.QA
Qatar
QDR / CRA Qatar · ccTLD · Updated 2026-09-10
ConditionalIDN
Specifications
- Zone
- .qa
- Registration
- Standard (manual processing)
- Registration period
- 1-5 years
- Character length
- 1-63
- Nameservers
- 2-7 nameservers
- Transfer time
- Manual (days)
- Auth code format
- Standard EPP
- Redemption period
- None (no RGP)
- Handle updates
- Yes
- WHOIS privacy
- No
- WHOIS update
- Standard
- WHOIS server
- whois.registry.qa
- Connection
- Direct
- Data set
- ccTLD
- Auth code
- Yes
Eligibility & Restrictions
Major policy shift end of 2024: CRA discontinued renewal and issuance of registrar licenses to international companies. Only companies legally registered in Qatar are eligible to be accredited registrars. .QA (direct): open registration through Qatari-licensed registrars. .COM.QA: requires valid Qatari trade license or registered trademark in Qatar. DNS must point to nameservers in Qatar. .NET.QA: Qatari telecom/networking providers only. .GOV.QA, .MIL.QA, .ORG.QA, .EDU.QA, .SCH.QA: restricted, managed directly by QDR.
End-2024 policy change: only Qatar-registered companies can be accredited registrars. International registrars (including CentralNic) migrated to Qhost.qa. Verify current registrar accreditation status before processing any .QA orders.
.COM.QA and .NET.QA: DNS nameservers must be located in Qatar. If registrant name differs from company/trademark name, authorization letter required.
Registration
1-5 years. 3-day grace period after initial registration (full refund if cancelled). Reserved names list enforced (government, religious, cultural terms). Arabic IDN (.قطر) supported. Content must comply with Qatari laws and Islamic morality.
Transfer Procedure
Manual transfer process with auth code. Processing may take several days.
📘 ICANN Transfer Policy (IRTP) — See ICANN Transfer Policy for the full IRTP framework, auth code rules, 60-day lock periods, and TEAC.
Registrant Change
Standard process through registrar. Updated documentation may be required.
📘 ICANN OwnerChange (COR) — See ICANN OwnerChange for COR triggers, FOA/DA modes, 60-day lock, and opt-out.
Renewal & Deletion
If not renewed by expiry: domain enters 'Expired Hold' (DNS disabled, still renewable/transferable). After 30 days in Expired Hold: moves to 'Expired Pending Purge' (1 day). Then deleted.
📘 ICANN ERRP — See ICANN ERRP for the standard gTLD expiry lifecycle (Auto-Renew Grace → RGP → Pending Delete → Released).
Restore / Redemption Grace Period
No restoration after deletion. Domain available for new registration after purge. Always renew before expiry.
No restore/RGP for .QA. Once deleted after Expired Pending Purge, domain is gone. Always renew before expiry.
📘 ICANN ERRP — See ICANN ERRP for RGP details and standard restore fees.
WHOIS / Privacy
Registrant data publicly accessible via WHOIS per Qatari law. Registrant agrees to disclosure in Registrant Agreement. WHOIS privacy not available.
📘 ICANN Registration Data Policy — See Registration Data Policy for RDP 2025, RDAP, redaction defaults, and privacy/proxy rules.
NIS2 Compliance
N/A. Qatar not subject to EU NIS2.
📘 NIS2 Compliance — See NIS2 Compliance for Article 28 requirements, registry implementation status, and operational impact.
Known Error Codes & Notes
- Qatar-only registrars: Since end-2024, only Qatar-registered companies can be accredited registrars. International registrar licenses discontinued.
- No RGP: No restore after deletion. Domain lost if not renewed before purge.
- .COM.QA Qatar DNS: Nameservers must be located in Qatar for .COM.QA and .NET.QA.
- Content restrictions: Content must comply with Qatari laws and Islamic morality. Violations lead to immediate revocation.
- NS-Update tickets: Nameserver update issues are a known support ticket driver for .QA. Verify NS are Qatar-based for .COM.QA.
Data controllers
- Communications Regulatory Authority (org) Al Nasr Tower B., Corniche Road, Doha 23404, Qatar
- Communications Regulatory Authority — Qatar Domains Registry Admin (admin) Al Nasr Tower B., Corniche Road, Doha 23404, Qatar
Error codes
- EF00803
- EF01017
- EF03008
- EF00512
- EF01008
- EF01009
- EF03005
- EF01002
- EF03007
- EF03006
- EF01075
- EF03011
- EF01055
- EF010871
- EF03010
- EF01095
- EF01074
- EF0103118
Further information
- Qhost.qa: https://qhost.qa
Required fields
- techc/email
- ownerc/email
- adminc/email
Restrictions
- Domains can be registered without restrictions.
- Restore is only possible after domain has expired, not after the explicit deletion of the domain.
Root nameservers
- H.REGISTRY.QA
- G.REGISTRY.QA
- I.REGISTRY.QA
- A.REGISTRY.QA
- D.REGISTRY.QA
- E.REGISTRY.QA
- C.REGISTRY.QA
- F.REGISTRY.QA
- B.REGISTRY.QA
Tasks (API)
- renew · available · chargeable · manual
- update · available · chargeable · manual
- transfer · available · chargeable · manual · AuthInfo required
- restoreNE · available · manual
- preack · available · manual
- create · available · chargeable · manual
- restoreARGP · available · manual
- delete · available · manual