New Bahrain Golden Visa Portal: What You Need to Know

On 10 April 2025, the Department of Nationality, Passports & Residence Affairs (NPRA) in Bahrain launched a new website and hotline (contact Fragomen for assistance) for the country’s Golden visa. The platforms allow individuals or their representatives to access information on eligibility, application criteria, process and benefits related to Bahrain’s Golden Residency.

Overview of the Bahrain Golden Visa Program

Bahrain’s Golden Residency program, popularly known as a Golden visa (GV), was launched in 2022. Since its inception, the authorities have consistently made improvements to the service, ultimately making it accessible to more investors, skilled professionals and talented individuals, and retirees.

By the end of 2024, Bahrain issued more than 10,000 Golden visas to individuals of 100+ nationalities, demonstrating its commitment to retaining a diverse population of professionals and investors. For a country with a total population of just more than 1.5 million people, this represents a significant number of highly skilled and talented foreign nationals.

Eligibility Criteria for the Bahrain Golden Visa

Currently, the Golden visa is available to the following categories of individuals:

1. 1. 1. Investors: Investors must either own a property valued at a minimum of BHD 200,000 (approximately US$ 530,000) or have invested at least BHD 100,000 (approximately US$ 265,000) in a local business.
      2. Skilled professionals and talented individuals: Highly skilled professionals must demonstrate current employment or a job offer in a specialized field that is in demand in the Bahrain labor industry. Similarly, talented individuals, including students, sportsmen and artists may apply by providing proof of recognition of their achievements in science, technology, arts or sports.
      3. Retirees: Individuals above the age of 55 may apply as retirees, provided they can demonstrate a consistent monthly income of at least BHD 500 (approximately US$ 1325).

Key Benefits of the Bahrain Golden Visa

By switching to the self-sponsored long-term Golden visa, employees and other holders enjoy a long-term residency of up to 10 years with possibility of renewal thereafter.

Benefits for Employees

Employees enjoy the right to work for different employers within Bahrain, sponsor immediate family members in the visa application and benefit from flexible travel in and out of Bahrain throughout their residency. The Golden visa also provides pathways to permanent residency that holders may qualify for in the long run.

Benefits for Employers

• • • Access to a wide range of skilled workforce who can be attracted and retained by virtue of long-term residency
    • Ease of hiring as holders of Golden visa holders already have residency in the country and only require a local work permit once hired to attain work authorization status
    • Cost savings as employees do not need to renew residency visas and ID cards for up to 10 years
    • A 10-year national ID card (CPR card), which gives uninterrupted access to government and other residency-related services for longer periods of time

Benefits for Investors and Businesspeople

For investors and businesspeople, in addition to the above benefits that they may enjoy if they employ personnel into their businesses, they also enjoy the ease of establishing and managing businesses and making long-term investments in the country, while taking advantage of the long-term stability and security that comes with holding a Golden Visa.

How Fragomen Can Help with the Golden Visa Process

In short, Bahrain’s Golden visa program has evolved into a robust and strategic initiative that supports the Kingdom’s broader goals of economic diversification, talent acquisition, and investment growth. With its continued enhancements, Bahrain’s Golden visa program stands out as a smart choice for those seeking long-term stability, flexibility, and opportunity in the region. For investors, skilled professionals and retirees looking for long-term opportunities in the region, this is a chance to be part of a growing, forward-thinking economy. Now more than ever, Bahrain is open for talent and ready for growth.

With the latest enhancements to the Golden visa process, there is better access to information which is likely to significantly streamline the application process. However, a careful review of documentation is crucial prior to the application submission, to avoid potential rejections or delays. Any post-submission changes require careful justification and may trigger further scrutiny by authorities. As such, accurate document collation and a well-prepared application remain key to a smooth and successful outcome. Fragomen supports clients throughout this process, offering personal assessment and, as permitted within the confines of local law, assistance with citizenship matters.

Need to Know More?

To learn more about the features of the Bahrain Golden visa program or for queries regarding a personalized assessment, please contact Regional Immigration Manager David Makau at [email protected].

This blog was published on 23 April 2025, and due to the circumstances, there are frequent changes. To keep up to date with all the latest updates on global immigration, please subscribe to our alerts and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.