Do I need a Visa for Bahrain?
Virtually
everyone needs a visa to enter Bahrain, except for G.C.C. Nationals
but these are not usually difficult to obtain. Two-week visitors'
visas for Bahrain costing BD 5 are issued to most native-born nationals
from Europe, Canada, Australia or New Zealand without problems either
at Bahrain
International Airport or on the King Fahad Causeway from Saudi Arabia.
US citizens must pay either BD 1O for a Bahrain three-day visa or
BD 15 for Bahrain seven days. British Nationals will be issued an
automatic three month Visa, which costs BD 5 due to a reciprocal deal
for Bahraini Nationals in the UK. Visitors able to prove that they
are travelling on to Saudi Arabia pay only BD 2. It should not be
assumed that Bahrain visas will necessarily be issued for the spouse
and children of the worker. Some agreements with Middle-Eastern countries
to abolish visas have been affected by new European Union arrangements,
so check that your visas are in order for onward travel, including
those of your spouse and children.
Foreign nationals may enter Bahrain with a tourist visa (for individuals
or groups), 72-hour visa, 7-day visa, visit visa, business visa, family
visa, dependent visa or an employment visa. In addition, all visitors
who hold valid resident permits for Saudi Arabia can be issued a free
2-week visa. All applications for extension must be signed by a local
sponsor. In the case of tourist visas, the hotel may act as a sponsor.
Bahrain Tourist visa - This type of visa can be obtained at the Bahrain International Airport or King Fahad causeway for citizens of the EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States. Visitors must have no criminal record or involvement in activities that could threaten public order or national security. They are not permitted to seek employment while in Bahrain. Groups may obtain visas to Bahrain for a duration of up to 2 weeks, renewable once for a similar period. Visas are obtained through hotels, travel and tourist agencies and other firms licensed to conduct tourist activities in Bahrain.
Nationalities that can apply for this type of visa on arrival to Bahrain International Airport :-
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA.
Bahrain Employment visa - This is required for those who wish to work legally in Bahrain and become residents of the country. A work permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the General Directorate of Immigration and Passports (GDIP) are required before this visa can be issued. In addition, all American and Canadian passport holders can be issued a 5-year multiple entry visa, valid for one month's stay on each visit. British passport holders can be issued a 3-month entry visa, valid for one month's stay on each visit. This can be issued by the GDIP in Bahrain or by any Bahrain Embassy.
Bahrain Visit visa:- This is issued to foreign nationals who intend to visit relatives or friends in Bahrain. The application for a visit visa must be signed by a local sponsor and presented to the GDIP. The following documents must be presented with the application:-
a letter from the applicant's sponsor.
a copy of the applicant's CPR card.
a copy of the visitor's passport.
The visit visa is normally valid for one month's stay in Bahrain, but can sometimes be extended to a maximum of three months. A longer stay may be granted in exceptional circumstances. A person on a visit visa is not allowed to work or engage in business activities during their stay in Bahrain.
Bahrain Business visa - This type of visa is similar to a visit visa, but the purpose of the visit is business.
Bahrain Family visa -This visa is granted to a wife and children of a resident employee. The visa holder may not take up employment in Bahrain but can stay as long as the resident employee stays.
Bahrain Visa Notes:-
If you do not have a Bahrain Embassy in your country then the best way to obtain a visa for Bahrain is through a hotel in Bahrain. Hotels can act as your sponsor. In order to arrange this, send the hotel a fax at least three weeks prior to the date you wish to arrive in Bahrain. Include all your passport data as well as arrival and departure times and the purpose of your visit (tourism is acceptable). You should give exact information about the time and flight you will arrive on. Include a telephone number and possibly a fax number where you can be reached. Always reconfirm everything by phone a few days before your arrival. The hotel will charge a small fee, usually under BD5 and this will be added to your bill. The visa can then be collected at the airport, port or on the causeway from Saudi Arabia upon arrival.
If you have an Israeli stamp in your passport then you will not be admitted to Bahrain.
Bahrain does not recognize the idea of naturalization. This means if you are an Nigerian-born American or Briton who is a naturalized citizen of either country, you remain, as far as Bahraini immigration officials are concerned, a Nigerian, which means you cannot get a visa at the airport. The safest way around this problem is to have your visa arranged by one of the bigger hotels in Bahrain.
Drivers arriving from Saudi Arabia are required to sign a guarantee promising to take the car out of Bahrain after a specified time. This paper is very important and must be handed in to customs on the way out of the country. A mandatory insurance fee of BD1.5 or SR15 is levied upon each car crossing the causeway.
Overstaying your Bahrain visa will result in a fine of about BD 1O per day. Extensions to visas are usually possible at the General Directorate of Immigration and Passports in Manama (tel. +973 17535111).
Certain nationalities will require a sponsor for all forms of visa. These sponsors are listed below, if you require more information then please contact them. I cannot sponsor so please don't ask.
Your airline.
The Hotel you intend to stay in Bahrain.
A Bahrain travel agent.
A Bahrain company willing to sponsor you.
A Bahrain citizen willing to sponsor you.
Nationalities that will require a Sponsor for all types of Bahrain Visas :-
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen, Zambia & Zimbabwe.
List of Bahraini embassies / representative offices abroad:
| Country |
Code |
Telephone |
Fax |
|
|
+9712 |
6657500 |
6674141 |
|
|
|
Algeria |
21321 |
691197-6991168 |
692449 |
|
|
+9626 |
5683901 |
5664190 |
||
|
Berlin, Germany |
+4930 |
86 87 77 77 |
86 87 77 88 |
|
|
Cairo, Egypt |
+202 |
7350642 |
7366609 |
|
Baghdad, Iraq |
+9641 |
5429951 |
5435711 |
|
|
+96311 |
6132314/5/6 |
6130502 |
||
|
Doha, Qatar |
+974 |
4839360 |
4831018 |
|
|
+965 |
5318530 |
5330882 |
||
|
+44 |
(0)20 7201 9170 |
(0)20 7201 9183 |
||
|
Moscow, Russia |
+7095 |
2300097-2300013 |
2302401 |
|
|
+968 |
605133 |
605072 |
||
|
+331 |
47.23.48.68 |
47.20.55.75 |
||
|
Peking, China |
+8610 |
64635574 |
64635504 |
|
|
+ 2123 |
7656024 |
7630732 |
||
|
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
+9661 |
4880044/19/13 |
4880208 |
|
|
+9821 |
8773383 |
8779112 |
||
|
+2161 |
47234868 |
47205575 |
||
|
+1202 |
342 1111 |
362 2192 |
||
|
Consulates: |
||||
|
Mumbai, India |
+9122 |
2185858 2185971 |
2188817 |
|
|
+9221 |
5848319-5845963 |
5843037 |
||
|
Permanent missions to UN: |
||||
|
+4122 |
758-2289/758- 9640 |
758-9651/758- 9650 |
||
|
1 212 |
223-6200 |
3190687 |
||
|
Information last up dated 01/01/2010 |
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