visit visa to dependent visa bahrain

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Text and background colours, issuance of a visit evisa for a family visit.

This visa is issued to incoming visitors who have relatives in the Kingdom of Bahrain for a period of one month, subject to renewal, in accordance with the relevant standards and regulations.

Required Attachments

• Copy of passport
• Hotel reservation
• Return ticket
• Attach copies of official documents proving kinship (in the case of a family visit), such as birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.
• A three-month bank statement with a minimum regular income of 300-500 BD per month (whether it is a regular salary or pension) or any amount equivalent to 150 BD for each day of the visit, provided in English

Legal Regulations

• Ministerial Resolution No. (142) of 2019, Item 65 of Schedule (B)

Process Time

• 3 - 5 Working Days

Service Provider

Ministry of Interior - Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs

Service Processes

• Online application is received
• Review documents and conditions
• Accepting the application and issuing a receipt
• Check the application and complete the procedure
• After the approval of the application, a visa is issued for the client

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Visa requests, monday 08 apr 2024.

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Bahrain Updates Visit and Dependent Visas to Work Permit Conversion Rules

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior recently amended regulations concerning visit and dependent visa conversions. As per the new regulations, only sponsored visit visas can be converted to work permits, and they must retain the same sponsor who initially issued the visit visas. 

Additionally, the fees for converting visit visas to work permits, visit visas to dependent visas, and dependent visas to work permits have been increased from BD 60 (159 US$) to BD 250 (663 US$).

Visit visas are tourist visas which the government issues to visitors. They may be sponsored either by the applicant or by a sponsor in Bahrain, usually a travel agency, that is responsible for processing the application with the Nationality, Passports, and Residence Affairs (NPRA). 

While most migrant workers will have secured employment and work permits before their arrival, some individuals use visit visas to search for jobs upon reaching Bahrain. This method is commonly chosen by prospective workers who are seeking employment in Bahrain without relying on recruitment agencies in their home countries, or to bypass government recruitment bans. Employers may also ops for this route because it is cheaper for them and ensures the worker’s presence in Bahrain before investing in issuing work permits and contracts.

However, visit visas have also been misused, with migrants being deceived into believing that their visa serves as a work permit. As a result, they often arrive in Bahrain with no job, despite paying recruitment fees, and also face heavy fines once their visit visas expire. Many migrants have become stranded through this experience, with scam cases on the rise in recent years. 

According to the head of the parliamentary investigation committee into the labour market, Mamdouh Al-Saleh, in the first six months of 2023, the committee monitored the conversion of 8,592 visit visas . 

The NPRA stated that the new measures aim to increase job-hunting opportunities for unemployed Bahraini citizens and to “tackle the exploitation of visit visas by some.” The NPRA noted that the new regulations will be implemented immediately. 

The NPRA did not officially announce any exemptions for migrants with visit visas already in Bahrain, meaning many of them must return as they lack sponsored visas. Furthermore, some Bahrain residents have raised questions online regarding the decision to raise fees for converting visit visas to dependent visas, saying that the decision is discriminatory and doesn’t concern the labour market. 

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New Visa Rules – Conversion of Visit Visa to Work / Dependent visa

• February 14, 2024
• by PRIME Instant Offices

Bahrain – It is no more possible to transfer on arrival visit visas to a work or a dependent visa. As per the New rule, visit visas with a sponsor can be transferred to a work or dependent visa on payment of BD250 towards transfer from visit to work/dependent visa instead of the previous BD60. To read more click here .

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Bahrain introduces new rules to convert visit visas into work or dependent visas

Manama: Bahrain's Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) recently announced that the country will not allow the conversion of visit visas to work or dependent visas anymore. The latest move is part of the government’s decision to make the rules and regulations regarding the conversion of visit visas into work or dependent visas stricter. The authorities said that the new procedures would be carried out in cooperation with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority to promote the National Labour Market Plan and stop the exploitation of people arriving in the country on visit visas. However, this is likely to affect the employment prospects of hundreds of job seekers.

Currently, lots of aspirants from Kerala and other GCC countries are in Bahrain looking for employment opportunities. Most people choose to fly to Bahrain as the cost of living is comparatively less. Besides, it is easier to migrate to other countries including Saudi Arabia from Bahrain. Aspirants are worried about the latest decision by the authorities to regulate the process of converting visit visas into work or dependent visas. 

