Qatar Gratuity Guide: Article 54, the 3-Week Minimum and Your Contract

The rule in Article 54

Article 54 of Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 requires the employer to pay a worker who has completed at least one year of service an end-of-service gratuity of not less than three weeks’ wage for each year of service. Fractions of a year are paid in proportion. The last basic wage is the basis for the calculation; allowances are generally excluded.

Three weeks is 21 days. With a daily wage of basic salary ÷ 30, each year of service earns 70% of one month’s basic salary under the legal minimum.

Your contract can give more

Because the law sets a floor, the agreement between you and the employer can be more generous. Many Qatari contracts – especially for professional roles – give 30 days (a full month’s basic salary) per year. The contract can never give less than 21 days.

In our calculator, open “More options” and enter the number of days per year written in your contract.

Resignation does not reduce gratuity

Unlike Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Qatar has no resignation scale. If you have completed one year, the gratuity is due whether you resign, the employer ends the contract, or a fixed-term contract expires.

Deductions

The employer may deduct from the gratuity any amount the worker owes it. Ask for any deduction to be itemised in writing in your final settlement.

Domestic workers

Domestic workers are covered by Law No. 15 of 2017. They are entitled, after at least one year of service, to an end-of-service benefit agreed between the parties that cannot be less than three weeks’ wage for each year, with part years in proportion. Claims arising from the contract may lapse one year after it ends, so they should be raised promptly.

Government employees

Civil employees of government agencies are covered by the Civil Human Resources Law No. 15 of 2016, amended by Law No. 25 of 2025. A non-Qatari employee with at least one year of service receives one month’s basic salary for each year of service in the State, up to a maximum of ten months, with part years in proportion. Since the 2025 amendment, the gratuity is calculated on the last ten years of service, using the basic salary of each of those years. Qatari employees are normally covered by the pension system.

What to check in your final settlement

• Has at least one year of service been completed (gratuity is due from that point)?
• Is the rate the one in your contract (21 days or more)?
• Is the basic salary the latest one?
• Are unused leave and the last month’s salary paid separately from gratuity?

Complaints can be filed with the Ministry of Labour, which runs labour dispute settlement services.

Calculate your Qatar gratuity →

Questions

Sources

• Ministry of Labour – State of Qatar
• Al Meezan – Qatar Legal Portal (Law 14/2004, Law 15/2017, Law 15/2016)