Visas and Residency
Labour Market Regulatory Authority
The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) is the body responsible for work permits for foreign employees and investors in the Kingdom of Bahrain. An establishment account cannot be opened with the Authority before the commercial registration (CR) and the licence are complete. Every CR starts with two visas, and the quota ceiling varies by activity.
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Who this service is for
- A new establishment opening its file with the Authority for the first time
- An establishment that has used up its visa quota and needs to expand
- An establishment whose transactions are held up by an administrative note
- An establishment whose ownership has transferred and whose CR number has changed
What the procedure covers
Registering a new establishment
Opening the establishment file with the Authority, whether it is a sole proprietorship or a company with one or more owners.
Updating the responsible person's details
Amending the details of the person responsible for the establishment with the Authority.
Registering Top Delmon as an authorised agent
Registering the office as authorised to deal with the Authority's system on behalf of the establishment.
Transferring workers when the CR number changes
A transfer of CR ownership accompanied by a change of its number requires all foreign workers to be moved to the new number.
Raising the visa quota
Increasing the number of visas within the ceiling permitted for the activity.
Workload assessment
A procedure available once the activity's quota ceiling has been used up, to obtain additional visas beyond the ceiling.
Clearing administrative notes
Dealing with the violations that halt the establishment's transactions with the Authority until they are cleared.
Notifying that a worker has left the job
Filing the statutory notification when a foreign worker leaves their job.
Key considerations
The order of stages is binding
An Authority account is not opened before the CR and the licence are complete, and work permits are not issued before the account is opened.
Condition for a quota increase request
The request is not submitted if an unused visa remains within the current quota.
The quota is tied to the activity
The quota ceiling varies according to the registered activity.
Administrative notes halt everything
An administrative note freezes the establishment's transactions with the Authority until it is cleared.
Companies with several partners
They require minutes of a meeting appointing the person responsible for the establishment.
Common questions
Related services
Contact us
Send the CR number, the activity and the number of employees required, and the available quota and the appropriate procedure will be determined.