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New Rules To Convert Visit Visas Into Work Permits In Bahrain

The Bahrain government announced that it would not allow the conversion of visit visas to work or dependent visas without a sponsor. While visit visas can be changed to work or dependent visas if the sponsor is the same, the fee for them has been increased by over four times.

The fee, which was originally BD60, now stands at BD250 per visa. The announcement came from Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, Interior Ministry Undersecretary at Nationality, Passports, and Residence Affairs (NPRA).

The official said the decision was taken by Interior Minister H.E. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. As per the decision of the Interior Minister, “it was decided to stop changing visit visas to work or dependent visas without a sponsor.

It was also agreed to increase the fees for changing visit visas to work or dependency visas from BD60 to BD250 only if it will be for the same sponsor,” the announcement said. Further, it said the decision is as per the government directives to intensify the rules of changing visit visas to support the local workforce by making them the first employment choice.

The procedures would be carried out in cooperation with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) to promote the National Labour Market Plan and stop the exploitation of visit visas.

Calls had been made by various people in the Kingdom recently for tightening the rules regarding the conversion of visit visas to work visas, citing its effect on the employment prospects of Bahrain citizens. Several proposals had been made by the MPs in the Parliament to either completely stop the conversion or increase the fees for the conversion of visit visas to work visas as well as for issuing work visas for foreigners.

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How To Sponsor Your Family In Bahrain 2024: Perfect Guide

Table of Contents

Today, Bahrain is a country that offers many life and work opportunities for foreigners. Especially for those who want to establish themselves in it. In case you want to take your family with you, you have to comply with a series of requirements and procedures. Thus, you can obtain a dependent visa Bahrain or a Bahrain family visa. With this visa, you will be able to sponsor your children, spouse, parents, or in-laws so they can legally reside in the country.

In this guide, we will tell you everything you need to know about the dependent visa Bahrain. That is, what types of visas exist, the documents you must present, and how to apply for them. In addition, to how much it costs, how long it takes to process, and the benefits it attracts. Thus, you can reunite with your family and enjoy the visa in Bahrain without worries.

Bahrain family visa

When you live and work in Bahrain , normally, you want to bring your family with you to the country. For this reason, the first thing you should do to bring your family with you is to apply for a family visa in Bahrain. In this way, the Bahrain family visa also known as the residence permit for dependents; is a type of visa that will allow close family members to reside with them in the country.

If you want to obtain your dependent Bahrain visa, the employee residing in Bahrain needs to work with his employer. In this way, he or she will be responsible for requesting all residence permits for the employee’s dependents. Furthermore, this entire application process must be done through the Labor Market Regulatory Authority or LMRA.

Immediate family may live in Bahrain during the entire period of employment. However, they will not be able to work in the country. Thus, they must obtain a separate work visa if they wish to work in the country legally. For this reason, it is important that you know all the legal details of Bahrain to avoid any problems.

Bahrain family visa requirements

Before applying for your visa you must know the family visa requirements in Bahrain. This way, you will be able to obtain your visa without any inconvenience and you will be able to have your family with you more quickly. For this reason, we present the Bahrain family visa requirements:

• The dependent’s passport.
• Birth certificates of all dependents. These must be in Arabic or English.
• Your wife/husband’s passport.
• If available, you must have a dependent identity card.
• The marriage certificate and that it is in Arabic or English.
• Children accompanying their working parent: a letter of no objection from the dependent’s parent. You can also present, if necessary, a divorce certificate and a declaration that certifies the custody of the dependents on the part of the father or mother. Additionally, in case the father or mother has died, a death certificate.
• In the private sector you must present the last paid electricity bill:
• If a new CR has not been billed, you must upload a printed copy from the electricity and water authority. This way, you will be able to prove that the account was opened or transferred to that specific CR.
• If electricity is not your responsibility. For example, in stores in shopping centers or if the electricity is paid for by the owner, you will have to upload proof. This way you can upload a lease.

Bahrain family visa special conditions

Apart from the requirements that were mentioned above to obtain the Dependant visa Bahrain, there are others. In this way, the Bahrain authorities stipulated special conditions that must be met for anyone who wishes to apply for the Residence for the Bahrain family.

