Qatar Adopts New Generation Vehicle Licence Plate, Replacement To Happen In Phases

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior announced the launch of a project to replace existing vehicle number plates with newly developed plates featuring an enhanced design that aligns with the best international standards and supports modern technologies used in smart traffic systems.

This national project aims to strengthen the visual identity of vehicle plates and standardise them according to clearer and more precise criteria, thereby supporting the traffic system through the utilisation of advanced digital technologies. The project covers all categories of vehicle plates as part of an integrated development plan for the national plate numbering system, ensuring its sustainability and providing multiple future options that keep pace with the continuous growth in the number of vehicles.

The rollout of the new plates will begin with private vehicles, adding a single letter (Q) to their plate numbers, followed sequentially by the letters (T) and (R).

The project will be implemented in several phases, as follows:

Phase One:
Allocation of the letter (Q) to vehicles whose owners obtain special plate numbers through the Sooum application, during the period from December 13 to 16, 2025.

Phase Two:
Commencement of the installation of new plates for private vehicles registered for the first time in the vehicle licensing system (new registrations), starting from April 1, 2026. These vehicles will be assigned the available letters within the numbering system at that time, such as Q, T, or R, in accordance with the approved sequence.

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Phase Three:
This phase includes all currently licensed private vehicles, whose plates will be replaced by adding the letter (Q) to their existing numbers, in accordance with timelines to be announced at a later date.

Additional phases will subsequently be implemented for non-private vehicles, involving the addition of two letters to their plate numbers.

Until the announcement of these timelines, existing vehicle plates will continue to be used for permit renewals or plate damage until the scheduled implementation of the replacement plan for currently registered vehicles begins.

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