Qatar Maternity Leave Calculator
Enter the expected delivery date, the leave start date, your wage and your service to see the dates, pay and nursing hours.
Work out your maternity leave dates
Maternity leave rules in Qatar's private sector
| Item | Rule | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Length and pay | 50 days on full pay covering before and after the birth | Article 96 |
| Service condition | One full year with the employer | Article 96 |
| After the birth | At least 35 days, so at most 15 days before | Article 96 |
| Illness after the birth | Up to 60 continuous or separate unpaid days, with a medical certificate | Article 96 |
| Nursing | One hour a day for a year starting after the leave | Article 97 |
| Protection | No termination because of marriage or the leave, and no notice during it | Article 98 |
| Paternity leave | Not provided in the Labour Law | — |
Example: expected date 10 December 2026, total wage QAR 6,000.
Starting on the birth date: leave until 28 January 2027, back on 29 January. Pay 50 × 200 = QAR 10,000.
Earliest start: 25 November 2026 (15 days before), ending 13 January 2027 with exactly 35 days after the birth.
A woman with only 8 months' service gets no maternity pay, but keeps the nursing hour.
If the birth is late and fewer than 30 days of leave remain after it, the shortfall comes from annual leave or is unpaid; some sources give 35 days instead of 30, and we could not read the official Arabic text. Maternity leave does not reduce other leave. "Full pay" most likely means the total wage, since the law defines the wage as basic plus allowances.
The government sector differs: since 7 October 2025 leave is 3 months on gross salary (6 for twins or a child with a disability), with two nursing hours until the child turns two. For other leave use the Qatar leave calculator, and to compare countries the GCC leave comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How long is maternity leave in Qatar?
50 days on full pay covering the time before and after the birth, with at least 35 days after it, so at most 15 days before. One full year of service with the employer and a medical certificate of the expected date are required (Article 96 of Labour Law 14/2004).
Is maternity leave paid in Qatar with less than a year of service?
The law gives no maternity pay to women with less than a year of service, so the leave is most likely unpaid; unpaid leave can be agreed with the employer. The nursing hour still applies with no service condition.
How long are nursing breaks in Qatar?
One hour a day on top of rest breaks, for a year starting after maternity leave ends (not from the birth); the worker chooses the time and it counts as working time with no pay cut (Article 97).
Is there paternity leave in Qatar?
Qatar's Labour Law gives no paternity leave in the private sector; claims of 3 days have no basis in the text.
How long is maternity leave for Qatar government employees?
Since 7 October 2025 under Law 25/2025: 3 months on gross salary, or 6 months for twins or a child with a disability; Qatari women can extend by another 3 months, starting from the eighth month of pregnancy at the employee's choice.
Sources
- Qatar Labour Law 14/2004 — text of Article 96 (Mohamah.net, Arabic)
- Qatar Labour Law — consolidated English text (Articles 96–98)
- Clyde & Co via Legal 500 — workplace leave in Qatar (Sep 2020)
- Al Tamimi — 2026 amendments to Qatar Labour Law do not touch maternity (Jul 2026)
- The Peninsula — amendments to the Civil Human Resources Law (8 Oct 2025)
Figures and formulas on this page were last reviewed on 2026-11-03.