The conditions extend up to the minimum salary that the applicant has, as well as many others. For this reason, you must know the following special conditions if you want to apply for your dependent Bahrain visa:

• The applicant must be registered in the system as an authorized person. You may also be responsible to the authority of the CR or the respective Unit.
• The employee’s net income must be a minimum of 400 BHD per month.
• If the employee’s family dependents are in the Kingdom on a visit or any type of leave; This must be valid for no less than 7 business days from the date of submission of the application.
• If the employee’s dependents are over 24 years of age, the entire process of issuing the residence permit and renewal is through NPRA. Additionally, this will depend on the conditions and regulations that the department has.
• Those dependents with a previous personal number must complete the same number in the personal number field. All this must be done when applying for Bahrain residency.
• Those who were born in Bahrain or who have a new passport must open a new file in NPRA.

How to apply for the Bahrain family visa?

If you want to obtain a dependent visa for parents in Bahrain, it is important that you follow the following steps:

First step: log in to the LMRA EMS system and begin the entire process of applying for a new residence permit for dependents.

Second step: you must print the request confirmation.

Third step: now you will have to check the status of your request as follows:

• By logging into the EMS system and using the ID of this application.
• Entering the express services section on the LMRA website using the application ID. Additionally, you can use your passport number or the personal number that the expatriate has.
• Making a call to the LMRA contact center and delivering the request ID to the agents of this service.

Fourth step: After you have received approval for the residence permits, you must pay the fees. This can be done through the EMS system or by visiting one of the accredited banks.

Fifth step: You must print the residence permit by contacting NPRA.

It is important to keep in mind that if the employee’s dependents are over 24 years old, the procedure changes. These must carry out the process of issuing the residence permit and renewal directly with the NPRA. All this depends on the conditions and regulations that the department has.

Bahrain family visa processing time

The processing of the dependent visa Bahrain is extremely fast. For this reason, in a period of 1 to 10 business days, your visa will be processed. Furthermore, this will largely depend on the country of the visa application.

Bahrain family visa fee

According to Bahrain’s official LMRA portal, the fee for a new application and renewal is the same. Thus, if you want to apply for your dependent Bahrain visa or renew it, you will have to pay a fee of 90 BHD.

Now that you know everything about the Bahrain family visa it is your turn to apply for one and live with your family members. For this reason, contact us to learn more about all these procedures. At Connect Resources, we have a large team trained to help you throughout this process.

Additionally, if you want to speed up this process further, you can contact us using our number +971 43 316 688, or by writing to our email [email protected] . Do not waste any more time and work in Bahrain with your closest relatives as soon as possible with us.

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Bahrain Tightens Rules for Visit Visa to Work Visa Conversions

Jun 16, 2020

In a recent announcement by the Interior Ministry Undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) in Bahrain,  significant changes to the visa conversion process have been unveiled. The decision aims to bolster the National Labour Market Plan while curbing the misuse of visit visas.

Under the new regulations, the conversion of visit visas into work or dependent visas without a sponsor has been halted. However, visit visas with a sponsor can still be transformed into work or dependent visas, albeit with a notable change in the fee structure. Previously set at BD60, the fee for this conversion has been revised to BD250, applicable only when the transfer is within the same sponsor.

The Interior Ministry’s move aligns with government directives to tighten visa transfer rules and prioritize the local workforce in employment opportunities. To enforce these measures, collaboration with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) has been established. The objective is not only to streamline the visa conversion process but also to discourage the exploitation of visit visas, thereby supporting Bahraini citizens as the primary choice in employment.

This development comes after unanimous parliamentary support for proposed amendments to the 1965 Foreigners (Migration and Residency) Law, aiming to prohibit the conversion of visit visas into work permits. MPs believe that such changes would address the perceived misuse of tourist visas by foreigners seeking employment in Bahrain.

As the government takes steps to safeguard the interests of the local workforce and regulate visa conversions, ongoing debates and concerns persist regarding the efficacy of these measures in addressing the complex challenges associated with visa misuse and employment priorities.

Source: NPRA & Zawya

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New rules to convert visit visas into work permits in Bahrain

TDT | Manama                                                       

The Daily Tribune –  www.newsofbahrain.com

Reported by Mahir Haneef

Bahrain government on Monday announced that it would not allow conversion of visit visas to work or dependent visas without a sponsor. While visit visas can be changed to work or dependent visas if the sponsor is the same, the fee for it has been increased by over four times.

The fee, which was originally BD60, now stands at BD250 per visa. The announcement came from Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, Interior Ministry Undersecretary at Nationality, Passports, and Residence Affairs (NPRA).

