Visas and Residency
Investor Visa and Residency
The investor visa is issued by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority to the owner of a commercial registration or to a foreign partner, and grants residency in the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is separate from work permits and is not counted within the visa quota allocated to the establishment, so obtaining it does not reduce the number of visas available for hiring employees.
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Who this service is for
- A foreign investor who has set up a company in Bahrain and wishes to reside here
- A foreign partner in an existing company
- Anyone wishing to move their residency from employee status to investor status
Key considerations
Separate from the visa quota
The investor visa is not counted within the establishment's visa quota, so it does not affect your ability to hire employees.
The order of stages is binding
It is preceded by a complete commercial registration and licence and an open establishment account with the Authority.
Moving between the two statuses
Transfer of a foreign worker between establishments does not cover moving between investor status and employee status, which is a procedure with its own route.
Family residency
An application can be made for residency for family members (the spouse and children) and granted under the investor visa.
Common questions
Related services
Contact us
Send the CR details and your status in it, and the route and the documents required will be determined.