Effective immediately, the Qatari Ministry of Economy and Finance has modified the following customs clearance requirements:

• The previous duty and tax threshold of QAR500 (approx. CAD$139) has been removed. Duties and taxes will now apply to all nondocument commercial shipments (including samples), regardless of value.
• All nondocument commercial shipments, including samples, require an original signed and stamped Commercial Invoice and an original Certificate of Origin, regardless of value. Please note that imaged or faxed copies are not acceptable. A penalty will apply for each missing document – the fine amount is QAR500 (approx. CAD$139) or 1% of the customs value for shipments over QAR50,000 (approx. CAD$13,900).

The above documents must be legalized for import into Qatar. If the documents have not been legalized prior to import, a legalization fee must be paid by the recipient. The minimum customs fee is QAR250 (approx. CAD$70) and is based on the value of the shipment. Canada export shipments are legalized through the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington, DC. For more information, visit the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington, DC website.

Update

Effective January 25, 2012, the following requirements apply:

• All shipments exceeding 220.5 lbs. (100 kg) in total shipment weight must have the country of manufacture engraved or printed on the product itself; stickers are not acceptable.
• Consignees of commercial shipments must hold a valid Qatar Commercial Registration (CR) and import license.
• All personal nondocument shipments require a copy of the consignee ID (National ID, Employment ID, Passport, etc).

Please Note: If the above requirements are not met, the shipment will be returned to the origin and may be subject to penalties and/or legal action.