The official said the decision was taken by Interior Minister H.E. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. As per the decision of the Interior Minister, “it was decided to stop changing visit visas to work or dependent visas without a sponsor.

It was also agreed to increase the fees for changing visit visas to work or dependency visas from BD60 to BD250 only if it will be for the same sponsor,” the announcement said. Further, it said the decision is as per the government directives to intensify rules of changing visit visas to support the local workforce by making them the first employment choice.

The procedures would be carried out in cooperation with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) to promote the National Labour Market Plan and stop the exploitation of visit visas.

Calls had been made by various people in the Kingdom recently for tightening the rules regarding conversion of visit visas to work visas, citing its effect on employment prospects of Bahrain citizens. Several proposals had been made by the MPs in the Parliament to either completely stop the conversion or increase the fees for conversion of visit visas to work visas as well as for issuing work visas for foreigners. But what happens when fees is raised for issuing visas and has it been tried out in any country before?

The Daily Tribune got in touch with experts in immigration economics and immigration policies and they had plenty to say.

An economist’s viewpoint

Increasing the visa fees to lessen the inflow of migrants had been adopted by many countries around the world and the results were mixed, according to the experts.

Stan Veuger, a senior fellow in economic policy studies at the Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute, said, “The main way to think about this in economic terms, from the perspective of Bahrainis, is as a large increase in taxes on imported labour services.”

Further, Stan said such an increase on tax has a number of consequences. “Incidence: It is a tax increase, i.e. it makes those who pay the tax (or who reduce their reliance on expatriate labour) strictly worse enough. Perhaps corresponding tax reductions or an improvement in government services will make up for that, but that remains to be seen,” he said.

Regarding efficiency, Stan stated, “This kind of tax distorts the choice between relying on expatriate labour versus capital, one’s own labour, and other native labour.” When it comes to human capital and productivity, these distorted incentives can have consequences down the road, as Bahrainis will focus more on their efforts on activities in which they do not currently have a comparative advantage, the expert said. The higher visa fees will result in a redistribution, with jobs going from the expatriate workers to those who compete with them in the local market, he said.

“From the perspective of the expatriate workers themselves, on the other hand, it is a pure negative on all fronts,” Stan added.

How it would affect companies

Shayan Sultan, a partner at New York-based immigration services firm Fragomen, points out that it could affect smaller to mid-size companies.

“If the cost of employing expat workers increases in Bahrain, it may be challenging for smaller to midsize companies to cater to higher government fees, resulting in fewer job opportunities for expat workers. The attractiveness of Bahrain for expat skilled workers will remain as factors like social and economic infrastructure, affordable housing, ease of obtaining work permits, etc, will ensure Bahrain stays an attractive destination for expat workers,” he said.

But an increase in fees would not lead a shortage of skilled workers, according to the Fragomen expert. “No significant shortage of skilled workers can be foreseen at this point due to the higher cost of employing expat workers. Bahrain’s healthcare sector does not heavily rely on expat healthcare skilled professionals except for support staff, i.e., technicians, nurses, etc.

Any significant changes to government fees will increase healthcare facilities overall operational costs, impacting the recruitment of expat workers while promoting the employment of Bahrainis in the healthcare industry.” The expert also pointed out that there are examples of such fee increases across the world.

“There are examples where governments of many countries have increased the fees levied for expats. Some examples include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Kingdom and Kuwait. The aftereffects usually require companies to conduct more detailed analysis and budget planning to help them make the most beneficial decisions when planning to employ expat workers or develop new recruitment strategies,” he stated.

Immigration concerns

Chetal Patel, Head of Immigration, at London-based legal firm Bates Wells, cited the example of the UK, which is one of the most expensive immigration systems in the world due to associated costs linked to visas, in particular the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) and Immigration Health Surcharge (HIS).

Many organizations are re-visiting ways in which they can financially support migrants with their visas as it costs over GBP 20,000 (9,526 BD) for a worker and his family for the visas, she pointed out.

“Whilst the UK remains focused on attracting the brightest and the best, there’s a concern that skilled workers will simply go elsewhere due to the exorbitant immigration costs,” Chetal stated.

Are there any positives?

India tops the list of countries with the highest number of emigrants per year.

Ajay Sharma, who is based in New Delhi and is the founder director of the oldest and largest immigration consultancy firm in India, does not think higher visa fees would affect the attractiveness of Bah[1]rain among expat employees.

