Through MOPH's Health Facilities Department, in three stages, registration in 5 working days, initial assessment in 20 and a final assessment with an inspection of the facility's readiness in 20. Every practitioner needs their own DHP licence before they see a patient, and health data needs a permit under Law No. 13 of 2016.
The three stages MOPH publishes
The Health Facilities Department licenses and renews every health facility in Qatar, public and private, and inspects them in the field. Its own page sets three stages, each with a published time.1 Applications run through the Health Facility Licensing and Inspection System, and MOPH asks facilities to keep their data current on that Facility Licensing Portal.3
| Stage | Working days | What MOPH looks at |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | 5 | The service per location, aligned with the Qatar urban plan |
| Initial assessment | 20 | The feasibility of the project, and its design, layout and flow of work |
| Final assessment | 20 | An inspection of the facility's readiness |
What changed in April 2026
Since 14 April 2026, investors submit engineering drawings for a health facility through the Ministry of Municipality's Building Permit System, instead of in person at the Health Facilities Department. That step opens once registration is complete and the preliminary approval letter for the activity is in hand, and the final evaluation then leads to the licence.2
The licences beside the facility licence
A facility licence covers the building and the service. Each practitioner is licensed separately by the Department of Healthcare Professions, and MOPH closed a facility in March 2024 for letting four practitioners work before their licences were complete.4 Health data is personal data of a special nature under Law No. 13 of 2016, processed only after permission from the competent department.5
- Register the facility. Through the Health Facility Licensing and Inspection System, with the service and location aligned with the Qatar urban plan.
- Pass the initial assessment. Show the project's feasibility, design, layout and flow of work. Allow 20 working days.
- Submit the drawings online. Once the preliminary approval letter is in hand, through the Building Permit System.
- Recruit licensed staff. Start every practitioner's DHP licence early, and let nobody practise until it is complete.
- Set up records and consent. Booking, notes, consent and access controls running on a test patient before the inspection.
- Pass the final assessment. MOPH inspects whether the facility is ready to treat patients, within 20 working days.
- Keep the data current. Update the facility's details on the Facility Licensing Portal whenever they change.
- Facility name ______ Facility type ______ Location ______
- Registration submitted on ______ Completed on ______
- Initial assessment submitted on ______ Preliminary approval on ______
- Drawings submitted through the Building Permit System on ______
- Medical director ______ DHP licence number ______
- Practitioners with complete DHP licences ______ of ______
- Health data permit applied for on ______
- Final assessment on ______ Licence issued on ______
The MOPH Qatar hub sets out all five areas MOPH regulates, and the guide to clinic AI in Doha covers the city's market and its data rules.
Questions
How long does a MOPH facility licence take?
MOPH publishes 5 working days for registration, 20 for the initial assessment and 20 for the final assessment, about 45 working days in all.
Can we submit our drawings online?
Since 14 April 2026, yes, through the Ministry of Municipality's Building Permit System, once registration is complete and the preliminary approval letter is issued.
Can a practitioner start before their licence is complete?
No, and MOPH closed a facility in March 2024 for hiring four practitioners before their licences were complete.
Sources
- 1Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, 2026Health Facilities Department, functions and licensing processRead source
- 2Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, 2026Electronic integration of licensing procedures for health facility building with the Building Permit System, 14 April 2026Read source
- 3Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, 2024Circular No (HFD/2024/18), updating healthcare facilities data via the Facility Licensing Portal (FLI)Read source
- 4Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, 2024Temporary closure of a health facility for hiring 4 health practitioners before completing their professional licences, 24 March 2024Read source
- 5National Cyber Security Agency, Qatar, 2016Law No. (13) of 2016 on Protecting Personal Data Privacy, English text, Article 16Read source
Written by the wai team from Ministry of Public Health, Qatar guidance, checked on 16 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. MOPH does not endorse wai or any software.