Visas and Residency
Work Permits
A work permit is the authorisation issued by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority to employ a foreign worker at a registered establishment. The permit is issued for a worker inside or outside Bahrain and is renewed periodically. The related services include changing the occupation, transfer of a worker between establishments, cancelling the permit, and the dependant residence permit.
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Who this service is for
- An establishment hiring foreign workers for the first time
- An establishment renewing the permits of its existing employees
- An establishment transferring an employee from or to another party
- An employee who wishes to bring in their family
What the procedure covers
Issuing the work permit
For a worker inside or outside Bahrain.
Renewing the work permit
Renewing existing permits before they expire.
Changing the occupation
Amending the occupation recorded on the permit.
Transfer of a foreign worker
Transferring the worker between establishments. It does not cover moving between investor status and employee status.
Cancelling the permit and deportation
Ending the permit and handling the deportation procedures.
Paying the insurance deposit
Paying 300 BD when cancelling an absconding worker or one whose employment is not to continue.
Dependant residence permit
For the spouse and children. The employee's salary must be 400 BD or more.
Work permit for dependants
Issuing a work permit for a holder of a dependant residence permit.
Extending the cancellation with the NPRA
For a worker inside Bahrain whose cancellation period has expired. This is a necessary step before a new work permit transaction can be completed.
Updating passport details
Updating the passport details in the system.
Key considerations
The permit is tied to the visa quota
A new permit is not issued unless a visa is available within the quota allocated to the establishment.
Salary condition for dependant residence
A dependant residence permit is not granted if the employee's salary is below 400 BD.
The NPRA step may come before the Authority
If the cancellation period of a worker inside Bahrain has expired, the cancellation must be extended with the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) before the new permit transaction can be completed.
Notification when a worker leaves the job
A statutory notification must be filed when a foreign worker leaves their job.
Common questions
Contact us
Send the employee's details and current status, and the statutory route and the documents required will be determined.