Residency and visas in Bahrain

Residency and visas in Bahrain become relevant as soon as a foreign owner, manager or employee plans to live and work there. Before that point, the registration itself includes a security clearance for foreign investors, one of the steps the Ministry of Industry and Commerce lists for an electronic application. After the company exists, each person coming from abroad needs the right permit for the role, and the route differs for an investor, a manager and a hired employee.

Ask a firm which permits it handles itself and which it coordinates with other offices, what the company has to have in place before the first application can be filed, and how long each step usually takes in its own recent cases. Ask what documents you must have certified or translated at home, whether family members can be included, and how renewals are tracked so that nobody’s status lapses. Also ask how the permits tie in with payroll in Bahrain, since a new hire’s salary and registrations start together.

Accountanty lists 15 firms helping with residency and visas in Bahrain: eight corporate service providers, six accounting firms and one law firm. Twelve of the 15 focus on foreign clients, and three belong to large networks. Twelve are in Manama and three in Seef.

Firms offering residency and visa support in Bahrain

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to live in Bahrain to own a company there?

Not necessarily. Many owners run their company from abroad with a local manager or service provider. If you or your staff will live and work in Bahrain, each person needs a permit for that role, so ask a firm which one fits.

What is the security clearance in the Bahrain registration process?

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce lists security clearance for foreign investors as one step of the electronic registration procedure. Ask your provider what information it needs from you for it and how it affects the timetable.

Can the same firm handle the company and the permits?

Often, yes. All 15 firms on this page also offer company formation, and most offer accounting. Ask which permit steps they handle in-house and which they arrange through partners.

Other services in Bahrain

Accountants by city in Bahrain

Setting up a company in Bahrain: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.