You should get a driving license if you are planning to live in Qatar for a long period. If you are a first-time license holder or a seasoned driver, you should be familiar with the driving license regulations. In this article, we are going to give you all the information related to Qatar’s New Driving License. Read the article!

Qatar Driving License Requirements

Age Requirement

For light motor vehicles & motorcycle licenses, the minimum age is 18 years.
For heavy vehicles like trucks, buses, etc, the minimum age is 21 years.

Residency Requirement

Valid Residence Permit (QID)
If the Qatar ID is not issued, you have to provide a visa copy and the original passport.

Professional Requirements

Foreigners with a particular profession are not qualified to get a Qatar driving license.
Foreigners sponsored by their companies should verify the profession listed on their Qatar ID with a driving school.

Does your current license work in Qatar?

Check the validity of your current license, whether it’s valid for exchange or direct test, before enrolling yourself in a driving course in Qatar. Depending on where you originally obtained your driving license, you may be qualified for a quicker process –

Driving licenses provided by some countries can be easily redeemed for a Qatar Driving License without a driving test.
A driving license provided by some countries makes you qualified for a direct road test without registering for a driving course.
A driving license provided by some countries makes you qualified for a short training course, which means you can do the half course rather than the full course.

Check with any authorized driving school or the Traffic Department to know your eligibility.

Qatar Driving License Procedure

Follow the following steps-

Choose your driving school
Apply for NOC on Metrash2

Log in to the Metrash2 app
Select Traffic services
License Service then License NOC
Enter your QID or Visa number
Click New Issue
Choose license category (motorcycle, bus, car, etc)
Enter your email id, and select Next
When you’ve reviewed the request details, click Confirm.
The sponsor will receive a Metrash notification once it’s approved.
Companies and individuals with smart cards can also complete this process on the MOI website. Follow the following steps-

Visit the E-service page on the MOI website

Please visit e-service page on MOI

Select ‘Traffic Service’

Select ‘Driving License’

Select ‘Driving License NOC’

Fill in all the details and submit the form

The sponsor will receive notification after it is approved

3. Eye test for Qatar driving license

4. Choose course duration

5. Pay the course fee and submit the required documents

Required documents for foreign residents

Valid Qatar ID
- NOC by Metrash2
- 4 pictures of color passport size photo
- Eye test certificate
- Original home country license if applying for half-course.
- Make sure your photos are taken with spectacles if you are wearing them while driving.

6. Theory Lessons (about traffic laws in Qatar, traffic signs, driving ethics, etc.)

7. Theory test

8. Practical lessons- Parking

9. Parking test

10. Practical lessons- Road training

11. Final Road Test

The road test will be scheduled once you have completed road training. The last road test is accomplished on a driving school car with 3-4 people in the car taking turns to drive. A traffic police officer will be attending in the car to examine your driving skills.

Time Required to Complete Driving Course

Generally, it will require approx 90-110 days to finish the regular full course, which includes theory training & test, waiting time, practical training, and tests.
It will take approximately 65 to 90 days to complete the regular half course, which includes theory training, a test, waiting time, practical training, and tests.

Driving Test Procedure in Qatar

You have to pay a small fee and apply for the test. Driving tests generally comprise of the following parts on distinct days-

Theory test for road and traffic signs
Parking test (L and P)
Road test

Every one of these tests is a mandatory requirement to qualify for the next one. If you pass one, you do not have to repeat it. If you fail one part of the test, you will not be able to take the next.

If you fail the test, you can repeat it within a certain period without any charges. Previous tests need not be retaken.

Following the rule of the Traffic Department, the full course and the half course will both have two chances to pass the Road Test. There will be an unlimited sign and parking tests, but if the applicant fails, he or she must pay QR 50 to book another date.

Qatar Driving License Fees

Types of License	Amount	Validity
Qatari Citizen (Light Vehicle)	QR 500	10 Years
Foreign Resident (Light Vehicle)	QR 250	5 Years
Qatar Citizen (Heavy Vehicle)	QR 600	10 Years
Foreign Resident (Heavy Vehicle)	QR 300	5 Years
Qatari Citizen (Motorcycle)	QR 300	10 Years
Foreign Citizen (Motorcycle)	QR 150	5 Years
Driver’s learning license (all vehicles)	QR 150	3 Months
Permit for driving taxi vehicles, limousine, and public transport vehicles	QR 250	Annual

All charges at the Traffic Department must be paid with a credit/debit card.

Automatic/ Manual Transmission Vehicles

Driving schools offer both manual and automatic transmission vehicles for light vehicles. If you qualify for your examination in an automatic, then you can be allowed to drive only automatic cars. However, once you pass in a manual car, you can drive both manual and automatic cars.

How to Exchange/ Transfer a Foreign License in Qatar

Driving licenses from some countries especially western countries are qualified for direct conversion. Do check with any driving school to know whether your driving license qualifies for direct conversion or not. Don’t forget that only foreigners with valid residence permits can qualify for this.

Do you know, if you have a driving license from any GCC country you can give a direct test without any training course? You must contact any driving school and pay the necessary fee to secure a test date.

Recent Changes to the Qatar Driving License System

The Traffic Department has made several changes to the driving license system over the past few years. Here are some of the changes:

Unified driving curriculum
Unified contract for all driving schools
Guardian can be there for the female driving trainee
The curriculum is available in more than 18 languages.
Road test after passing the theory test only
You need to know the basics of automobiles
No more short courses
No more exceptions for Saudi, Kuwait license holders