QAR 5000 Salary Gratuity in Qatar (2026): Why the Rate Never Increases
Your QAR 5000 salary gratuity is QAR 17,500 after five years and QAR 35,000 after ten.
If you were expecting the second figure to be higher than double the first, you have run into the most persistent piece of misinformation about Qatar gratuity. A number of calculators online still show your rate climbing after five years, and again after ten.
It doesn’t. It hasn’t for over twenty years. This guide gives you the correct figure for every length of service and explains where the confusion comes from.
Quick Answer
Daily wage: QAR 5,000 ÷ 30 = QAR 166.67
| Years of service | Gratuity |
|---|---|
| 1 year | QAR 3,500 |
| 2 years | QAR 7,000 |
| 3 years | QAR 10,500 |
| 4 years | QAR 14,000 |
| 5 years | QAR 17,500 |
| 6 years | QAR 21,000 |
| 7 years | QAR 24,500 |
| 8 years | QAR 28,000 |
| 10 years | QAR 35,000 |
| 15 years | QAR 52,500 |
| 20 years | QAR 70,000 |
Every year is worth exactly the same: QAR 3,500. Year one, year ten, year twenty.
Resigning does not reduce any of these figures.
The Rate Does Not Increase After Five Years
Under Qatar’s previous labour law, the accrual rate rose with service. Four weeks per year between five and ten years, and five weeks per year beyond ten.
That structure was replaced when Law No. 14 of 2004 came into force. The current law applies one flat rate of three weeks per year to all service.
| Service period | Old law (repealed) | Current law |
|---|---|---|
| Years 1 to 5 | 3 weeks a year | 3 weeks a year |
| Years 5 to 10 | 4 weeks a year | 3 weeks a year |
| Over 10 years | 5 weeks a year | 3 weeks a year |
What that costs you in expectation
On QAR 5,000 with ten years of service:
- Correct figure under the current law: QAR 35,000
- Figure an old calculator produces: around QAR 40,833
That’s a gap of nearly QAR 6,000 between what you expect and what your employer will actually pay. Not because anyone is short-changing you, but because the tool you used was built on a law that no longer exists.
If a calculator shows your figure jumping at year five, close it.
How the Calculation Works
Article 54 of Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 entitles an employee who completes at least one year of continuous service to end-of-service gratuity of not less than three weeks’ basic wage for each year worked.
Gratuity = (Basic salary ÷ 30) × 21 × Years of service
Step one. Divide your basic salary by 30 to get your daily wage. On QAR 5,000 that’s QAR 166.67.
Step two. Multiply by 21 days. That’s QAR 3,500 for each completed year.
Step three. Multiply by your years of service, including part years.
There is no maximum cap in Qatar, unlike the UAE.
Basic Salary Only
Gratuity in Qatar is calculated on basic salary alone. Housing allowance, transport allowance, food allowance, overtime, commission and bonuses are all excluded.
This is the opposite of Saudi Arabia, where fixed allowances form part of the calculation base. If you have worked in both countries, that difference is worth holding onto — our Saudi Arabia guide explains how the Saudi wage definition works.
On a QAR 5,000 total package with QAR 3,000 basic and QAR 2,000 in allowances, your five-year figure is QAR 10,500, not QAR 17,500.
Find the line in your employment contract that specifically says basic salary. If your contract doesn’t itemise it, ask HR for a written breakdown before you resign rather than after.
A pay rise increases your gratuity retroactively. The calculation uses your last basic salary, not an average, so an increase shortly before you leave applies across your whole service period.
Part Years Count in Proportion
Article 54 entitles you to gratuity for fractions of a year in proportion to the time worked. Nothing is rounded down after your first year.
| Service | Gratuity |
|---|---|
| 1 year 6 months | QAR 5,250 |
| 2 years 3 months | QAR 7,875 |
| 3 years 6 months | QAR 12,250 |
| 4 years 8 months | QAR 16,333 |
| 5 years 6 months | QAR 19,250 |
| 7 years 4 months | QAR 25,667 |
Below twelve months, nothing is payable. There is no partial entitlement in your first year, which matters if you’re weighing a move at around the eleven-month mark.
Three Weeks Is a Minimum, Not a Fixed Rate
Article 54 sets three weeks per year as the legal floor. Employers may agree to pay more, and a number of companies in Qatar contractually provide 30 days per year instead of 21.
On QAR 5,000 over five years:
| Basis | Gratuity |
|---|---|
| 21 days (statutory minimum) | QAR 17,500 |
| 30 days (enhanced contractual) | QAR 25,000 |
QAR 7,500 of difference on identical service. Before you assume the statutory figure is what you’re owed, read your contract or company handbook. An enhanced rate written into your terms is enforceable.
Our QAR 10,000 breakdown covers what to look for.
Does Resigning Reduce It?
