Just imagine: a policeman stops you and asks to check your insurance. You realize it expired days ago. What do you do? Is there a grace period for renewal that can help you avoid the fines? Here’s a list of what happens if you miss your car insurance renewal day.

There are two types of coverage in Qatar: third-party liability and comprehensive insurance. All vehicles have to be insured with a minimum of third-party liability to be legally driven on the roads. On the other hand, comprehensive protection is optional and provides coverage for damages your car may sustain in an accident and has different add-ons for further protection, such as agency repairs, compensation for injuries, replacement car hire, etc.

Most comprehensive insurance policies don’t have a grace period, meaning they stop on the last day of the coverage. So, if you’ve opted for this type of protection for your vehicle, keep in mind that you won’t be covered until you renew. 

In the absence of active coverage, you are liable for all accidents or damages to the car, and you are financially responsible for all repairs and injuries that happen during this time. 

On the upside, with most insurance companies, including QIC, you have a one-month grace period for third-party liability insurance. This means you’ll be covered for 30 days after your coverage technically expires. 

But after this time, your insurance will not work anymore, and any damages you cause to other people and their vehicles will be your financial responsibility. 

Driving a car without insurance is unlawful in Qatar. 

If you are caught driving without insurance, you may be fined between QAR 1,500 and QAR 3,000, depending on when your insurance expired. Furthermore, your vehicle can even be impounded in case you’ve been driving for a while with expired insurance. 

What’s more, Qatar’s traffic violations run on a demerit point system. Any time you break the law, you get a certain number of points added to your license, depending on the seriousness of the offence. Once you accumulate 14 points from violations, your driving license gets suspended for three months. And for driving without insurance, you can get up to four points. 

Besides the fines and inadequate coverage, failure to renew your car insurance prevents you from registering your vehicle and renewing your Istimara card. Namely, valid insurance protection is among the key conditions for registering your vehicle, and you won’t be able to schedule an appointment or apply for renewal online without submitting insurance proof. 

An expired Istimara carries a fine of up to QAR 500. Moreover, if you’re caught, your license plate can be revoked and your car removed from the registry. 

During the period without insurance, any damages, be it to your or another person’s vehicle, along with injuries, will be your financial responsibility. This goes not only for repairs but also for medical appointments, hospital visits, lawsuits, and so on.