Before you start

A residence permit / QID in progress
An employer (legally required to enrol you)

Step-by-step

1
Confirm your employer's mandatory insurance
Under Law No. 22 of 2021, your employer must enrol you (and dependants) in a basic plan with an MOPH-registered insurer. It's a prerequisite for issuing/renewing your residence permit.
Via employerWho: Your employerAt onboardingEmployer-paid (basic plan ~QAR 50/mo)
2
Get your Hamad Health Card
Apply via PHCC / the Nar'ak app or a health centre for the card that gives subsidised access to public clinics (PHCC) and Hamad hospitals.
Mobile appWho: YouSame day to a few daysQAR 100 (non-GCC expats)
3
Register at your primary health centre
Your health card ties you to a local PHCC primary health centre for GP visits, vaccinations, and referrals.
In personWho: You—Subsidised per visit

Documents you’ll need

QID
Passport
Health-card application (PHCC / Nar'ak app)
Debit/credit card (no cash for the fee)

Things most newcomers don’t know

No health insurance, no visa — it's a hard gate now.

Since Law 22/2021, basic health insurance is a prerequisite for issuing or renewing any residence permit/visa. If onboarding stalls, check your insurance enrolment.

Source: MOPH / Law 22 of 2021

The basic mandatory plan is thin — emergencies only.

The ~QAR-50/month basic plan covers emergency + accident care up to QAR 150,000. For routine/family care, lean on the health card (public) or a richer employer plan.

Source: MOPH / guides

From April 2026, your QID is your health card.

Residents can present the QID instead of a physical Hamad health card at facilities — but you still renew the digital card and pay the fee.

Source: official

Health card ≠ insurance — you want both.

The health card gets you subsidised public care; the insurance satisfies the legal mandate and covers private/emergency. Newcomers conflate them.

Source: provider consensus