New TLD .QA domain names will soon be reserved for applicants with a tie to Qatar. According to a notice CRA, the .QA registry, has given to registrars, the TLD .QA will have the same eligibility rule as .com.qa and .net.qa, for example a Qatari entity or a Qatari trademark, from the launch of the new registry system, planned for 22 October 2026. Until then, the TLD .QA stays open to all. Names registered before the launch will keep renewing automatically without the new check, but any change to their registration details after the launch, including a mere dns update, will bring the new rule
By 14 October 2026, the change had not been announced publicly: that day, the Registrants page of Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) still listed .qa as “Open for all”. The registry is the Qatar Domains Registry (QDR), a department within the CRA (PDF), and the CRA’s FAQ says that .qa, .com.qa, .net.qa, .name.qa and .قطر are available through approved registrars.
| Question | Until the launch | After the launch (planned for 22 October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Who can register a new .qa name? | Anyone, with no documents | For example, a Qatari entity or the holder of a Qatari trademark, as for .com.qa |
| Documents for a new .qa name | None | A Qatari company or resident and/or trademark |
| Renewal of a .qa name registered before the launch | No special requirement | Still possible, new rules do not apply |
| Change to the registration details of an existing .qa name | No eligibility check | The new eligibility rule applies |
| .com.qa and .net.qa | Qatari licence or trademark required | No change announced |
Can a foreign company still register a .qa domain?
Yes, until the new registry system launches. Until then, a company based outside Qatar can register a .qa name on the same terms as a local one: the registration policy in force, version 2.0 of August 2019 (PDF), says that a .qa name “may be Registered by any Applicant”, with no documentary evidence.
After the launch, a company with no Qatari entity and no Qatari trademark will not be able to register a new .qa name, unless the registry accepts other grounds. The notice gives its two conditions as examples (“e.g.”), so the full list is not known yet.
Who can register a .qa domain under the new rule?
New .qa names will be open only to applicants that meet the eligibility rules of .com.qa, .net.qa and the other second-level domains (the notice says “etc.”): for example, a Qatari entity or the holder of a Qatari trademark. Under section 17.2.1 of the registration policy (PDF), a .com.qa applicant must either hold a valid trade licence issued in Qatar or be the registered holder of a trademark in Qatar, and must provide the evidence to its registrar. For .net.qa, section 17.3.1 asks for a Qatari trade licence or ICT licence, or a trademark registered in Qatar for an ICT service or product.
For a brand owner abroad with no Qatari entity, the ground the notice names is a trademark in Qatar. The national office is the Intellectual Property Department of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Qatar has also been part of WIPO’s Madrid System since 3 August 2024, so an international registration can be extended to Qatar. Neither the notice nor the current registry policy says whether the registry will treat such a designation as a Qatari trademark.
What happens to .qa domains already registered?
They keep renewing. According to the notice, existing names will continue to be renewed automatically, and the new eligibility requirements will not apply to them. A .qa name registered before the launch can stay with its holder, wherever that holder is based, as long as its registration details do not change.
The exception is any change. If changes are made to any of a name’s registration details after the launch, the new requirements apply. A change of holder is the obvious case: selling a .qa name, or moving it to another company of the same group, will need an eligible new holder. But it applies also to any update of any contact details, including the address of admin contact for example. And it applies as well if a nameserver update is carried out. A registrar transfer is accounted as a change of the registation details as well.
What should you do now?
Five steps to take before the launch, for brand owners and for resellers to pass on to their clients:
- List the .qa names you need. Include your brands, your company and product names, and their common misspellings. Check which are still available with Domgate’s free whois lookup, which takes up to 20 names at once.
- Register them before the launch, not on the last day. Only a name registered before the new system goes live is an existing name. The date could still change, and a last-minute order leaves no time to correct a mistake.
- Check the details of the .qa names you already hold. Correct the holder name, postal addresses, email addresses and contacts now, because any change after the launch brings the new rule. If you plan to sell a .qa name, move it within your group or transfer it to another registrar, do it before the launch too, as the rule on transfers is not known.
- Keep every existing name renewed on time. Domgate’s .qa page gives 30 days for a late renewal, with the DNS turned off on the expiry date, and no restoration after that. Once a name is deleted, it is no longer an existing name, so registering it again would be a new registration under the new rule.
- Consider a trademark in Qatar for the names you will need later. A Qatari trademark is one of the grounds the registry names. Before you rely on a pending application or a Madrid designation, check with your registrar that it will be accepted.
Domgate registers .qa domains at €15.00 a year and .com.qa domains at €30.00 a year, excluding VAT plus management fees. Its .qa page gives the prices and registration details, and its Qatar page lists the nine Qatar extensions it offers. Qatar is also one of the countries on Domgate’s trademark registration page. The CRA lists Domgate among its accredited registrars.