“I don’t think so because the burden is on mid or large-sized Bahraini employers. They will pass it on to end-users and utilities. Additionally, with the proposed fee increase, Bahrain could generate more revenue to invest in infrastructure and social welfare programs for its citizens.

Also, the fee increase might incentivize Bahraini employers to hire more local workers, boosting employment opportunities for Bahraini citizens. However, it is vital to consider the potential impact on small businesses and start-ups, as the increased fees may pose a financial challenge for them when hiring expat workers,” Ajay said.

He also does not believe that it will lead to a shortage of skilled workers in Bahrain, especially in critical sectors such as healthcare.

“I doubt that will happen. It will be interesting to see if other countries in the region follow suit and increase fees for expat workers, which could shift the dynamics of the job market in the Gulf region. My experience with the policy actions of bloc countries — in this case, the Middle East — worldwide is that other countries may soon follow with similar action.

Also, as I stated above, it depends on the size of the company hiring international workers, the percentage of international workers in their overall workforce, and their ability to pass on the additional costs to end customers of their products or services,” Ajay explained.

Levying higher visa fees from expatriates is also not unprecedented, states Ajay, whose firm processes thousands of visa applications from immigrants to countries across the world.

“It happens all the time. The US government recently increased the premium application processing fee. The Canadian government has increased the application processing fee for different categories. The demand and supply situation is such that employers can only do with essential overseas workers that it has no impact beyond creating short-term news,” he said.

Possible adverse effects

However, Shai Zamanian, Managing Director of immigration consultancy The American Legal Center of Dubai, does not agree and says higher visa fees will have an adverse effect. “The messaging behind the tariffs is exclusion. Expatriates questioning to take the leap and move to Bahrain, normally base their decision on a key principle: Will I be welcomed?

By virtue of taxing every foreigner seeking to make their dreams a possibility in Bahrain, the messaging is unambiguous. The costs related with hiring expats will certainly trickle down to the employee themselves, some may have to pay this price upfront before embarking on their new job.

If the success of the globalized world we live in today is the interconnectedness of global skills, this new policy will certainly negatively affect competitive skilled expat workers,” Shai said. Whether the higher fees would lead to a shortage of skilled workers need to be seen as it evolves, Shai added.

“With a tax, there will certainly be less expats hired as company’s face a fiscal crunch. In the short-term there will be a shortage of skilled workers as it takes time for the marketplace to adjust to change and then decide whether to hire expats or to continue to hold.

The long-term impacts could be that the quality of candidates and the number of actual hires would decrease, however it would need to be reflected on after some time. Conversely, there could be a positive affect if HR directors understand the costs of bringing on expats so they work more rigorously to only bring in the most skilled.

We have to take the wait and see approach,” he said. But Shai agrees that the practice of levying higher fees from expatriates for visas has been tried out in many countries. “Absolutely. Australia and Canada have imposed heavy restrictions on foreigners purchasing real estate within some of the hottest real estate markets in the world such as Sydney and Vancouver.

There are instances where placing your own citizens first makes a lot of sense. However, there needs to be a discussion around the intention of the new policy in Bahrain. Is this new regulation in place to promote the hiring of the local population?

If so, perhaps other incentives should be considered in actual hiring of locals. Just because its taxing to hire foreigners, does not mean that instead local populations will be hired. Here, we should lean on institutions that have discussed and analyzed the issue and perhaps release a mandate outlining the intentions.

Otherwise, there could be backlash and optically, it could be perceived as undue punishment towards those that we require to continue building a vibrant Bahrain and GCC,” Shai, who owns the US-licensed legal firm based in Dubai told.

In short, the jury is still out there on whether higher visa fees would lead to more jobs for Bahrainis, and the real effects of the change will be known only with time. What do you think will be the effects of the change? Tell us at [email protected]

STAN VEUGER

SHAYAN SULTAN

CHETAL PATEL

AJAY SHARMA

SHAI ZAMANIAN

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Work Approval for Dependants

• New Work Approval
• Renewal of Work Approval
• Cancellation of Work Approval
• Change of Occupation

Spouses' and grown-up children who are on family visa or students' visa are not supposed to work in the Kingdom of Bahrain, unless they change the visa from family or student visa to a work permit. However, if one of the spouses' wish to work and remain as a dependant on their family visa – they could apply for Work Approval for Dependants permit and if approved will be granted a work permit to enable them to work and keep their family permit at the same time.

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