Visas and Residency
RegulationTrial employment of a foreign worker with another employer
Decision No. (2) of 2026 of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority allows a foreign worker to work for another employer for up to three months while the permit stays with the original employer, subject to written consent from the worker and both employers, and the Authority's approval, taking into account the Bahrainisation rate required at the other employer compared with the original employer.
What has changed
A work permit confined the foreign worker to the employer it was registered under. If another establishment needed that worker, its only option was a full worker transfer: a permanent decision whose fees the new establishment bore before it could see whether the worker suited its business, and before the worker could see whether the new workplace suited them.
Decision No. (2) of 2026 amends certain provisions of Decision No. (76) of 2008, which governs work permits for foreign workers, and allows a foreign worker to work for another employer for a maximum of three months while the work permit remains with the original employer. The receiving establishment now has a regulated period in which to assess the worker's competence and skills before any permanent decision.
Conditions for working with another employer
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Duration | Three months at most |
| Consents | Written consent from the worker, the original employer and the other employer |
| The Authority's approval | Required before work begins, with the arrangement registered in its system |
| Bahrainisation rate | Compared with the original employer's rate, and the difference affects the conditions of the application |
| Work permit | Remains with the original employer |
| Responsibility for the worker's rights | Joint, between both employers throughout the period |
Who the decision covers
The original employer
The establishment under whose name the worker holds a valid work permit, and which agrees to the worker being deployed temporarily elsewhere.
The other employer
The establishment that wishes to take on the worker, and whose required Bahrainisation rate is compared with that of the original employer.
The foreign worker
A worker inside the Kingdom of Bahrain with a valid work permit, who can only be deployed with their written consent. The decision does not open a new recruitment channel; it regulates the use of workers already in the country.
Excluded from the decision
Domestic workers, who fall outside the scope of Decision No. (76) of 2008 and its amendments.
The benefit to the employer
For the receiving establishment
- Assessing the worker's competence and skills in the actual work environment before deciding on a transfer
- Trying the worker out before bearing the fees of the transfer and the new permit, so they are paid only once the worker has proved suitable
- Avoiding a permanent transfer that may later prove unsuitable
For the original establishment
- Deploying the worker elsewhere during a slow period without cancelling the permit
- Keeping the permit in place, with the worker returning once the period ends
- A regulated framework registered with the Authority instead of informal arrangements that expose the establishment to violations
Points to watch
Approval comes before deployment
A worker starting with the other employer before the Authority approves and registers the arrangement remains outside the framework the decision provides.
Three months is the maximum
The period may not be exceeded. If the worker is to stay with the other employer afterwards, the regular worker transfer procedure is needed, not an extension of the trial.
The Bahrainisation rate affects the application
The rate required for the other employer's activity is compared with the original employer's rate, and the difference affects the conditions of the application, so it needs to be checked before any agreement.
Responsibility is joint
Both employers are jointly responsible for the worker's rights throughout the period, so any shortfall in wages or entitlements can be claimed from either of them, even if the other party caused it.
The authorised occupation
During the period the worker works within the occupation they are authorised for, so the trial cannot be used to place them in a different occupation.
What the employer needs to do now
- 1
Compare the Bahrainisation rates
Check the rate required at both establishments before agreeing, to know how it affects the application before it is submitted.
- 2
Check the permit and occupation
Make sure the worker's permit remains valid throughout the period, and that the work required falls within the authorised occupation.
- 3
Obtain the written consents
Obtain written consent from the worker, the original employer and the other employer.
- 4
Apply to the Authority
Submit the application through the Labour Market Regulatory Authority's system, and do not start work before approval is issued and the arrangement is registered.
- 5
Document the arrangement between the employers
Set out in a written agreement who pays the wages and entitlements during the period, and what happens when it ends.
After the three months
The deployment ends when the set period expires, and the worker's permit remains with the original employer. If the parties agree that the worker should stay with the other establishment, this is done through the procedure for transferring a foreign worker to another employer, a separate procedure that moves the permit itself on a permanent basis. If no agreement is reached, the worker returns to their original job with the permit unaffected. The agreement between the two employers should therefore set out in advance what happens when the period ends, so the worker is not left in an unclear position after its last day.
The decision number and official source
Decision No. (2) of 2026 amending certain provisions of Decision No. (76) of 2008 was issued by the Minister of Labour, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, on 22 September 2026, published in the Official Gazette on 24 September 2026, and takes effect from the day following its publication.
The online application process and the details of how the decision is applied are set by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority. Refer to the Authority or an authorised agent before taking any step, as the way the decision applies depends on the activities of both establishments, the Bahrainisation rate and the worker's status.