About Bahrain

Whether you’re looking to visit, live or work in Bahrain—we can support your immigration needs at every stage of your journey.

​​If you’re a foreign national looking to visit, live and/or work in Bahrain, many options are available.

• Business Visits: Depending on your citizenship, you may be able to obtain your entry visa upon arrival in Bahrain, through an electronic portal before arrival (e-visa) or you may need to secure a visa from a Bahraini consular post before you travel. With a Business Visa, you can generally enter Bahrain once or multiple times and are typically allowed to stay there for up to one month; you can extend your stay if you need to stay longer. Some multiple-entry visas are valid for up to one year and allow you to stay in Bahrain for up to 90 days at a time.
• Work Authorization: If you need to work in Bahrain and are not a national of a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member country, you'll need to first secure an employment contract with a Bahraini entity and obtain a work visa. Work authorization is generally valid for one or two years, with a possibility of extension. If you're a national of a GCC member country, you won't require authorization to enter or work in Bahrain, regardless of your intended length of stay.
• Internships/Traineeships: There is a trainee-specific work authorization category. The Training Visa (With Guarantor) is suitable if you're a trainer or trainee and permits training/internships for an employer in Bahrain. The visa is generally granted for six months and the maximum allowable time is six months.
• Self-employment: If you're looking to work in Bahrain and don't have a local sponsor, Bahrain offers self-sponsored residence permits for two, five, or 10 years. Under this permit, you cannot be employed in the government or private sector in Bahrain. To be eligible, you'll need to be:
  1. An Investor with shares in a local business of at least BHD 100,000, has health insurance, and a source of income of at least BHD 500 per month; or
  2. A property owner with a property value of no less than BHD 50,000 located in a special zone, has health insurance, and a source of income of at least BHD 500 per month; or
  3. A retiree aged 55 or above with an employment certificate issued by an employer in Bahrain or another GCC country confirming you worked for no less than 15 years, and that you have health insurance and a source of income sufficient to support yourself while in Bahrain.
  
  There is also a Labour Registration Program that may allow you to obtain a work authorization valid for up to two years to work on a self-sponsored basis if your work permit expires or is canceled (including holders of Flexible Work Permits seeking to regularize status).
  
  NOTE: For a ten-year residence permit for retired foreign nationals, investors, entrepreneurs, and foreign nationals with talent, you must meet the criteria for a Golden Visa, including a potential government nomination. For more information, please contact your Fragomen immigration professional.

Fragomen can also consult on citizenship matters and, as permitted within the confines of local law, may be able to offer citizenship assistance.