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Qatar's Mandatory Education Law requires every child from age six to be in mandatory education or an equivalent school, and its only published exemptions are medical. Families on family visas also register each child's education status with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE).
This guide covers what the law says, how the visa education registration works, what it means for families using an online school, exams at the British Council in Doha, costs, and routes to university.
Qatari law doesn't provide for homeschooling. Law No. 25 of 2001 requires every child to be in mandatory education or an equivalent school until they finish secondary school or turn 18.
| Law No. 25 of 2001 | What it says |
|---|---|
| Article 2 | Education is mandatory and free for all children from the start of primary school to the end of secondary school, or until they turn 18, whichever comes first |
| Article 3 | The legal guardian of a child who turns six during the school year must enrol them in mandatory education and keep them there until they finish secondary school or turn 18 |
| Private schools and institutions | A guardian may instead enrol the child, at their own expense, in another school or institution at the same level, provided the education authority is told its name at least a week before the school year starts |
| Exemptions | A child can be exempted for illness or disability, by ministerial decision on a medical certificate, or during temporary circumstances such as suspension from school |
| Penalty | A guardian who doesn't enrol a child without an acceptable excuse can be fined QAR 5,000 to QAR 10,000, rising to QAR 10,000 to QAR 20,000 for repeat violations |
The law's text refers to all children rather than only Qatari citizens, and it doesn't mention homeschooling. We haven't found published MOEHE rules that set out a homeschooling route for Qatari or expat families.
Since early 2025, sponsors applying for a Dependent Family Entry Visa must register the education status of each child aged 6 to 18 with MOEHE before the visa is issued.
How the rule was introducedChildren aged 6 to 18 on family visas. The rule began with residence permit renewals, first for children at schools in Qatar in late 2023, then from February 2024 for children studying abroad or being home-schooled.
MOEHE's compulsory education portal asks parents for proof of their child's compulsory education, or a justification for non-enrolment chosen from the options on the portal.
Registration runs through MOEHE's online portal. Immigration advisers report processing times of around five to ten business days, and some sponsors have been asked to attend in person.
We haven't seen MOEHE describe the registration as approval of homeschooling or of a curriculum, so ask how your child's education will be recorded before you rely on an online school alone.
For a child living in Qatar, studying with a foreign online school on its own may not meet the Mandatory Education Law.
Read Law No. 25 of 2001The law expects enrolment in mandatory education or in an equivalent school or institution that the education authority knows about. We know of no MOEHE list of equivalent institutions that includes foreign online schools, CambriLearn included.
The law's only exemptions are medical or temporary, so a Qatari family choosing homeschooling for other reasons has no published route. Speak to MOEHE before withdrawing a child from school.
Home-schooled children are among those registered through MOEHE's education status process, according to immigration advisers. Check with MOEHE how an online school will be recorded for your child.
If your child's education needs to move with you between countries, speak to a consultant about where you'll be living, because the rules depend on the country you live in.
