Visa policy of Bahrain
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Most visitors to Bahrain may obtain a visa on arrival or an e-Visa before traveling.[1]
Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries have freedom of movement in Bahrain and may enter with a national ID card.[2]
Passport must be valid for 6 months from arrival and visitors must hold return or onward ticket.[3]
Overview
In October 2014, Bahrain implemented a new visa policy that makes it easier for incoming travelers to get Bahraini visas. Travelers must have a passport that is valid for at least six months and a visa to enter Bahrain.[4] However, travelers from approved countries can now get their visas online or when they arrive in the country. Bahrain has issued more visas since the policy was implemented than it did before.[5] Starting in April 2015, Bahrain began sending applicants confirmations of their application status by text messaging.[6]
In November 2016, Bahrain adopted new visa policy rules defining a two-week allowed stay on a single entry visa and a 90-day stay on a multiple entry visa valid for one year. In addition, a multiple entry visa valid for three months allows stay for one month. Citizens of Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom may obtain a five-year multiple entry visa allowing a 90-day stay on each visit.[7]
In October 2020, the United States and Bahrain introduced a reciprocal agreement for a 10-year multi-entry visa scheme for citizens of both countries which also unifies the processing fees and validity of the visa at 90-days per visit for a cost of 160 USD (60 Bahraini Dinars).[8]
Visa policy map
Visa exemption
Citizens of the following GCC countries may enter Bahrain without a visa and may use a national ID card:
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Freedom of movement |
Non-ordinary passports
In addition to countries whose citizens are visa-exempt, holders of diplomatic or official/service passports may enter Bahrain without a visa for the following period:
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90 days 30 days |
Visa on arrival or e-Visa
Citizens of all countries may obtain a visa on arrival or online, except for the following countries whose citizens must have a guarantor (Bahraini commercial entity or a Bahraini individual) to obtain a visa:[9]
Visas may be either single entry or multiple entry, and must be used within 3 months from the date of approval. In case of a visa rejection, processing fee is non-refundable whereas visa fee is refundable under certain circumstances. However, the refund request must be initiated by the applicant.[10]
| Visa policy | Validity | Number of entry | Duration of stay | Total price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eVisa | 2 weeks | Single | 2 weeks | 9 BHD |
| 3 months | Multiple | 1 month | 16 BHD | |
| 1 year | Multiple | 90 days | 44 BHD | |
| 5 years* | Multiple | 90 days | 64 BHD | |
| Visa on arrival | 2 weeks | Single | 2 weeks | 5 BHD |
| 3 months | Multiple | 1 month | 12 BHD |
* - Citizens of some countries cannot get 5-year e-Visa.
E-Visa Application Requirements
E-Visa applicants must supply scanned copies of following documents along with their visa application:[11]
- Applicant's passport
- Confirmed return air ticket
- Hotel booking in Bahrain or ID card of relative/friend (in case of staying with them)
- Bank statement under the visitor's name covering the last 3 months with an ending balance of at least the equivalent of 1000 USD
Applications are processed in approximately 3 to 5 working days.[12]
Residents of GCC Countries
Legal residents of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, irrespective of their nationality and except Iranian citizens, may obtain a visa online or on arrival at any port of entry, subject to the following conditions:
- Have held a residence permit issued by their country of residence for more than 3 months.
- Residence permit is valid for at least another 3 months at the time of the visa application.
- Occupation as per their resident permit must not be labourer.
History
For a period of time, citizens of Qatar were banned from entering Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain unless they were married to a local person.[13][14]
See also
References
- ^ "Bahrain Electronic Visa Service". www.evisa.gov.bh. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
- ^ "Visas". Kingdom of Bahrain's National Portal. September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "What are the conditions?". evisa.gov.bh. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
- ^ "Bahrain". U.S. Passports & International Travel; United States Department of State. 24 September 2014. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ Smith-Teutsch, Amanda (20 May 2015). "New visa policy in Bahrain leads to sharp rise in business and leisure travelers". Gulf News Journal. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ "NPRA launches SMS visa service". Bahrain News Agency. 25 April 2015. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ "Bahrain launches two new visas for 114 countries". Al Arabiya English. November 20, 2016.
- ^ Godinho, Varun (October 12, 2020). "Bahrain launches 10-year multiple-entry visa for US citizens". Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ^ "F1 visa procedures announced". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
- ^ "Bahrain eVisa".
- ^ "Bahrain Electronic Visa Service". www.evisa.gov.bh. Archived from the original on 2022-04-16. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
- ^ "Bahrain Electronic Visa Service". www.evisa.gov.bh. Archived from the original on 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain cut ties to Qatar". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ^ "Qatar crisis: What you need to know". 2017-06-06. Retrieved 2024-10-10.