Overview of Qatar's New Law Regulation of Travel Offices and Air Freight Offices
Real Estate & Construction and Hotels & Leisure Focus
Ahmed JaafirPartner, Head of Corporate Structuring - Qatar
Joyce Abi AbboudAssociate,Corporate Structuring
Law No. 3 of 2025 has introduced a significant regulatory framework for Travel and Air Freight Offices (Law), and repeals law No. 26 of 2006, law No. 6 of 2010, as well as any provisions that conflict with its provisions.
Travel offices are defined as entities engaged in (i) booking and selling flight tickets, (ii) providing services related to travel and the air transportation of baggage, (iii) as well as any other activities determined by a decision of the Director of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (Authority).
Air Freight offices are defined as entities engaged in providing services related to (i) the air transportation of goods and baggage, (ii) the transport of hazardous materials by air (subject to special approval), in addition to any other activities specified by a decision of the Director of the Authority.(Articles 2 of the Law)
Hazardous materials are defined as any goods or substances that may endanger the health, safety, property, or the environment. The classification and handling of such materials shall be in accordance with the instructions issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (Article 1 of the Law)
Pursuant to Article 3 of the Law, no Travel or Air Freight Office may operate in the State of Qatar without first obtaining a license from the competent department at the Authority. To be eligible for such a license, the Travel and/or Air Freight Office must satisfy the following requirements:
The applicant must be a company duly registered in accordance with the provisions of the Commercial Companies Law of the State of Qatar, with its stated activities as travel and/or air Freight activities;
Secure an appropriate premises suitable for conducting the licensed activities (in accordance with Article 12 of the Law, following approval from the relevant department and the acquisition of any necessary licenses from other authorities, the entity may conduct its activities online without the requirement for a physical premises, provided that such activities are carried out through a website established within the State of Qatar);
Employ a sufficient number of qualified staff with relevant experience in the field;
Provide a bank guarantee in favor of the Authority for the performance of the licensed activities, with the amount and terms of issuance to be determined by a decision of the Director;
Maintain insurance coverage against fire for their warehouses;
Comply with any additional requirements that may be imposed by the Authority.
The aforementioned documents must be submitted together with the application form to the competent department at the Authority. The department shall issue a decision regarding the application within thirty (30) days from the date of submission. In the event of a rejection or failure to respond within the prescribed period—which shall be deemed a rejection—the applicant may file an objection with the Director within thirty (30) days from the date of notification of the decision or the lapse of the response period. The Director shall issue a final decision within thirty (30) days from the date of submission of the objection.
According to Articles 5 and 7 of the Law, the license shall be issued once all requirements have been fulfilled and the prescribed fees have been paid. The license is valid for a period of one (1) year and may be renewed for an equivalent or different period. A renewal request must be submitted at least thirty (30) days prior to the license’s expiration date.
Travel and Air Freight Offices may not establish branches within the State of Qatar without obtaining prior approval from the competent department at the Authority and paying the applicable fees, subject to compliance with any conditions specified by a decision issued by the Director.
Pursuant to Article 13 and 14 of the Law, the Travel and Air Freight Offices shall comply with the below:
For Travel Offices:
Adhere to international regulations for the booking and sale of travel tickets and related services.
Refrain from making fraudulent bookings or failing to comply with ticket pricing conditions.
Avoid engaging in any activities that are in violation of the terms of the license.
Comply with any obligations established by a decision of the Director.
For Air Freight Offices:
Comply with international regulations for issuing and redemption shipping waybills, as well as pricing for shipping services.
Inform customers of the air shipping rates.
The Authority may also require the entity/office to submit copies of its annual financial statements and accounts. It may take the necessary measures to verify the authenticity of these documents and request any additional documentation as needed.
According to Article 15 of the Law, no Air Freight Office shall handle hazardous materials without first obtaining a license from the relevant department at the Authority. The office must also comply with the following requirements:
Train at least two employees to handle hazardous materials, with training accredited by the International Air Transport Association.
Ensure that their warehouses comply with international standards and the requirements of the relevant authorities.
The Licensee (office), if it ceases to carry out its activities, may submit a request to the relevant department at the Authority to revoke the license entirely or partially. A partial revocation may involve discontinuing certain licensed activities while continuing others or closing one or more of its branches while maintaining operations elsewhere.
No Travel or Air Freight Office may operate in the State of Qatar without first obtaining a license from the competent department at the Authority.
An International Distribution Systems Company seeking a license must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience in the international distribution systems sector. This requirement may be waived by a decision of the Director.
Such companies are prohibited from providing Travel Offices with services related to booking and selling seats, issuing travel tickets for travel companies’ trips, or offering any other services connected to the transportation of passengers and their baggage, unless prior approval is obtained from the Authority. The license is granted on a one-time basis and does not require renewal.
Licensed companies must comply with the following obligations:
Adhere to all decisions and instructions issued by the Authority regarding international distribution systems activities;
Submit any information and documents requested by the Authority;
Permit the Authority’s inspectors to access and review documents and data related to sales made by Travel Offices and travel companies operating in the State of Qatar;
Provide the Authority with any studies requested concerning the sales activities of Travel Offices and travel companies in the State of Qatar;
Refrain from concealing any relevant information or documents related to the above.
In the event of non-compliance with the provisions of the Law, the Authority may take the following actions:
Issue a formal notice to the applicant;
Suspend the license for a period of up to three (3) months; in the case of repeated violations, the suspension period may be doubled;
Order the temporary closure of the office for a period not exceeding fifteen (15) days to remedy the violation; if the issue is not resolved within that period, the closure may remain in effect.
The license may be revoked in any of the following cases:
If the legal entity/office is dissolved or terminated;
If the license was obtained based on fraudulent information or falsified documents;
If the office engages in activities not authorized under its license;
If any of the conditions listed in Point 1 (Key Highlights) are no longer fulfilled;
If the office fails to commence its activities within six (6) months from the date of license issuance;
If no renewal request is submitted within the prescribed renewal period;
If the license is assigned to another (Such assignment requires the approval of the Authority and may only be granted if the assignee meets all applicable licensing requirements.)
The Authority may impose a fine no less than QAR 10,000 and no more than QAR 25,000 on any International Distribution Systems Companies for failure to comply with the provisions of the law/ in the case of repeated violations, the fine may be doubled.
The Authority may impose a fine of up to QAR 200,000 on any Air Freight Office for failure to comply with the provisions related to dealing with hazardous materials.
A fine of up to QAR 50,000 may be imposed for violations of other applicable laws or regulations.
Additionally, the responsible manager of the entity/office may also be subject to such penalties if it is determined that the violations occurred as a result of their failure to fulfill managerial duties.
To effectively navigate the complexities of these regulations, our team offers extensive regulatory expertise and provides customized solutions tailored to your specific business requirements.
For further information,please contact Ahmed Jaafir and Joyce Abi Abboud.
Published in June 2025
