Who Needs a Bahrain Visa?
You need a Bahrain visa unless you are from the following countries:
- Kuwait
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
Everyone else has to get a Visa on Arrival, an eVisa, or apply for a visa at a Bahrain Embassy.
Countries Eligible For Bahrain Visa on Arrival and eVisa
If you are from one of the following countries, you can apply for either a Bahrain Visa on Arrival or a Bahrain eVisa, unless otherwise specified:
- EU Member States
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Georgia
- Guyana
- Hong Kong
- Iceland
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Liechtenstein
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Monaco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Russia
- San Marino
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Suriname
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Ukraine (Visa on arrival only)
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
The Visa on Arrival and eVisa allow you to stay in Bahrain for up to one month. Citizens from the UK and Ireland can stay for up to three months.
Countries Eligible for a Bahrain eVisa
If you are from one of the following countries, you can apply for a Bahrain eVisa, which is valid for 14 days:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Azerbaijan
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- British Overseas Territories
- Cameroon
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Haiti
- India
- Indonesia
- Ivory Coast
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- South Africa
- Taiwan
- Trinidad and Tobago
Types of Bahrain Visas
The main types of visas for Bahrain are:
- Bahrain tourist visa. This type of visa is issued to foreign nationals who want to visit Bahrain for tourism or other short-term purposes (like visiting their family members). You are not allowed to work with a tourist visa.
- Bahrain business visa. This type of visa is issued to short-term business travellers, who are coming to Bahrain to attend a conference, meeting, or other business activity but who are still employed in a foreign company. Not to be confused with the Bahrain work visa.
- Bahrain work visa. This type of visa is for foreign nationals who want to work for a Bahrain company and live in Bahrain long-term.
- Bahrain family visa. This type of visa is issued to the family members of work visa holders.
- Bahrain student visa. This visa is issued to international students enrolled in a higher education course in Bahrain for at least one year.
Ways to Apply for a Visa to Bahrain
You can apply for a Bahrain visa in one of the following ways, depending on your nationality and how long you intend to stay in Bahrain:
- When you arrive at the airport
- Online, through the eVisa portal
- At the nearest Bahrain Embassy, if you are not eligible for a Bahrain visa on arrival or a Bahrain eVisa
Applying for a Bahrain Visa on Arrival
You can apply for a visa on arrival at the Bahrain International Airport. You must submit the required documents at the visa application counters and pay the fee.
You will receive either a 14-day visa or 30-day visa, which you can extend if you apply to the Nationality, Passport, and Residence Affairs (NPRA) Department of the Bahrain Ministry of Interior.
This is usually a tourist visa.
Applying for a Bahrain eVisa
If you are eligible for a Bahrain eVisa, you can apply yourself through the official government website (here). To get an eVisa for Bahrain you need to go through the following steps:
- You have to complete the application form with your information: nationality, passport number, personal details, etc.
- Attach the required documents in either JPG or PDF format.
- Scan of your passport
- A copy of your return flight ticket.
- Copy of your hotel reservation
- If you are staying with a relative: Copy of their CPR Reader’s printout
- Pay the Bahrain eVisa fee using a credit or debit card. The application fee is non-refundable.
- You will receive a reference number, which you can use to check on the outcome of your application.
- A Bahrain eVisa is processed within 3 to 5 working days.
- If your Bahrain visa is approved, you can print it out and use it to travel to Bahrain.
Applying for a Bahrain Embassy Visa
You have to apply for a Bahrain visa at an Embassy if:
- You are not eligible for neither a visa on arrival or an online visa
- You want to stay in Bahrain longer than the visa on arrival or online visa allow you to (i.e. you want to stay longer than 30 days)
You can find the Bahrain Embassies on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (here). The Embassy Bahrain visa is for multiple entries. With it, you can stay in Bahrain for up to 30 days within a three-month period.
Application Procedure
Even if you will apply for a Bahrain visa via an Embassy, you still have to complete and submit an online application to the Embassy you select. You have to complete the online application here by providing your nationality and purpose of visit. You will see a list of visas you are allowed to apply for based on your answers and nationality.
Once you select “Apply now”, you will be redirected to the application form, where you have to give your personal details and attach electronic copies of your passport and a passport-size picture. You also have the option of attaching additional documents, as needed.
Then, the consular staff of the Bahrain Embassy you selected to apply to will notify on how you should proceed.
Bahrain Visa Requirements
You need the following documents to apply for a Bahrain visa:
- Your passport, with at least another 6 months validity from the date of entry
- A passport-size picture
- Round-trip tickets
- Proof you can support yourself financially in Bahrain (bank statements from the last three months)
- Proof of accommodation in Bahrain
- Any other documents required by the Bahrain Embassy or Immigration
What is the Duration of a Bahrain Visa?
Bahrain issues visas with several durations, depending on the visa you apply for:
- Single-entry Bahrain eVisa is valid for 1 month. You have to use it within 30 days after it is approved.
- Multiple-entry Bahrain eVisa is valid for three months, but you cannot stay more than 30 days overall.
- Single-entry Bahrain visa on arrival is valid for 1 month. You have to use it within 30 days after it is approved.
- Single-entry Bahrain visa on arrival is valid for three months, but you cannot stay more than 30 days overall.
- Multiple-entry Bahrain visas can also be issued for one year, but you cannot stay in Bahrain for longer than three months on each visit.
Extending a Bahrain Visa
You can apply to extend your visa at the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs office (NPRA) of the Ministry of Interior. You can usually extend your stay for another two weeks to a month, and you have to pay an extension fee.
Bahrain Visa Cost
The Bahrain eVisa cost is 29 Bahrain Dinar overall:
- BD 4 (appx. USD 10) for processing the visa application
- BD 25 (appx. USD 66) for the actual visa
The Bahrain visa on arrival cost is:
- BD 25 for a two-week visa
- BD 30 for a 30-day visa
Can I Work In Bahrain with a Tourist Visa?
No, it is illegal to work in Bahrain with a tourist visa. For that, you would need a sponsored work visa (from your employer) and a work permit.
Bahrain Work Visa
To apply for a Bahrain work visa, you must have an employer in Bahrain, because it is they who will handle the majority of the application. Your employer has to request a work permit for you at the Bahrain Labour Market Regulatory Authority before you even travel to Bahrain. The Bahrain work permit along with the residence permit make up the so-called Bahrain work visa.
Both you and your employer have to submit several documents for the work permit application, but it is mostly the employer who handles it.
If the Labour Market Regulatory Authority approves your work permit application, you get the right to work and live in Bahrain for up to two years. You are also allowed to bring your dependent family members with you, but they are not allowed to work.
