At Unitech, we want you to understand what to prepare, why documents are requested and what happens next. This guide walks you through the customer journey, from choosing the correct eligibility category to managing renewals and requesting cancellation.
Already have a .qa domain? Please read the update and renewal sections too. The new requirements are relevant to existing registrations as well as new applications.
What has changed for Unitech customers?
From 22 October 2026, Qatar domain operations are processed under the revised policies of the Qatar Domains Registry (QDR), operated by the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA).
| What you want to do | What you should prepare |
|---|---|
| Register a new domain | Select the correct eligibility category and provide matching supporting documents. |
| Transfer a domain to Unitech | Prepare eligibility evidence, transfer authorisation and the required renewal payment. |
| Renew an existing domain | Pay the renewal invoice on time and review whether the recorded registrant remains eligible. |
| Change nameservers or registration contacts | Arrange eligibility verification before the registry modification is processed. |
| Cancel a new registration | Raise an explicit cancellation request before Unitech's processing cutoff. |
Previously, second-level .qa registrations were broadly open without documentary evidence. Under the updated framework, an available domain must also be supported by an eligible applicant.
1. Registering a domain: choose the right eligibility category
Start by deciding who the domain should be registered to: an individual, a company or another eligible organisation. Enter that registrant's correct legal details when ordering.
The documents we request depend on your selected eligibility type. We do not ask every .qa applicant to provide a trade licence.
| Your eligibility category | What to submit |
|---|---|
| Qatar ID | A clear copy of the registrant's valid Qatar ID. |
| Residency Permit | A clear copy of the registrant's valid Qatar Residency Permit. |
| Trade License/CR | The relevant valid Qatar trade licence or Commercial Registration. |
| Trademark | Evidence of the qualifying trademark registration in Qatar. |
| Sporting, charitable, public or religious organisation | Official documents establishing the organisation's applicable status and eligibility. |
| Educational institution, school, government or military entity | Applicable official registration, recognition or authorisation documents. |
Example: You order a personal .qa domain and select “Qatar ID”. Your document request will ask for your Qatar ID. If a business selects “Trade License/CR”, the request will ask for its commercial document instead.
The extension also matters. .com.qa is intended for eligible commercial applicants, .net.qa for eligible ICT businesses and providers, and .name.qa for eligible individuals. The .qa and Arabic .قطر namespaces support multiple approved categories. Other restricted Qatar extensions have their own criteria and application routes.
An applicant outside Qatar may qualify through an applicable Qatar eligibility basis, such as qualifying trademark rights. A foreign passport or overseas company registration alone does not establish that eligibility.
2. After payment: use your eligibility document ticket
For a paid Qatar domain registration or transfer order, Unitech uses a support ticket to request the relevant documents. The subject identifies the domain and invoice:
Dear Customer,
Please attach a clear copy of your valid Qatar Trade Licence/Commercial Registration (CR) to this ticket for domain eligibility verification.
Domain: example.qa
Registrant / Business Name: Example Trading WLL
Eligibility Type: Trade License/CR
Document Number: 123456
The ticket reflects the details saved for your domain. A document expiry date is shown when it is recorded; .qa does not have a mandatory expiry-date field in Unitech's current additional-fields form. The supporting evidence must nevertheless be valid.
What you need to do
- Sign in to your Unitech client area and open the document-request ticket.
- Check the registrant name, eligibility type and document reference shown in it.
- Attach clear, readable copies of the requested documents to your reply.
- If any saved details are wrong, explain the correction in the same ticket.
- Respond to any clarification requested by the document team.
Please keep your replies in the same ticket. If you cannot find it, contact support and mention the domain and invoice number.
Submitting a document is not the same as completing verification. Our team needs to review the evidence. Technical activation of a domain also does not remove the eligibility requirements.
3. Make sure the document supports the registered name
The registrant or business name and document number should agree with the evidence you submit. For commercial entities and organisations, the documents must establish the applicable entitlement to the name represented by the domain.
This does not mean the complete web address must always be printed on a CR or certificate. Where the relationship between the domain, legal entity, trading name or trademark is unclear, we may ask for supporting evidence or clarification.
Example: The application names “Example Trading WLL”, but the CR belongs to a different business. We cannot assume the document verifies the recorded registrant. Please explain the relationship or correct the application.
For a company domain, use the correct company as the registrant. A web developer or agency may manage the domain under authorisation, but management access alone does not establish the agency's registration rights.
4. Cancelling a new registration and requesting a refund
New registrations have a five-calendar-day Add Grace Period, starting from the actual registration time recorded by the registry. A qualifying deletion within that period provides a registry-fee refund to the registrar.
To request cancellation through Unitech, reply to your domain ticket and explicitly state that you want the domain cancelled and a registration-fee refund requested.
Example: If the registry registers the domain on 1 November at 10:00 AM Qatar time, the five-day period ends on 6 November at 10:00 AM. Your cancellation request must reach Unitech by 5 November at 6:00 PM.
The window does not restart when you pay an invoice, receive a ticket or upload documents. If the order has not yet been registered, ask support to confirm its status and the applicable cancellation treatment.
Not submitting documents is not a cancellation request. Do not leave the request unanswered and assume that a refund will follow. If you intend to cancel, tell us clearly and early.
