What you need to know before investing in Qatari real estate:
Property registration
The process of registering a property is quite complicated, so again the advice of a good real estate lawyer or a reliable real estate broker or developer’s representative will help. Once the contracts are exchanged, the buyer needs to take the title deeds, signed contracts and either the final payment receipt (if buying a plan-off / under construction ) or the mortgage and deposit details to the Qatar Department of Real Estate Registration and Verification at the Ministry of Municipality and Planning. Various application forms need to be completed and documents verified and at least one of the parties must be present in person. Registration must then be carried out at the Real Estate Registration Department of the Ministry of Justice.
Foreigners buying properties for rent will also need to visit the Real Estate Registration Office for Non-Qatari Nationals, which is located at the Doha Municipality office in Al Sadd.
Fees
Although there is no property tax as such in Qatar, the buyer must also pay a transfer fee of 1% of the property value at this stage and a final binding confirmation agreement is subsequently approved. Fees may also be charged by the developer for ‘extras’ such as ongoing maintenance, parking fees or other facilities, so it is important to be aware of these before agreeing to purchase. Foreigners can buy a property and get a mortgage in Qatar. Qatar’s central bank has a number of regulations on mortgage lending to foreign investors: the maximum term of a mortgage cannot exceed 20 years. The foreigner must be 65 years old at the time the loan matures.
