Qatar has the simplest gratuity formula in the GCC: a flat rate for every year, with no tiers and no resignation penalty. The details that trip people up are the wage basis, the minimum service, and what can be deducted.
Article 54 of Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 sets gratuity at a minimum of three weeks of basic wage for each year of service. Three weeks is treated as 21 days. Unlike Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, the rate doesn't step up after a number of years, so the 21 days apply from the first year to the last. Parts of a year are paid in proportion.
Gratuity is payable once the employee has completed at least one year of service. An employee who leaves before the end of the first year has no statutory gratuity, whatever the reason for leaving.
The calculation uses the basic wage only. Housing, transport, food and other allowances are excluded unless your contract says otherwise. In Qatar many employers provide accommodation and transport in kind, which doesn't affect the calculation either way. If your payslip only shows a single total figure, ask HR to confirm the basic component in writing.
There is no resignation reduction in Qatar. An employee with one year or more of service is entitled to the same gratuity whether they resign, their contract ends, or the employer terminates it. Since the 2020 reforms that removed the need for employer permission to change jobs, this also applies when an employee moves to a new employer after serving the required notice.
Article 61 lists serious misconduct grounds on which an employer can dismiss without notice. The article says such a dismissal is also without end of service gratuity, so a lawful Article 61 dismissal does cost you the gratuity, as an Article 80 dismissal does in Saudi Arabia. The grounds are specific and the employer must be able to prove them, so if you've been dismissed under Article 61, get the decision and the reasons in writing and consider a complaint to the labour dispute committees. Our misconduct dismissal guide covers the grounds in detail.
Three weeks per year is a floor, not a ceiling. Many contracts, particularly for professional roles, promise a month per year or a tiered scheme. When the contract is more generous than the law, the contract applies. When it's less generous, the law applies. Always read your contract's end of service clause alongside this guide.
Article 54 allows the employer to deduct from the gratuity any amounts the employee owes it, such as an advance or a documented loan. Final dues should be paid promptly at the end of employment and through the Wage Protection System. If payment doesn't arrive, a complaint can be filed with the Ministry of Labour, which refers unresolved cases to the labour dispute settlement committees.
Qatari nationals are covered by the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority pension system, so the Article 54 gratuity is essentially an expatriate entitlement. Check your employment terms if you're a Qatari national working in the private sector, as different rules apply.
Calculate your gratuityChecked against the published labour law text for each country. Where the law is unclear or interpretations differ, we say so. Last verified 5 October 2026.