5. Renewing your domain: follow your Unitech invoice
Please pay your renewal invoice by its stated due date. Check that your account email is current so you receive notices, and contact support promptly if you intend to discontinue a domain.
The new registry system automatically extends a domain by one year at expiry and provides a 45-day Auto-Renew Grace Period. This is a registry lifecycle and billing arrangement. It does not mean that Unitech has received your renewal payment or that your domain has been renewed free of charge.
Example: A domain lookup shows an expiry date one year later, but your Unitech renewal invoice remains unpaid. You still need to settle that invoice or discuss cancellation with us. The registry's displayed date is not a payment receipt.
If you do not want to renew, notify Unitech before the renewal is processed, preferably before expiry. Do not assume that a customer-account renewal preference alone cancels the registry's automatic lifecycle.
Can a processed renewal be cancelled or refunded?
Contact Unitech immediately with the domain and invoice number. The registry provides a separate five-day Renew Grace Period for qualifying transactions, but the reversal procedure can involve deleting the domain and reversing its extension. It is not simply removing an invoice while keeping the renewed domain unchanged.
We must check the registry state, timing and applicable terms before confirming a cancellation or refund. The new-registration customer refund arrangement should not be assumed to apply automatically to renewals.
The revised policy permits terms up to 10 years, subject to available ordering options and the maximum combined term. A longer term does not waive continuing eligibility requirements.
6. Existing domain holders: verify before nameserver or contact changes
An older .qa registration is not automatically cancelled because the policies changed. CRA has clarified that existing domains can continue through registry auto-renewal. However, eligibility verification must be completed before modifications to an existing registration, including applicable DNS updates.
Before a hosting migration, nameserver change, registration-contact update or change of registrant, contact Unitech and confirm whether your evidence has already been reviewed and remains suitable.
If you previously submitted documents, quote the earlier ticket number. We will check the records rather than ask you to start again unnecessarily. Further evidence may still be needed if the documents have expired, the recorded registrant has changed or the proposed change affects the approved eligibility details.
Example: Your company registered its domain several years ago without documents. You now want to change to a different DNS provider. Prepare the company's current eligibility evidence before asking us to process the new nameservers.
CRA's clarification states that if the registrant does not meet the applicable eligibility requirements, the registrar must delete the domain, after which it enters the 30-day Redemption Period. Missing evidence requires review; previous registration or a successful renewal is not proof that eligibility has been approved.
Editing individual DNS records at an external DNS provider is technically different from changing the nameservers held by the registry. This distinction should not be treated as a general exemption from Qatar domain eligibility obligations. Ask us about the particular change you need.
7. Transferring a domain to Unitech
Prepare the applicable transfer authorisation/code, accurate registrant details and eligibility documents. A transfer changes the sponsoring registrar; it does not automatically change the legal registrant or remove document requirements.
You will receive an eligibility document request for the transferred domain. Transfer tickets request the relevant evidence without the new-registration five-day cancellation/refund terms or Unitech's 16-hour registration-cancellation deadline.
The transfer policy provides a 60-day restriction after initial registration or a previous transfer. Transfers generally proceed after five calendar days unless approved earlier by the losing registrar, subject to the policy's requirements.
An incoming transfer includes a mandatory one-year renewal. The policy prohibits a separate transfer-only fee, but the required renewal is chargeable. Confirm the cost and timing before starting.
A change of registrant is a separate request requiring the applicable documentary basis and eligibility checks. The published policy also restricts selling, renting or leasing .qa domains; permitted registrant changes must be assessed under the transfer policy rather than assumed from a private agreement.
8. If your domain has expired or been deleted
Contact Unitech immediately and provide the domain name. The options depend on the current registry status, not only the date displayed in your account.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Renewal payment is due or overdue | Settle the invoice or contact support immediately to confirm what action is still available. |
| Domain is in the Auto-Renew Grace Period | Do not assume the 45-day registry stage extends your Unitech payment deadline. Ask us to check the status. |
| Domain is in Redemption | Ask about restoration promptly. Eligible deleted domains have a 30-day Redemption Period; recovery follows separate procedures and fees. |
| Domain reaches Pending Delete | The policy provides a one-day final deletion stage. Recovery should not be assumed. |
During redemption, the domain is inactive and its website and email can stop working. Restoration is not the same as normal renewal. Some policy-enforcement deletions have different, potentially permanent consequences.
Do not plan around recovering a domain after deletion. Timely renewal, correct registrant details and current eligibility evidence are the safer way to maintain continuity.
Your next step
If you are placing a new order, select the correct eligibility type and prepare its supporting document. If you already hold a domain, review the registrant information and renewal invoice before your next change.
For document submission, cancellation, renewal queries or planned modifications, use your Unitech client area and keep the domain name in your ticket. Where a document ticket already exists, reply there so our team can review the full history.
We are here to guide you through the required steps and clarify the status of your request before you proceed.
Official reference: Qatar Domains Registry Policies – Communications Regulatory Authority.
This guide reflects the updated registry policies and CRA's registrar clarification dated 20 October 2026. The 16-hour advance cancellation deadline is Unitech's processing requirement. Official QDR policies and applicable CRA instructions prevail where there is a conflict. Refund eligibility depends on the operation, timing, registry status and applicable customer terms.
