familiar landing.
We are not repeating a brochure here. Our own company was incorporated at the QFC in 2026, so we know the actual sequence — application, licensing, the Computer Card, the QID, the bank account, the office — including the small steps that stall a file when nobody warns you. Our licensed partner in Doha runs your incorporation; we make sure you always know what comes next.
Frequently asked
What is the QFC and who is it for?
The Qatar Financial Centre is an onshore business platform with its own legal and regulatory framework based on English common law. It suits financial services, consulting, holding structures and professional services firms that want an English-language environment.
How is the QFC different from a free zone?
The QFC is onshore — QFC firms operate within Qatar's economy, with a 10% tax on local-source profits — while free zones are built around international trade from inside the zone. The legal framework is the QFC's real differentiator.
How long does QFC incorporation take?
Comparable to the mainland route: typically within the 4 to 8 week window, depending on the activity and the regulator's review. Regulated financial activities take longer than non-regulated ones.
Can a QFC company sponsor residence visas?
Yes. Once licensed, a QFC firm obtains its immigration card and can sponsor QIDs for founders, staff and their families — the same practical path we followed ourselves.
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