No. Qatar is clearer on this than most of the Gulf.
| How employment ends | Gratuity |
|---|---|
| Resignation after one year | Full entitlement |
| Termination by employer | Full entitlement |
| Contract expiry | Full entitlement |
| Retirement | Full entitlement |
| Dismissal under Article 61 | May be forfeited |
| Under one year of service | None |
Contract type makes no difference either. Fixed-term and open-ended contracts receive the same entitlement once the minimum service requirement is met.
Article 61 covers specific serious misconduct — forged documents, disclosing confidential information, causing serious financial loss, assault at the workplace, prolonged unexplained absence, or conviction for an offence involving honour or honesty. Outside those defined circumstances, gratuity is a statutory entitlement that cannot be withheld or signed away by contract.
Your Service May Be Longer Than You Think
Two rules that regularly work in the employee’s favour.
The two-month continuity rule. Your service counts as continuous even if it was interrupted, provided the interruption was not a dismissal under Article 61 and you returned to work within two months. This matters in sectors where contracts are briefly ended and restarted.
Renewals don’t reset anything. An employee on their third two-year contract has six years of service, not two. If your employer has calculated from your latest contract date rather than your original joining date, that’s an error worth raising.
Unpaid Leave Reduces Your Service Period
Days of unpaid absence are generally excluded from the service period used for the calculation. On QAR 5,000, each unpaid day costs roughly QAR 9.59, so thirty days of unpaid leave is around QAR 288.
Paid annual leave, paid sick leave and public holidays all count as active service and don’t reduce anything.
Exactly how unpaid leave is applied often depends on company policy, so check your handbook if you’ve taken an extended unpaid absence.
When You Should Be Paid
Article 54 requires the employer to pay the end-of-service gratuity, together with any other amounts due, at the date the employment relationship ends.
Visa cancellation is a separate obligation. For non-Qatari employees, residency cancellation must be completed within two weeks of the end of employment under Article 57. Many companies link the gratuity payment to that process, but the two are legally distinct — a pending visa cancellation is not a lawful reason to hold your settlement.
Settle before you leave the country. Recovering an unpaid settlement from abroad is considerably harder.
What Else Is in Your Settlement
Gratuity is one line. Depending on your contract you may also be owed unpaid salary to your last working day, encashment of unused annual leave, notice pay where the employer waived your notice, a repatriation ticket, and any pending commission or bonus.
Legally recoverable deductions such as loans and salary advances may be applied, but you’re entitled to see each one itemised.
If Your Employer Won’t Pay
Ask for the settlement in writing first, showing the basic salary used, your service dates, the days applied and every deduction. Most disputes resolve here, because writing the calculation down tends to expose the error.
If that doesn’t work, you can submit a complaint through the Ministry of Labour’s official channels. The Ministry reviews the case, contacts the employer and attempts to resolve it before the matter escalates further.
Have your employment contract and renewals, Qatar ID, salary slips, Wage Protection System records or bank statements showing salary transfers, and your resignation or termination letter ready. WPS records are the strongest evidence of what you were actually paid.
Check Your Own Figure
Enter your basic salary and your actual joining and last working dates in the Qatar Gratuity Calculator. You’ll get a year-by-year breakdown you can download and take to HR.
If you’ve used another calculator and the figures don’t match, check whether the other one is applying the escalating rate. That’s usually the reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much gratuity on QAR 5,000 after 5 years? QAR 17,500 — 105 days of basic wage at QAR 166.67 per day.
How much after 2 years?
QAR 7,000.
How much after 10 years?
QAR 35,000.
Does the rate increase after five years in Qatar?
No. The current law applies a flat three weeks per year to all service. The four-week and five-week bands belonged to the previous law and were repealed.
Why does another calculator show a higher figure?
Most likely because it’s still applying the escalating rate from the old law. On QAR 5,000 over ten years that overstates the amount by nearly QAR 6,000.
Is gratuity calculated on basic salary or total salary?
Basic salary only. Housing, transport, overtime and bonuses are excluded.
Do I get gratuity if I resign?
Yes, provided you’ve completed one year of continuous service. Resigning doesn’t reduce the amount.
What if I leave before one year?
Nothing is payable.
Is there a maximum gratuity in Qatar?
No. Qatar sets no cap.
Can my employer pay more than 21 days a year?
Yes. Article 54 sets a minimum, and many contracts provide 30 days.
Does unpaid leave reduce my gratuity?
Yes, unpaid days are generally excluded from the service period. Paid annual leave is not.
Is gratuity taxable in Qatar?
No. Qatar does not levy personal income tax on employment income.
Last updated: September 2026 Based on: Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, Articles 54, 57 and 61
Written by Farhan — About
Working on a different salary? See our breakdown for QAR 10,000, or use the Qatar Gratuity Calculator for your exact figure.
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