# Insurance and Employer Duties for a Domestic Worker in Qatar: What You Must Provide (2026)

> What the law actually requires you to provide for a domestic worker in Qatar, from hours and rest to medical care and the health card, plus the penalties for getting it wrong, and an honest read on where mandatory health insurance really stands.

_Author: Safae Fikri · Published: 2026-07-30 · 11 min read · Source: https://www.rufy.qa/blog/domestic-worker-insurance-employer-duties-qatar-2026_

Employing a domestic worker in Qatar comes with a clear set of legal duties, and, unlike the marketing you will see, only some of them involve “insurance.”

This guide is for any employer sponsoring a maid, nanny or other domestic worker in Qatar. It sets out exactly what Law No. 15 of 2017 requires you to provide, what the penalties are for falling short, and an honest read on the health card and the mandatory health-insurance scheme, two things that are constantly confused. Where the law fixes a figure, we cite it and link the official source.

## The duties you owe under the law

Law No. 15 of 2017 governs domestic work in Qatar. Our [full explainer of the law](https://www.rufy.qa/blog/qatar-domestic-worker-law-15-2017-explained-2026) goes deeper, and the [Ministry of Labour](https://www.adlsa.gov.qa/en) is the official source, but the core duties an employer must provide are:

| Duty | What it means |

| --- | --- |

| Working hours | A maximum of 10 hours a day; prayer, rest and meal breaks are not counted |

| Weekly rest | At least 24 continuous hours, paid |

| Annual leave | Three weeks paid, plus a return air ticket home every two years |

| Wages | Paid monthly in QAR by the 3rd of the following month, proven by bank deposit or a signed receipt; no deducting recruitment fees |

| End of service | At least three weeks’ wages per year of service, after one year |

| Living & care | Suitable food, accommodation and medical care, and dignified treatment |

| Documents | The worker keeps her passport; withholding it is prohibited |

*Core employer duties for a domestic worker in Qatar (Law 15/2017)*

## The health card, and where insurance really stands

This is where families get confused, so keep the two separate:

- **The PHCC health card** is real, cheap and required in practice. It costs QAR 50 a year for a domestic worker and gives her subsidised access to public healthcare. You renew it annually alongside her QID, through the [Primary Health Care Corporation](https://www.phcc.gov.qa/en).
- **Mandatory health insurance** under Law No. 22 of 2021 is being rolled out in phases. The visitor phase is live, but the leg that would cover a resident domestic worker has not been confirmed as in force with a set price. So there is no official “mandatory maid insurance premium” to quote yet; the QAR 1,200 to 2,500 figures you see online are private, voluntary plans, not the mandatory scheme.

> What is not optional is your duty under Law 15/2017 to pay for your worker’s medical care and medicine. Whether you meet that through the QAR 50 health card, a private plan, or the mandatory scheme once it applies to residents, the worker must not bear the cost, and passing insurance costs to her is not allowed.

If you are setting up a new worker, our companion [health card, wage payment and insurance setup guide](https://www.rufy.qa/blog/health-card-wps-insurance-domestic-worker-qatar-2026) walks through the practical steps.

## The penalties for getting it wrong

Law No. 15 of 2017 does carry penalties (Section 21), so these duties have teeth. The figures below are maximums:

| Breach | Maximum fine (QAR) |

| --- | --- |

| No written contract | 5,000 |

| Exceeding the 10-hour working day | 5,000 |

| Denying the weekly rest day | 5,000 |

| Denying the three weeks’ annual leave | 5,000 |

| Breach of gratuity, food, housing or medical duties | 5,000 |

| Not paying wages properly or on time | 10,000 |

| Recruiting a worker under 18 or over 60 | 10,000 |

| Withholding the worker’s passport | up to 25,000 |

*Penalties for breaching domestic-worker duties in Qatar (2026, maximum fines)*

The passport-withholding penalty comes from the residence law (Law No. 21 of 2015), and it is up to QAR 25,000, not the QAR 50,000 you may see quoted; that higher figure is for visa trading, a different offence. Section 21 also lets these fines stack with any harsher penalty in another law.

## Getting the contract right from the start

Most breaches trace back to a vague or missing contract, which is itself a QAR 5,000 offence. A clear written agreement, with the hours, rest day, wage, allowances and duties spelled out, protects both sides. Our free [contract generator](https://www.rufy.qa/tools/contract-generator) produces a bilingual agreement you can adapt, and if you are still choosing a worker, you can [browse verified candidates](https://www.rufy.qa/browse?service=maid) or compare fair pay in the [Salary Index](https://www.rufy.qa/tools/salary-index).

## Common mistakes to avoid

- Treating the health card and health insurance as the same thing; the card is QAR 50/year, the mandatory insurance scheme is still phasing in.
- Quoting a “mandatory insurance premium” for a resident maid; the resident leg is not confirmed with a set price yet.
- Passing any medical or insurance cost to the worker, which is not allowed.
- Working the worker past 10 hours a day or skipping the weekly rest day, each a QAR 5,000 breach.
- Holding the worker’s passport, an offence of up to QAR 25,000 under the residence law.

---

## The bottom line

Provide the hours, the rest day, the leave, on-time wages in QAR, suitable food and lodging, and medical care, keep her passport with her, and register the QAR 50 health card. Treat the mandatory health-insurance scheme as “phasing in” rather than a fixed cost for now, and never pass its cost to the worker. Do that and you are compliant, and the fines under Section 21 are simply not a risk you carry.

## FAQ

### What must an employer provide for a domestic worker in Qatar?

Under Law No. 15 of 2017: a maximum 10-hour working day, a paid weekly rest day of at least 24 hours, three weeks’ paid annual leave plus a return ticket every two years, wages paid monthly in QAR with proof, end-of-service gratuity, suitable food, accommodation and medical care, and dignified treatment. The worker’s passport must stay with her.

### Is health insurance mandatory for a domestic worker in Qatar?

The mandatory health-insurance scheme (Law 22/2021) is being phased in; the visitor phase is live, but the resident leg that would cover a domestic worker has not been confirmed in force with a set price. What is required now is the QAR 50-a-year PHCC health card and your legal duty to pay for her medical care. Private plans exist but are voluntary.

### What is the fine for withholding a domestic worker’s passport in Qatar?

Up to QAR 25,000, under the residence law (Law No. 21 of 2015). The QAR 50,000 figure sometimes quoted is for visa trading, a separate offence. Withholding the worker’s passport is prohibited.

### How many hours can a domestic worker work in Qatar?

A maximum of 10 hours a day under Law 15/2017, with prayer, rest and meal breaks not counted, plus at least 24 continuous hours of paid weekly rest. Exceeding the daily limit or denying the rest day is a breach carrying a fine of up to QAR 5,000 each.

### Does Law 15/2017 actually have penalties?

Yes. Section 21 of Law No. 15 of 2017 sets fines of up to QAR 5,000 for breaches like exceeding hours, denying the rest day or annual leave, and up to QAR 10,000 for not paying wages properly. Withholding a passport carries up to QAR 25,000 under the residence law. The older claim that the law “lacked penalties” is outdated.